Tag Archives: h&h auctions

Bonhams/H&H June 2013 Highlights

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Bonhams’ Banbury Run sale was held last week and the top sale was this 1966 Aston Martin DB6 which sold for $208,817.

1966 Aston Martin DB6

Our feature cars both sold. The 1899 Columbia Motor Buggy sold for $17,966. The ex-works demonstrator Javan R1 sold for $17,068. Interesting cars included this 1949 Daimler DB18 Drophead Coupe with coachwork by Barker. It sold for $34,136.

1949 Daimler DB18 Drophead Coupe by Barker

Other cool cars included this 1929 Morgan Anzani Aero – a fairly early Morgan three-wheeler. It sold for $44,916.

1929 Morgan Anzani Aero

And finally, this 1981 Talbot Sunbeam-Lotus “Rally Car.” These are moderately cool cars (the early-80s weren’t exactly “cool car” times) and this one sold for $17,966. Click here for full results.

1981 Talbot Sunbeam-Lotus

Next up was H&H Auctions’ sale held at Rockingham Castle in the U.K. Our featured AC Ace Brooklands sold for $19,342. Top sale was this 1937 Bentley 4.25-Litre Vanden Plas Coupe which brought $226,834.

1937 Bentley 4.25-Litre Vanden Plas Coupe

Interesting sales were definitely led by this 1918 Le Zebre Sports. I don’t remember coming across it when I looked for cars to feature, otherwise I surely would have. It sold for $123,088.

1918 Le Zebre Sports

Other cars included this pretty 1926 Buick Standard Six Tourer (first below) which sold for $18,024 and the 1920 Sunbeam 16hp Tourer (second below) which went for $58,027. Check out complete results here.

1926 Buick Standard Six Tourer

1920 Sunbeam 16hp Tourer

One of the last AC cars

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2003 AC Ace Brooklands

Offered by H&H Auctions | Rockingham Castle, U.K. | June 15, 2013

2003 AC Ace Brooklands

The original AC Ace is a legendary car. Introduced in 1953 with a six-cylinder engine, the Ace would later have a V8 stuffed underhood by an ambitious American and he would call it the “Cobra.” AC loitered around for decades, producing low-volume cars here and there (they still build versions of the Cobra) and in 1993, they revived the name “Ace.”

For the 1998 sales year, AC introduced a second-generation Ace Brooklands. They had just come under South African ownership and much of the car was built in South Africa before being sent back to the U.K. for final assembly. Only about 12 were built before production ran out in 2000.

But parts were still available after that and a handful of cars were assembled using factory spares. This is one of those cars (and it’s referred to as a “Series 3”). It uses a mixture of carbon fiber and aluminium for the body panels and has a 5.0-liter Ford V8 under the hood. Horsepower is around 260. It has 1,100 miles on the odometer and it is rumored that this is the last Ace Brooklands constructed. It can be yours for between $18,000-$22,500. Click here for more info and here for the rest of H&H’s auction lineup.

Update: Sold $19,342.

XJ220 Test Mule

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1990 Jaguar XJ220 Development Prototype

Offered by H&H Auctions | Duxford, U.K. | April 17, 2013

1990 Jaguar XJ220 Development Prototype

The Jaguar XJ220 was an important car in supercar history. It was the fastest road car ever built at the time it went on sale in 1992. It was supposed to be a race car for the road – but of course it was not as successful as Jaguar thought it would be. In all, by the end of production in 1994, only 281 were built.

But if it didn’t go on sale until 1992, how is this a 1990? Well, that’s because it is a factory test mule – a development car used in early testing – it was used for high-speed testing and brake and tire work (driven by Andy Wallace). If I’m reading the chassis and engine numbers correctly, this car has the second XJ220 engine built in it (although it may have a race engine and not a production engine). That engine, by the way, is a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 making 542 horsepower. It was capable of 213 mph.

This car shouldn’t exist. Especially as a road car. After its testing work was completed Jaguar sold the car to a race team that was supposed to use it as a base car for an attempt at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – with the guarantee that it would never be road registered. Things fell apart and they never made it to Le Mans.

