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Christie's at Jack Barclay Showroom, London 19th April 2005 - Preview


Buyers attending Christie’s first London motoring sale of the year will have the opportunity to bid for a type that, in 1992, set a world speed record for homologated production cars; 212.5 mph. The Bugatti EB110GT.

Estimated at £100.000 - 130.000, the Bugatti Blue example is packed with the advanced technology that ensured the record-breaking speed run at Nardo, Southern Italy. Permanent 4-wheel drive, DOHC 3,498cc V12 with four turbochargers and five valves per cylinder and a six-speed gearbox is included in a package that sees 560 bhp at 8,000 rpm. A contemporary McLaren F1 would be another £500,000 and while a Jaguar XJ220 might be a tad cheaper it doesn’t have the Bugatti name.



An Italian classic of an earlier era, but a blue-blood nevertheless, is the 1964 ex-Rob Walker Ferrari 250GT Lusso, at £170.000 - 200.000. Once sold for £440,000 in the heady days of the 1980s boom, the car is RHD and therefore one of only 22 such cars built (out of 350), and 19 surviving. Rob Walker was the ‘Gentleman Racing Driver’ bar none and enjoyed an extensive collection of the finest cars over the years including his famous Delage, as well as contemporary racing machinery such as the two Moss 250GT SWBs and many F1 cars driven by ‘The Maestro’, Siffert and Trintignant. Accompanying literature includes the original Autocar article on the car when in Walker's custody - then finished in his trademark dark blue.


1935 Bentley 3.5 litre

1923 Bentley 3.0 litre
Another car with famous ownership is the 1923 ex-Alfred Dunhill Bentley 3-Litre Drophead by Park Ward. Estimated at £60.000 - 80.000 the car was originally supplied in December 1923 to the family behind the famous ‘Motorities’ range of gentleman’s motoring accessories (a tradition carried on to this day as a visit to the Jermyn St Dunhill store will show). This is of course a car produced when the company was in W.O.’s ownership. In the early ‘30s Rolls-Royce took over and then produced some very elegant models at their Derby factory - cars that are now realising their true worth. One such is the 1935 3.5 litre Streamline Sports Saloon by Park Ward that even on its upper estimate (£18.000 - 26.000) seems an attractive buy.


1965 Gordon Keeble

1986 Lancia Delta S4
Of the other lots the 1965 Gordon Keeble G.K. 2+2 Coupé, £12.000 - 16.000, is a car with a devoted following and active owners club, while the LHD 1953 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet, £20.000 - 30.000 looks very attractive in its Smoke Green/Magnolia hide livery. The 1986 Lancia Delta S4 Roadcar, £28.000 - 35.000, is a throwback to the crazy Gp. B rally car era, while those looking for something rather more sedate from the dawn of motoring should view the 1897 Panhard et Levassor Type M2F at £100.000 - 155.000.

The auction is preceded by some 25 lots of automobilia including several original Le Mans 24 Hours posters, and a selection of 1/8 scale models of vintage cars including a Bugatti Type 13 ‘Brescia’.

Christie’s next London sale will again be at The Jack Barclay Showroom, Vauxhall, on 11th June and an early entry is the 1952 ex-Ian Stewart Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar C-Type, estimate £1.200.000 - 1.500.000.

All lots can be seen in detail, with colour photographs on the Classic Driver Car Database. Please CLICK HERE for full details.

For a full lotlist, please CLICK HERE.

Christie's International Motor Cars Ltd
The Jack Barclay Showroom
2-4 Ponton Rd
Nine Elms
London SW8 5BA

Tel: + 44(0)20 7389 2851
Fax: + 44(0)20 7627 8917
[email protected]

Text - Steve Wakefield
Photos - Christie's