The latest ‘Classics from BCA’  sale at the Brooklands Motor Museum suggested that the market for classic cars seems to be avoiding the worst effects of  the ‘credit crunch’.  The sale, on Thursday 5th June, attracted a large crowd of collectors and enthusiasts to bid on 47 cars and 100 lots of motoring memorabilia.  A total of 27 cars sold and nearly 100% of the memorabilia, generating a turnover in excess of £225,000 following some confident and competitive bidding.

Robin Lawton, Head of  ‘Classics from BCA’ commented “Our Brooklands events always attract a good quality entry of vehicles and this sale generated a lot of interest from buyers.  There was strong bidding across the board, which suggests a relatively confident and buoyant market.”

Top seller on the day was the beautifully rebuilt 1959 Porsche 356B Cabriolet.  A right-hand-drive version, the car was supplied new to South Africa and was imported into the UK by a Porsche specialist in 1992.  During the 1990s, extensive restoration work was carried out, while keeping the car to original specification throughout.  Finished in the correct colour scheme of cream with red interior trim, the car was offered with photographs and receipts from the restoration work, along with a V5 registration document and newly acquired MOT certificate.  It sold for £40,700.

The 1912 James/Wall Quadricycle had attracted a huge amount of interest from buyers.   Essentially a one horsepower motorised tricycle, this was originally assembled during the First World War and was discovered in bits by the current owner in the early 60s, with the motor discarded under a bench.  Reassembled and in great working order, this rare piece of motoring heritage sold for £2,450.

The 1919 Austin 20 Dual Cowl Sports Tourer was believed to be the earliest running example of the model anywhere in the world.  This particular car was originally exported to Australia, returning to the UK in 1990.  It has been fully restored at great expense in the intervening years and is offered in excellent condition, with plenty of documents in a bulging history file.  It sold for £22,000.

The 1924 Austin Seven Sports replica was one of only four believed to exist in the UK – one original example and two additional replicas.  The car was constructed during 1986/7 using all the correct mechanical components based on an early 1927 chassis.  It had resided in private ownership for the past three years and was being sold as the owner was downsizing his collection.  This charming little sporting Seven sold for an above-estimate £11,000.  

Arguably the strongest seller on the day was the 1977 Triumph Stag, finished in Tahiti blue with tan interior trim.  Offered on behalf of a firm of solicitors and without any documentation,the vehicle was presented in need of refurbishment following a period of protracted storage and requiring careful recommissioning and servicing before use.  Despite this, there was frantic bidding on this Stag, which sailed past its top estimate of £2,000 to sell for £5,550 – no doubt helped by the distinctive number plate of MKR 1P included with the car

Also selling at Brooklands were a 1947 Bentley Mk VI Saloon by H J Mulliner (£12,425), a 1952 Bentley Mk VI ‘Big-Bore’ Standard Steel Saloon (£13,625), 1953 MG TD Mk II (£12,550) and a 1928 Dodge ‘Standard Six’ Tourer for £10,150.

The next ‘Classics from BCA’ sale takes place at the Blackbushe auction centre - located on the A30 between Camberley and Basingstoke – on Tuesday 22nd July commencing at 12 Noon.   For full details of the sale, please contact the ‘Classics from BCA’  Information Helpline on 01252 877317 or email classics@bca-group.com.  Catalogue details and illustrations are displayed on the BCA site at www.classic-car-auction.co.uk.