The car then was involved in an extended legal battle over who rightfully owned it. Someone then tried to export it to the U.S. under the guise of an XJ-S with a body kit on it – which sounds like straight up smuggling to me. Then the car sat in storage for 10 years. It was overhauled in 2008 (at a cost of about $100,000). It was then road registered in the U.K. for the first time – making this the earliest road-legal XJ220 you can buy. It should cost between $225,000-$275,000. Click here for more information and here for the rest of H&H’s auction lineup.

Update: Not sold.

Update II: Sold, H&H’s Pavilion Gardens Sale (7/13) $111,384.

Allard Woodie Wagon

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1954 Allard P2 Safari

Offered by H&H Auctions | Newbury, U.K. | December 5, 2012

Allard built some sporty cars back in the day – the J2 being fairly well known. But the company also built some more practical vehicles, like the one you see here. And they are much rarer. The P2 was available as a Monte Carlo Saloon or as the Safari Estate. Both were two-doors.

While 11 of the Saloons were built, only 10 Estates were made. This one has a 3.6-liter Ford V8 underhood making about 85 horsepower. It spent its first few years doing duty on a sheep farm – so you know the utility side of things is pretty good. The restoration was completed in 1992 and it has covered 22,000 miles since – a good number of those in classic car rallies and events. It’s even been invited to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

This is a very rare car (with only 10 built, less are likely to have survived) and a very interesting one. The woodwork is exceptionally British – the rear tailgate is a three-piece setup that reminds you of opening a hand-made cabinet. A woodie wagon from the U.S. would be more about style and less about function. I like how this car blends both seamlessly. It is expected to sell for between $72,000-$88,000. For more information, click here. And for the rest of H&H’s lineup at Newbury Racecourse click here.

Update: Not sold.

1899 Hurtu

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1899 Hurtu Dos-a-Dos

For sale by H&H Auctions | Appleton, England

Hurtu was among the earliest of the automotive pioneers. Founded in 1896, this 1899 Dos-a-Dos isn’t even their earliest model. The company started out in 1880 manufacturing sewing machines. They moved into machine tools and finally bicycles – the launchpad for many an early car maker.

Because my French is terrible (and I actually lived in France for a little bit), I always assumed this was pronounced phonetically. But, as always when it comes to foreign language, I was wrong. It’s French, so the consonants are extraneous. It’s pronounced “ooertoo” (or so says H&H).

Their first cars were Léon Bollée copies. In 1898 they switched to making Benz copies, which is what this happens to be. By 1900 they had their own, more contemporary, designs on sale. The marque lasted until 1930. This car’s engine is a 1.6-liter making 3.5 horsepower. The wood is believed to be original, although the dos-a-dos style seats have been redone (dos-a-dos referring to the seat that is in front of and facing the driver/operator).

About three or four of this type of Hurtu are known to exist. It has been in a Portuguese museum for some years but did complete the London-to-Brighton run in the last five years.  It has been excellently preserved and is ready to run. Price is unknown, but you can find out more here.

October Auction Roundup

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Well there were a number of auctions in October and we’ve recapped only a couple of them. So here are the highlights from some of the others. First, we forgot to include Mecum’s Dallas sale from September in our September roundup. Top sale there went to this 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435 Convertible for $285,000. Complete results from that sale can be found here.

1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435 Convertible

From there we move on to Auctions America’s Fall Carlisle sale. Our featured Dodge Phoenix failed to sell. Top sale went to this 1958 Chrysler 300D Convertible for $90,750.

1958 Chrysler 300D Convertible

Another interesting Mopar was this 1960 Dodge Polara 9-Passenger Wagon. I think wagons with tail fins are really weird but really cool looking. This one sold for $42,900.

1960 Dodge Polara 9-Passenger Wagon

But by far, the most interesting car from this sale goes to this 1920 Pan Touring. Pan was only around from 1918 until 1922 and they managed to build only 737 cars. Only a few are still around. It brought $23,100. Complete results from this sale are here.

1920 Pan Touring

French auction house Osenat held a sale during October as well – in Paris. We didn’t get to feature anything from this sale, but this 1982 Matra Murena is kind of interesting. It sold for $4,570.

1982 Matra Murena

Also cool was this 1953 Hotchkiss Gregoire sedan for $29,400.

1953 Hotchkiss Gregoire

The top sale from this auction was this 1969 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 for $104,500. Complete results can be found here.

