Moved to a slightly later date in June, and coinciding as usual with a weekend of action for Club Members, the annual auction of all things Aston at Works Service has as its highlight the nine cars from the ‘Hunter Green’ Collection.
The Collection, privately commissioned in 1987 in order to celebrate the 21st anniversary of V8 production in 1990, is believed to be the only time that such a series of vehicles have been built. All are consecutively registered and finished in Hunter Green coachwork (hence the name) with tan leather interior, burr walnut veneer and dark green carpets. The Collection has examples of the pinnacle of final V8 production, cars such as the 1990 V8 Vantage Volante 'Prince of Wales' at £120.000 - 150.000, or the 1990 V8 Zagato , 80.000 - 120.000. There’s also a 1990 Lagonda for £40.000 - 60.000 in the same colour scheme. A truly wonderful statement by someone who could afford the very finest from one of the world’s most exclusive manufacturers - and so unlikely to be repeated ever again.
We looked at the 1966 DB6 Vantage Volante ‘Short Chassis’ 160.000 - 200.000 in a separate article a few weeks ago. Suffice it to say that this may well be the star of the show, with interest so strong in these straight-six convertibles. There’s also a 1964 DB5 Convertible at £105.000 - 125.000, and the following lot (#127) is a very rare DB5 Hardtop (£5.000 - 10.000). For enthusiasts of older soft-top Aston Martin motoring, Bonhams have a very attractive 1955 DB2 2/4 Drophead Coupe at £50.000 - 60.000, a car described as ‘finished to concours standard’, being the subject of a meticulous restoration by Twyford Moors, and finished in Blue Haze metallic with matching leather. A very nice car.
 1955 Aston Martin DB2 2/4 Drophead Coupe |
 1994 Aston Martin Virage Limited Edition Coupé, ex-Lennox Lewis |
A by-product of the ‘Prince of Wales’ understated V8 Volantes is the ‘Ecurie Ecosse’ sub variant, cars produced as part of the run of 26 but with blanked-off grille and a spoilered tail. The 1988 Welsh Green car is one such and is estimated at £90.000 - 110.000. Those searching for traditional Newport Pagnell muscle should look no further than either of the supercharged ‘90s Vantages. The 1994 car is formerly the property of His Royal Highness, The Sultan of Brunei, and estimated at £70.000 - 75.000, while the 1999 Aston Martin Vantage ‘Le Mans’ is a LHD car to V600 (that’s 600 rather than the usual 550 bhp...) specification, and comes complete with a raft of bespoke extras like sat-nav and DVD player. £150.000 - 170.000 is the estimate on this one. Muscle of an another kind is provided by the entry of a 1994 Virage Limited Edition Coupé (£30.000 - 40.000) - once the property of World heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis.
As usual there are cars to suit slightly smaller pockets such as the 1985 V8 Volante at £22.500 - 25.000, or the 1986 7-litre V8 at £28.000 - 32.000, while Lagonda collectors will like the 1953 2.6/3-Litre Drophead Coupé at £17.000 - 20.000 and the AMOC Concours winning 1963 Rapide, reasonably priced at £23.000 - 26.000. There are also two examples of Zagato’s recent designs on DB7 chassis, the 2003 DB AR1 Roadster is £120.000 - 140.000 while the 2003 DB7 Zagato Coupé is £130.000 - 150.000.
 1959 Aston Martin DB4 SI |
 1963 Lagonda Rapide |
The Sale commences with an extensive selection of Automobilia - always popular - at 1.30 pm, the Motor Car Sale starting at 3.00 pm sharp.
Always more than just an auction, the Sale is not only a chance to buy into the history of the marque, but also an opportunity to see the latest cars from the Factory at the home of Works Service.
To see all Motor Car entries in the Classic Driver car database please CLICK HERE.
Please CLICK HERE to see the full lotlist.
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Bonhams Motor Cars Dept.
101 New Bond Street London W1S 1SR UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7313 3176 Fax: +44 (0)20 7313 3170 |
Text - Steve Wakefield
Photos - Bonhams
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