The ex-Rob Walker, 1971 Earls Court Motor Show Ferrari 246 GT Dino - 'Refer Dept.'
Coys’ last sale of the year, its ‘True Greats’ event in London, features antique & sporting guns, collectables, steam models, classic film posters – and 64 motor cars.
In other words, enough goodies for most enthusiasts’ Christmas stockings.
So, where do we begin? Well, there’s the ex-Rob Walker, 1971 Earls Court Motor Show Ferrari 246 GT Dino at ‘Refer Dept.’, for starters. The stylish GT is unique as it’s not only been owned by one of THE motor racing characters since the War, it’s also the sole RHD Dino finished in Bianco Polo Park White (with blue leather).
A superb car, one catalogued as benefiting from ‘a very recent 14-month bare metal coachwork restoration’, and one which epitomises 1970s stylish living.
 1966 Aston Martin DB6 'Barn Find' - £40,000 - £50,000 |
 1963 Porsche 356B Super 75 Coupé - £38,000-£45,000 |
Of the ‘big hitters’ in the sale, there’s a 1958 Ferrari 250GT LWB Tour de France (ex-1958 Mille Miglia Rally entry, estimated at £800,000 - £1,000,0000), a manual 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental for £300,000 - £350,000, and the ex-Hugh Harben 1930 Bentley 4½ Litre Le Mans Tourer (£320,000 - £365,000).
Don’t forget the £185,000 - £230,000, 1938 Jaguar SS100, either.
The ex-Hugh Harben, 1930 Bentley 4½ Litre Le Mans Tourer - £320,000 - £365,000
Other pre-War cars of note include the 1936 Paris Auto Salon, one-off coachwork by Henri Binder, 1936 Rolls-Royce Phantom III (£95,000- £105,000), another Bentley, the 1923 3 Litre short-chassis TT with open touring coachwork by Carlton (£140,000 - £165,000), and a rare RHD supercharged pre-War Mercedes, the 1935 500 K Cabriolet C at ‘Refer Dept’.
Another, later Mercedes will be offered for sale and, in addition to the Rob Walker Dino, it also once graced the garage of motor racing aristocracy. The Flame Red/tan leather 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL ‘Gullwing’ (£360,000 - £400,000) has been in multiple World Champion John Surtees’s collection for 18 years.
 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupé Coachwork by Ghia - 'Refer Dept.' |
 1923 Bentley 3 Litre short-chassis TT Open touring coachwork by Carlton - £140,000 - £165,000 |
In contrast to the gleaming ‘Gullwing’, the final lot in the sale is a dusty ‘barn find’ and, if recent auction results are anything to go by, none the worse for that. The 1966 Aston Martin DB6 (£40,000 - £50,000) has been holed up in storage in rural Shropshire since the mid-80s and will require a little more than a bucket and sponge to bring it back to life. However, it does present a potential owner with the enticing prospect of a full restoration to his, or her, exact specifications.
The DB6 is not the only Aston. Joining it, a 1990 Virage (£13,000 - £18,000) and a 1978 V8 (£27,000 - £32,000), is a 1960 DB4 with just one owner until 2008. £130,000 - £160,000 will buy you a classy, Caribbean Pearl example of Newport Pagnell’s finest.
 1959 AC Ace - £130,000 - £160,000 |
 The ex-John Surtees, 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing - £360,000 - £400,000 |
In addition to the Dino and ‘TdF’, other Ferraris include two LHDs - the 1982 512 BBi (£70,000 - £85,000) and the 1971 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’ at £160,000 - £175,000 - and a ‘Refer Dept.’ Ghia-bodied 1952 212 Inter Coupé.
Porsche is represented by five cars, and one of the most interesting is a model very much ‘on the move’, the 1984 Porsche 911 Turbo. For £28,000 - £35,000, you’ll not only have a lot of fun in what is still a very potent car, you could also be sitting on an appreciating asset as the value of first steel-bumper, then rubber-bumper 911s has increased steadily in recent times.
1964 MG Ashley GT - £10,000 - £14,000
Finally, “there’s an awful lot of noughts on some of these cars,” I can hear you say. True. But, in the light of the hugely entertaining race for streamlined tiddlers at Goodwood this year, what about the 1964 MG Ashley GT?
Born a humble MG Midget in 1964, the car was converted in the 90s to stylish Ashley GT specification. With bucket seats and an attractive maroon paint scheme, you couldn’t go much wrong for £10,000 - £14,000. It’s even got a 250 GTO-style spoiler on the boot and a high-penetration, 275 GTB-esque nose. A quick trip to Rae Davis Racing and you’d soon be in business.
The Coys Auction - True Greats - will be held at:
Royal Horticultural Halls
Elverton St
Westminster
London SW1
Tuesday 7 December 2010
Admission by catalogue only - admits two to auction.
To see the complete lotlisting of the Coys True Greats sale, please click HERE. You will also be able to view all the auction cars in the Classic Driver car database.
To find out more about Coys auctions and showroom sales, please read the Classic Driver Profile.
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Coys
Manor Court 237 - 241 Lower Mortlake Road Richmond London TW9 2LL UK Tel: +44 (0)20 8614 7888 Fax: +44 (0)20 8614 7889 Mail: [email protected] |
Text - Steve Wakefield
Photos - Coys
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