Wed, Sep 16, 2015


Motoring
Rocker’s Bentley fetches $1.2m


A Bonhams sale held during the Goodwood Revival motorsport and aviation festival in the UK saw an incredible variety of motor cars, aeroplanes and automobilia go under the hammer in front of a packed crowd of enthusiastic bidders.

The September 12 sale offered more than 350 lots of motor cars, aeroplanes and automobilia, and achieved a total of £12.7 million ($19.68 million).

Among the highlights, a beautiful blue Bentley S3 Continental Flying Spur that took the Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards and friends on an adventure from England to Morocco in 1967 sold above estimate, achieving £763,100 ($1.18 million).

“It was a car meant to be driven fast at night,” the English star said, in his 2010 autobiography, Life. “Having this car was already heading for trouble, breaking the rules of the establishment, driving a car I was definitely not born in to. ‘Blue Lena’ had carried us on many an acid-fuelled journey.”

Eight children’s race-cars, including half-scale Ferraris and pedal cars, all offered by American actor Chris Evans sold well. One of the highlights was a rare ‘Bimbo V12 Racer’ two-seat child’s motorised car by SILA of Turin, sold for double the estimate at £13,750 ($21,310). 

Evans’ automobilia sale raised £65,280 ($101,176), all of which will be donated to BBC charity Children in Need.

The highlight of Evans’ cars was the 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB ‘Alloy’ Berlinetta recreation, which sold for £606,300 ($939,698).           

Elsewhere, the very first, home-grown, all-American team of Formula 1 racing cars went under the hammer. Named after the legendary Egyptian ‘good luck’ beetle, the ‘Scarabs’ saw spirited bidding in the room, on the telephone and online. 

After intense bidding, the 1960 Scarab-Offenhauser Formula 1/Intercontinental Formula Racing Single-Seater sold for £673,500 ($1.04 million), the 1960-Type Scarab-Offenhauser Formula 1/Intercontinental Formula Racing Single-Seater, sold for £328,540 ($509,200), and the highly coveted 1956 Fiat-Bartoletti Tipo 642 Diesel-Engined Racing Car Transporter sold for £656,700 (1.01 million). 

The 1958-Type Scarab-Chevrolet Mark I Sports-Racing Two-Seater, that did not find a buyer under the hammer, was later sold to a European bidder for circa £650,000 ($1 million), a 100 per cent success for this important collection.

Further highlights included a duo of Aston Martins: a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible, sold for £1.08 million ($1.67 million), and a 1935 Aston Martin Ulster 2/4-seater Tourer, which sold for £740,700 ($1.14 million).

Bonhams International Group Motoring Director James Knight says: “For the first time at Revival, this year we created a ‘drive through’ auction, so bidders were able to see and hear the lots as they came under the hammer. We always enjoy coming to the Goodwood Revival, it’s an event with great atmosphere, great energy, and we’re very proud to continue our long-term partnership with the world’s greatest historic race meeting.

“We had a great sale, achieving £12.7 million, and look forward to the remaining sales in this year’s motoring calendar.”

The next sale in Bonhams motoring department calendar is the Frederiksen Collection Sale, taking place at Lyngsbækgaard Manor, in Mols Bjerge National Park, Denmark, on September 26.





© Al Hilal Group all rights reserved. Designed & Developed by North Star.