Changeable weather in the build-up to Historics’ first open-to-public sale of 2024 didn’t blunt the enthusiasm of the record numbers who attended the three preview days and the atmospheric sale itself, resulting in a spectacularly successful result.
For its season opener at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday 2nd March, the Historics team consigned a broad and fascinating collection of classics, spanning just shy of 90 years and represented by over 50 different marques.
The sale proved to be a day full of brio and bidding with 182 entries passing across the auction block after three withdrawals. Of the entries, 130 whisked away to new owners, 51% to in-hall and phone bidders, 49% to those bidding online in the UK and in a host of countries across the globe, with many an engaging bidding tussle during the proceedings.
By the close, Historics returned a gross sale in excess of £3.7 million and 71% rate of sale. Indeed, following further negotiation on provisional bids received during the sale, further entries sold, elevating the sale rate to approaching 73%, a rousing start to the year!
80% of the 15 Jaguars on offer passed to new owners, the highlight being His Majesty King Charles’ 2018 Jaguar I-Pace, its regal provenance, unique colour and magnificent specification rewarded with its sale to a new owner for £64,960.
It was a strong day too for classic Bentleys, a 1987 Bentley Continental Convertible soaring to over twice its estimate, settling with a delighted private buyer in-hall for £164,640. Equally punchy was a 1964 Bentley Continental Drophead MPW, first owned by the 3rd Earl of Inchcape and requiring restoration, the bidding concluding on £68,320. Emphasising the burgeoning Bentley brigade, 11 of the 14 varied examples sold.
Classic Porsches also shone, with 11 of 13 examples of Stuttgart’s finest moving smartly to new owners, with a 1967 911 SWB, a brace of 911Ts, a 911E, a 912 and a 911 SC Targa leading the air-cooled charge.
Meanwhile, in the Italian camp, a wonderfully-presented and super-rare 1974 Lamborghini Urraco 250 S passed to a new owner for over £60,000, contrasting vividly in the eye-candy department with a 1973 Espada Series III requiring restoration, which sold for a shade under £41,000.
A 1972 Ferrari 246 Dino in the same ownership for the past 37 years sped to £238,980 accompanied by a trio of Maranello’s finest from the 2000’s era, whilst a 1983 Maserati Merak SS found favour at £49,000.
But UK and European sporting classics didn’t have it all their own way. A duo of 1997/1999 Honda NSX – a model much revered by its enthusiastic owner base - provided a welcome Far Eastern addition to the sports car offer, both selling robustly at some £46,000.
A small but notable pre-war selection was headed by a supreme and immensely rare six-cylinder 1936 Singer Le Mans whilst catching many admiring glances was the Karmann Ghia-esque 1959 Borgward Isabella Coupé, which rightly sold over top estimate at £26,000.
Amongst Historics’ traditionally eclectic entries was an extremely rare 1980s UAZ 469 4WD utility ‘jeep’ (£3,419) and a true ‘spirt of the 60’s’ iconic Airstream Overlander, its 26ft polished aluminium body very much redolent of the Woodstock era (£28,450).
ENTRIES ARE INVITED
Historics is now inviting entries to its major May sale at a new venue, Farnborough International, also known as the home of the British Motor Show.
Enter HERE
Nick Aylieff | Classic Motors For Sale |
