H&H’s next sale at historic Buxton, Derbyshire, in the heart of England’s Peak District has attracted some top quality vintage machinery in addition to the usual selection of pre and post-war classics. Not only do they have a 1929 Bentley 4.5 litre four seater tourer, £110,000 – 130,000, but they also have a 1924 Bentley 3/4.5 supercharged Van den Plas replica at £160,000 – 180,000, and, with a ‘Refer Dept’ pricetag, a 1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Tourer.

The Alfa, currently in Far Eastern ownership, gained fame on TV when Ferrari F1 drivers Schumacher and Irvine were featured in it during the opening parade at the Sepang circuit before the 1999 Malaysia GP, and again in 2000 when it carried Schumacher and his current team-mate Barrichello at the same race. An interesting spin on the link between the 1930s Alfa Romeo Team and Ferrari, now of course both part of the FIAT group. Anyway, the car has a very extensive history file and is significant as there are believed to be only two French-built 6Cs still surviving, and its British ‘Corsica’ bodywork adds to the uniqueness. The car has already competed in the 70th Anniversary of the Mille Miglia, in 1997, and would appear to be eminently suitable for future historic sporting events of this nature.

H&H have several Bentleys in the sale but the ‘Vintage’ cars will be the highlights. The 1924 Bentley 3/4.5 Supercharged Van den Plas Replica looks every inch the Le Mans car with stoneguarded headlamps and ‘blower’ pugnaciously mounted beneath the massive radiator. Replicas of these iconic cars, if well-accomplished, always go for big money and the estimate of £160,000 – 180,000 is pretty well on the button. The other older car is a 1929 Bentley 4.5 litre four seater tourer. Supplied new in 1929 to the order of Squadron Leader C A Ridley, and originally fitted with close-coupled saloon coachwork by Maythorn and Sons, the car survived the war (in the car park of the Cumberland Hotel, London), and was rebodied in the mid sixties by its then owner in the style of Van den Plas tourer coachwork. This is the bodywork this car carries to the day.

The other Bentleys include another pre-war car, a 1936 4.25 litre 3 Position Drophead Coupé, £34,000 – 36,000, a 1960 S2 Continental 2 Door Coupé, £44,000 – 48,000, and two Mulsanne Turbos, a 1984 model at ‘No Reserve’ and a 1983 car at £12,000 – 14,000.

That ‘No Reserve’ Mulsanne Turbo will get people going, as will the 1982 Ferrari 400i, £10,000 – 12,000. On the Italian front, also included in the sale are a 1962 Maserati Sebring 3500 GT Coupé, £15,000 – 18,000, and a very pretty LHD 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia SS 1600 Coupé. Finished in Silver with Black interior the car has benefited from an extensive restoration four years ago. At £10,000 – 12,000 the car makes an interesting alternative to the same-money big V12 Ferrari.

Two interesting Aston Martins are entered. A 1952 DB2 for £34,000 – 38,000 that had entered the 2000 Mille Miglia retrospective and a genuine ‘barn-find’ 1937 2-Litre that was last on the public highways in 1965. Estimate; £10,000 – 14,000.

A fine 1963 Alvis TE21 Drophead Coupe (bought when new by legendary 'tin-legged' WW2 fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader) is estimated at £18000 - 20000 and finally one interesting car for those fond of classic rallying, or perhaps long distance tours, a 1973 Saab 96 works rally replica. At ‘No Reserve’ it may be a cheap way for someone to get his hands on a Scandinavian in the forests this winter.

For a full listing, see the Provisional Auction Lotlist

The Automobilia Sale starts at 12pm on Tuesday 7th October while the Motorcycle sale starts at 1pm on Wednesday 8th October followed immediately by the Cars. The Sale is located at the ‘Octagon Theatre and the Paxton Suite’, at the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, Derbyshire.

Text - Steve Wakefield