1969 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2

Next up was RM Auctions’ sale of the Charlie Thomas Collection. We featured a 1953 Mercury Monterey Wagon that sold for $44,000. The top sale was a 1946 Chrysler Town & Country Roadster for $143,000.

1946 Chrysler Town & Country Roadster

One car I liked was this 1941 Chevrolet Special DeLuxe Business Coupe with all its chrome and pre-war style. It sold for a modest $21,450.

1941 Chevrolet Special DeLuxe Business Coupe

Another interesting car was this 1925 Star Model F-25 Five-Passenger Sedan. It sold for $19,800. Complete results can be found here.

1925 Star Model F-25 Five-Passenger Sedan

H&H Auctions held a sale in Duxford, England on October 23rd and we weren’t able to feature anything from this sale either. The top sale went to this 1961 Bentley S2 Continental Saloon by H.J. Mulliner. It sold for $310,600.

1961 Bentley S2 Continental H.J. Mulliner Saloon

The second-highest seller was this 1998 Proteus Jaguar C-Type Replica that brought $120,900. Not C-Type money, for sure, but a bargain for something that was factory built and looks quite like the real thing.

1998 Proteus Jaguar C-Type Replica

This awesome 1965 Jensen CV8 Mk II sold for $46,900. Complete results can be found here.

1965 Jensen CV8 MKII

Mecum held a sale in St. Charles, Illinois toward the end of October. We featured a really rare All-Cars Charly that sold for $5,250. The top sale at this auction was actually a 2000 Prevost Country Coach Motorhome – exciting, right? Either way, to comprehend that a 12-year-old bus/RV is still worth $160,000 is pretty crazy. Then again, they’re expensive to begin with.

2000 Prevost Country Coach Motorhome

And from the interesting file from this sale was this 1942 Crosley Victory Sedan Convertible. Crosley was one of very few car companies building passenger cars in 1942. This was one of a handful of Crosleys at this sale and by far the most interesting/rare. It sold for $9,750. Complete results can be found here.

1942 Crosley Victory Sedan Convertible

And finally, H&H’s October 31st sale at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton, England. The top sale was this 1955 Lagonda 3-Litre Drophead Coupe for $62,300.

1955 Lagonda 3-Litre Drophead Coupe

The interesting sales portion of this sale more or less consisted of this pretty 1937 Humber 12 Foursome Drophead Coupe. It sold for $23,400. You can find complete results here.

1937 Humber 12 Foursome Drophead Coupe

September Auction Round-Up

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Okay, so I’ve been a little tardy with auction results. Unless it’s a major sale, I’m probably just going to start lumping them all into one post. It’s easier and as I have other things going on in my life and this site doesn’t pay the bills (unfortunately), it’s how it is going to be. First up, H&H’s September 19, 2012 sale at Newbury Racecourse. Our featured GAZ-69 sold for $8,000. Top sale went to this 1920 Vauxhall 30/98 E-Type Tourer for $288,000. Complete results for that sale can be found here.

1920 Vauxhall 30/98 E-Type Tourer

Silverstone Auctions held their CarFest North “Pride & Joy” Auction on September 9th. The top sale was this 2002 Aston Martin Vanquish for $77,900. Complete results for that sale are here.

2002 Aston Martin Vanquish

Next up was The Bennett Collection, sold by Auctions America on September 21-22. Many of the cars sold at this sale were in various stages of disrepair. It also appeared to contain the world’s largest collection of Mazda 323s. The guy who assembled this collection definitely had a thing for certain cars of certain model years. Anyway, the top sale here was a 1925 Lancia Lambda for $207,000.

1925 Lancia Lambda

Another interesting car was this circa 1952 BMW “Wagner Special” race car. It’s a one-off and was probably in the best shape of any of the cars offered, as many of them seemed to be parts cars. This race car brought $177,100. Complete results can be found here.

1952 BMW Wagner Special

And finally, Barrett-Jackson held their comparatively massive Las Vegas sale from September 20-22, 2012. The top sale (I didn’t even bother to look at any of the custom cars, so by “top sale” I mean production car that looks like it did when it was built. Sorry, I didn’t want to sort through that many results – plus, this site is fairly “traditionalistic” – and yeah, I just coined that word) was our featured 1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird for $297,000. Second place was this 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback for $247,500.

