Cars

Whether you like personalised number plates or not, the sale is raising money for a great cause – the Henry Surtees Foundation, established by John Surtees after the tragic death of his son Henry, aims to provide assistance for those who have suffered brain or physical injuries caused by accident. If you’re interested in buying ‘V12 LAF’, you can send a sealed bid in an envelope before 30 November 2015, addressed to HSF Charity Auction, Ferrari North Europe, 275 Leigh Road, Slough, SL1 4HF. 

Spoilt for choice?

With so many British classics featuring in the bumper 96-lot catalogue, selecting just 10 wasn’t a straightforward task. Delivered new to Peter Sellers, the 1966 Lotus Elan (£45,000-50,000) isn’t the tidiest example, but with the Sellers link and revered handling, we’re sure it’ll be snapped up.

Given his experience of more than 40 years in the business, however, we’re sure he kept a close eye on the weather forecast during the shoot – particularly given the current demand (and sky-high values) for the latest crop of hybrid hypercars. Indeed, both the LaFerrari and the stunning, Martini-liveried Porsche 918 are now sold, but he still has plenty of desirable cars, both new and classic, currently available.

Photos: Tom Hartley

Out of the box

The rare Gullwing – one of only four W198s prepared by the Sportabteilung, Mercedes’ in-house motorsport division – is the latest in a lengthening line of blue-chip classics to be added to the RM Sotheby's ‘Driven by Disruption’ sale, which also boasts an

Following on from the 166 Inter, Ferrari’s first car to be tamed for road use, the 212 Inter moved the melding of ground-breaking performance and lavish luxury to the next level – just as the de Havilland Comet was doing in the commercial aviation industry. During this formative period in the early 1950s, around 80 Inter-spec 212s were produced and subsequently farmed out to independent coachbuilders for their clothing.

Be it the Triumph Dove GTR 4 (estimated at 30,000-40,000 euros) or the more collectable – though no less unusual – Aston Martin Lagonda (18,000-23,000 euros), we chose these 10 curious classics based on the fact that while at the wheel of any one of these rarely seen and utterly charming cars, you'd be almost certain never to see another on the road.

Blurring the lines