Motoring: Record auction offers everyday classics
A RECORD 164 ‘everyman’ classics go under the hammer at today’s (June 18) Classic Car Auction at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre.
The sale features a huge selection of cars including everything from low mileage, time-warp classics, budget-performance cars from the likes of Porsche and Ferrari, barn-find restoration projects, and some unusual and rare vehicles.
Among the headline cars on offer is a rare 1989 Porsche 911 Carrera Supersport SSE Cabriolet. Only 18 right-hand drive Supersport Cabriolets examples were made, making this a highly collectible Porsche. The car will be offered with a sale estimate of £35,000 to £40,000. Porsche fans will also have the opportunity to purchase a UK-spec right-hand drive, manual 2006 911 (997) 3.6 Turbo with an estimate of £28,000 to £32,000.
Another star of the show is a true time-warp Mini with an incredibly low mileage. Having been in storage for over twenty years, the 1990 John Cooper Special has just 292 miles on the clock and will be auctioned with a sale estimate of between £12,000 and £14,000.
There will also be several low mileage classic Fords in the sale, with a 1979 Ford Escort 1.6 Ghia, looking as immaculate as the day it left the factory 37 years ago and with less than 4,000 miles covered, estimated at between £9,000 and £11,000.
A one-owner-from-new 1988 Ford Sierra 1.8GL Sapphire with just 2,100 miles recorded over the past 28 years has a sale estimate of between £6,000 and £7,000, and a 1983 Ford Fiesta Popular Plus, with just 6,000 miles from new, will be offered without reserve.
The variety of cars on offer continues with a selection of great value performance cars. A 1987 BMW E30 M3 presented in remarkable condition and with just 58,480 kms (36,300 miles) will be offered with an estimate of between £36,000 and £40,000.
Aston Martin fans can pick up a powerful 2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage presented in striking Midnight Blue with just 15,000 miles on the clock, which will be offered with a sale estimate of between £38,000 and £42,000.
Meanwhile Ferrari fans will be queueing up for the chance to own one of just 141 manual, right-hand drive examples made of the Ferrari 456 GT. With one of most beautiful vehicle designs of modern times, this 1994 example will be auctioned with an estimate of £35,000 to £39,000.
Another beautiful example of Italian design is on offer with a rare 1965 Fiat 850 Coupe. Presented in remarkable condition for a car of this age, the manual, left-hand drive model has an estimate of just £7,000 to £9,000.
However, perhaps the most unusual lot of the auction is a 1978 Toyota Lite Ace Day Van. Believed to be the only one in the UK, the van was purchased by its English owner in Hong Kong and took a brief six-week tour of Europe before settling down in Cornwall where it stayed for the next 37 years. It will be offered at an estimate of between £6,000 and £8,000.
Commenting ahead of the sale, CCA general manager, Guy Lees-Milne, said: “Due to high demand the June Sale will be the biggest sale we’ve ever held, making it a very exciting day for our team and customers. We’re expecting a big crowd on the day and we look forward to finding happy new homes for this collection of very special cars.”