1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback

An interesting car, as we’ve featured a number of strange custom Corvettes in the past, was this 2005 Chevrolet Corvette Anteros Roadster. It is serial #0001 of I-don’t-know-how-many but it certainly looks like a Ferrari California, doesn’t it? It sold for $99,000.

2005 Chevrolet Corvette Anteros Roadster

Here is a Cobra replica built by someone other than Factory Five or Superformance. In this case, it was built in 1988 by the Contemporary Classic Motor Car Company and it sold for $44,000.

1988 Contemporary Classic Motor Car Company Shelby Cobra Replica

This 1937 Ford Housecar is unusual to say the least. It’s an early motorhome that was actually built by Ford on the assembly line. It sold for $26,400.

1937 Ford Housecar

This 1976 Stutz Blackhawk VI was an expensive handmade car when new. It cost $61,000 in 1976 and it has held its value relatively well (discounting inflation) – selling for $52,800 after having covered only 8,240 miles.

1976 Stutz Blackhawk VI Coupe

And finally, I really liked this 1950 Chevrolet Suburban. And based on the sale price of $69,300, so did at least two bidders. For complete results from Barrett-Jackson in Las Vegas, click here.

1950 Chevrolet Suburban

GAZ-69

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1964 GAZ 69

Offered by H&H Auctions | Newbury, England | September 19, 2012

Pretty beefy, eh? This Cold War-era Russian military truck is a cheap way to have fun with both an old car and a serious off-roader. Although it is listed as a GAZ-69, it is most likely a UAZ 69. What’s the difference?

Well, GAZ (or Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod… which translates to Gorky Automobile Plant)  is and has been one of Russia’s largest vehicle producers for a very long time. Founded in 1932 as NAZ (roughly, Nizhny Novgorod Automobile Plant, named after it’s location), it was a company set up by the Soviet Union and Ford. Well, the Soviets and western business never really got along and Ford was ousted after a year and it was renamed in honor of Maxim Gorky, a Soviet author and political activist.

GAZ has built cars over the years, but commercial and military vehicles are their specialty. The GAZ-69 was introduced as a light off-road truck for the Soviet Army in 1953. GAZ only built them through 1955, when production was taken over by UAZ (a similar, but different, company). UAZ built them through 1972. So this is technically a UAZ 69, but all UAZ models were referred to as GAZs, thus heightening confusion.

These were also built in Romania as ARO IMS-57. You can learn more about ARO vehicles on other parts of this website, namely here. The truck you see here has a 2.1-liter  straight-four making 55 horsepower. You can expect to pick it up for between $6,400 and $9,600. For more information, click here. And for more from H&H at Newbury Racecourse, click here.

Update: Sold $8,000.

Lambo Reventón

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2008 Lamborghini Reventón

Offered by H&H Auctions | Canary Wharf, London | June 11, 2012

The Lamborghini Reventón is an ultra-rare, ultra-expensive, sort of “super Murciélago.” It has the 6.5-liter V12 making 631 horsepower engine straight out of the Murciélago LP640. So, you’re paying many times the price of a Murciélago for the same performance and power.

And by “many times” I mean that this car cost $2 million when new. That’s insane. So what are you paying for? Styling? Not really. If anything, this car is part Murciélago and part Aventador. It’s all Murciélago underneath but with styling that looks more like the follow-up model. If I paid $2 million for something that I thought was only one of 20, only to find, three years later, that they were putting into production a car that closely resembled the one I bought, but with shinier paint and a lot more horsepower, I would not be a happy camper.

And yes, that’s right, there were only twenty of these built, so they don’t really come up for sale everyday. In fact, all twenty were pre-sold before the car was even revealed. The one offered here is “for sale” and not going under the hammer (as I understand it). If you’re in London, stop by and buy it. I’m not sure what the asking price is, but, as the saying goes, if you need to ask, you can’t afford it.

This is a car for true Lamborghini and/or super car collectors. It’s cool, but the Aventador is better in every way. Buy this only if you want to tell your friends/potential trophy spouse that it is “one of only twenty.” If you want more information on this car, click here. And to see what else H&H is offering at this sale, click here.