Bonhams sold the majority of their Revival sale pretty well on estimate, although overall figures will be down as two of the ‘showcase’ lots failed to find new owners. Top seller was the 1935 Bugatti Type 56/50B Offset-Seat Grand Prix Car, built out of parts from the Molsheim factory’s ‘secret store rooms’, for £815,500.
With neither the ‘Williams’ Bugatti Type 35B (estimate ‘Refer Dept.’) nor the Ex-Peter Sutcliffe genuine 'Lightweight' Jaguar E-Type (estimate £1,000,000 - 1,200,000) reaching their reserves - despite good bidding - it was left to the ‘other’ Bugatti GP car to carry the flag. The car comprises mainly original pieces from the pre-war Bugatti team spares inventory, and has been built up as the rare off-set seat 4.9 litre supercharged car driven by Robert Benoist in the Grand Prix de l’Automobile Club de France at Montlhéry on June 23 in 1935. The engine installed, ‘Moteur No. 8’, delivers a potent 300 bhp at just 4,000 rpm, and is likely to give the buyer sparkling performance on the track.
The other big sellers were the 1929 Bentley 4 1/2 litre Supercharged Birkin Team Car Specification Four Seater, for £408,500, and 'XMC 76' - The Ex-Works Lightweight Le Mans, Mille Miglia, 1951-53 Aston Martin DB2 chassis LML/50/50 for £265,500. The latter is a very well known car in historic racing circles and superbly prepared. Bonhams did well with the 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series I Lightweight Low-Drag Competition Coupé reproduction for £90,600 - a car that had been sold by them at Hendon last year for £87,300.
The £73,000 for the 1950 Jaguar XK120 'Alloy' Competition Roadster continues the upward trend for these aluminium-bodied cars, while dead-on estimate was the £34,500 for the ex-Chris Lawrence/Gordon Spice, Le Mans, 1963 Deep Sanderson 301 Coupé, a pretty little 1,000cc sports racer just asking for Rae Davis to peddle it at Goodwood or the Le Mans Classic. Going up a size or two the pale green ex-Geneva Salon 1939 Bentley 4.25-Litre Drophead Coupé sold for mid-estimate £98,300.
 1929 Bentley 4 1/2 litre Supercharged ‘Blower’ Four Seater - Sold for £408,500 |
 The Ex-Works Lightweight Le Mans, Mille Miglia, 1951-53 Aston Martin DB2 chassis LML/50/50 - Sold for £265,500 |
Please CLICK HERE to see the full results.
Bonhams remaining motor car sales of 2005 are -
Collectors’ Motor Cars & Numberplates - 9 October 2005, 7 Anderson Street, Double Bay, Sydney, Australia
A Sale of Veteran Motor Cars & Related Automobilia - 4 Nov 2005, London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, New Bond Street, London, UK.
Important Sale of Collectors' Motorcycles and Related Memorabilia - 12 Nov 2005, Petersen Museum, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Important Collectors' Motor Cars, Pioneer & Vintage Motorcycles, Fine Automobilia, Formula 1 Memorabilia, Toys & Models - 5 Dec 2005, Olympia, London, UK.
Historic Ferrari Motor Cars - 17 Dec 2005, Palace Hotel, Gstaad, Switzerland.
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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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