Lifestyle: Motoring – Arthur Daley’s Jag up at auction

THE largest collection of barn finds ever offered in one UK auction lured classic car buyers and restoration enthusiasts from around the world to Birmingham’s NEC.

With interest high, bidding was intense and the special auction, organised by Silverstone Auctions, netted more than £1m. A number of lots more than doubled their estimates, with 85% of the vehicles going under the hammer being sold.

British classics sold particularly well including a stunning 1958 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe. The car had been discovered languishing in a barn in Sicily before being repatriated to the UK; the car eventually sold for £62,100, more than double its lower estimate.

The top seller at the sale was a restoration project 1962 Facel Vega HK500, successfully hammered away for £64,400. An international bidding war saw a rare 1969 Aston Martin DBS Vantage eventually sell for £51,175, more than double its upper estimate. Another DBS barn find, a 1970 V8 Series I, proved equally popular selling for £49,450.

Managing director of Silverstone Auctions, Nick Whale, said: “I’m delighted with the results we’ve achieved for our vendors in the biggest ever auction of its type. If ever proof was needed for the enduring appeal of the barn find then surely these results are it.”

Also going under the hammer at the event was ‘Arfur Daley’s 1981 Daimler Sovereign Saloon from the TV series Minder, which sold for £15,525. One of the more bizarre lots, a milk float used on the set of EastEnders, went for £2,300.

A 1939 Lagonda V12 Hooper two-door saloon which had been expected to be one of the stars of the auction was snapped up in a significant six figure pre-auction deal. The auction house would not normally accept pre-auction sales but it said that in this instance the offer had been too good to refuse.

“This was a fantastic sale and we look forward to seeing many of the restoration projects brought back to their former glory very soon,” said Whale.

Mercedes beefs up SL-Class

FOR those that like their open-top motoring with a bit more poke, Mercedes has announced a series of power hikes to its SL-Class range.

The new SL 400 Sport is joining the SL family and replaces the SL 350 as the entry model to the range. The storming SL 63 AMG will gain even more power – as if it needed it!

Fitted with a V6 biturbo drivetrain the SL 400 features an increase of 27 hp and 110 Nm of torque over the outgoing engine and is quicker, despite displacement being decreased by half a litre.  The SL 400 will be available from £72,500 OTR and UK deliveries will start in July.

Mercedes said: “A total of 333 hp and 480 Nm of torque are produced by the all-new six-cylinder engine equipped with two turbochargers lowering the 0-62 sprint from 5.9 to 5.2 seconds. “

The brand’s current F1 success may help attract more buyers, especially as Hamilton and Rosberg’s current cars are powered by 1.6 litre V6 turbos rather than the 2.4-litre naturally aspirated V8s which had been in use on the world’s grand prix circuits since 2006.

The SL 400’s technical data fuel consumption of 36.7 mpg with a CO2 emissions rating of 178 g/km. The car’s top speed is limited to 155 mph.

On the inside, the car boasts a host of features including an instrument cluster with a chequered flag design, a flat-bottomed sports steering wheel with silver gear shift paddles and perforated leather in the grip areas, plus brushed light aluminium trim and AMG floor mats.

Alongside unique standard equipment features like Frontbass and Magic Vision Control, the SL 400 and SL 500 will also feature DAB and tyre pressure monitoring as standard.

The show-stopping SL 63 AMG also gains enhancements from July. It will benefit from a power upgrade with a total output of 585 hp – an increase 48 hp.  An increase of 100 Nm will result in a total of 900 Nm of torque being available, and this is promised without any compromise to fuel efficiency and emissions.  

An AMG rear axle limited-slip differential will also be fitted as standard.  With a locking effect of up to 40%, which Mercedes says will guarantee superior traction and improved lateral dynamics.

For those looking to customise their AMG, customers can now also clad their engine in an AMG carbon-fibre engine cover for £1,580.

Prices for the new SL-Class family start with the SL 400 Sport at £72,500, followed by the SL 500 Sport at £81,915, the SL 63 AMG at £112,510 and finally to the SL 65 AMG at £170,815. All prices are on the road.

Range Rover owners told to keep track of their vehicles

RANGE Rover owners are being warned to secure their vehicles against thieves using increasingly more sophisticated technology to counteract alarm systems.

Vehicle tracking firm Tracker said the warning followed a spate of thefts in London involving the prestige 4x4s and there are concerns the thieves may now look to move into other affluent areas.

It said the crime spree had been concentrated on Central London in what appeared to be a co-ordinated approach.

It said its own technology had helped to recover one £110,000 vehicle which had been stolen and it was vital that owners did all they could to ensure their vehicle was as secure as possible.

Adrian Davenport, Police Liaison Officer for Tracker, said: “Owning a Range Rover or 4×4 has been fashionable for a number of years in London, as many owners enjoy the space and luxury they afford. The fact that these thefts are moving from one part of London to another rather than further afield suggest the thieves are utilising this popularity to try and turn a quick profit stealing these cars.

“Many of the thefts we’ve seen have been stealing parked cars from the street using electronic devices. GPS Jammers can block some tracking systems, however Tracker not only uses GPS but GSM and VHF technology to ensure jammers cannot stop the system from locating a vehicle.”

The company’s SVR product is the only one used by the UK’s police forces when trying to recover stolen vehicles. Unlike other devices, the Tracker device uses unique technology which can locate stolen vehicles anywhere, even when they are hidden in a garage or shipping container.