Brexit negotiations were still ongoing, but Christmas was just a week away when Bonhams began its final classic car auction of the year on December 16, 2020.
James Knight once again swung the hammer over a good 40 automobilia and 19 super classics.
British-dominated vehicle program
Seven cars from Aston Martin and sports and luxury vehicles from Alvis, Atalanta, Bentley, Jaguar, Lola, Rolls-Royce and Vauxhall made up the bulk of the offerings, along with two Ferraris, one Mercedes-Benz and one Mercury.
On average, the cars were around 62 years old, even though only four of the cars were from the pre-war period.
The Mercury from the James Bond film as the star
James Bond was not allowed to drive it himself in the film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", but Diana Rigg alias Contessa Teresa 'Tracy' di Vicenzo, who later became Mrs. Bond, took the wheel. Three cars were made available for the Bond film at the time, one of which went under the hammer at Bonhams, completely restored and with the Kneissl Sikers strapped on.
Expected to fetch between £100,000 and £150,000, Knight opened at £80,000, but the first bid soon exceeded the six-figure threshold and the auctioneer said: "Selling all the way". But the interested parties bid higher and higher. One bidder tried to scare off the others with massive jumps in bids, but this did not work. In the end, resistance was given up at £ 310,000 and the car was sold for £ 365,500 (EUR 405,705, or CHF 438,600) including surcharge/commission. Knight commented: "Certainly a record for this model".
Aston Gala with moderate success
The brand, which became so famous not least because of James Bond, was best represented with seven sports cars.
Five of the seven cars came from the David Brown era, namely a DB4 Series 1 from 1959, a DB5 from 1964 and three DB6s as a coupé and convertible. They all remained unsold, with the highest bids averaging 80 percent of the median estimate.
A new owner was found for the pre-war 1-1/2 Litre from 1928, which found a new garage for £115,000, while the relatively youthful Vantage Coupé from 1995 was sold for exactly the same amount.
Cheaper Atalanta?
The 1932 Atalanta 2-Litre Sports is one of the rarest and most advanced sports cars of its era. The car on offer was one of two examples with a short chassis and also one of two that are still said to be equipped with the original Gough four-cylinder engine.
An estimate of £300,000 to £400,000 actually seemed quite realistic, especially as the car is elegant and a potential concours winner. But just £ 250,000 was enough to win the bid, and the sale price was calculated accordingly at £ 287,500.
An Alvis with Swiss bodywork
An Alvis TC21 with Graber cabriolet bodywork from 1953 is probably just as rare as an Atalanta. The car on offer was exhibited at the Geneva Motor Show in 1953 and was one of six Graber Alvises on this chassis. It belonged to the same owner for 35 years, so £ 120,000 to £ 140,000 seemed a reasonable estimate overall.
The buyer didn't have to go any higher than the lower end of the estimate, however, and the elegant convertible found a new garage for £ 138,000 (EUR 153,180 or CHF 165,600) including surcharge/commission.
Low sales rate
With seven cars sold, or 37 percent sell-through rate, the result was not favorable for Bonhams. A total of £1.42 million was realized, or 26 percent of expectations, mainly because the valuable Astons and two of the three Ferraris did not achieve the required minimum bids.
Nevertheless, many automobiles were sold, some of them at impressive prices.
Offered and Sold Vehicles
The following table lists all offered and sold vehicles with estimated prices, highest bids, and sale prices. The price conversion was made at the exchange rate valid on the auction day. All information is provided without guarantee.
| Lot | Car | Year | £ Est from | £ Est to | £ HP | £ SP | CHF SP | EUR SP | % Est | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Ferrari 328 GTB Coupé | 1985 | 80'000 | 120'000 | 68'000 | N | ||||
| 102 | Mercedes-Benz 230 SL Convertible with Hardtop | 1966 | 80'000 | 100'000 | 70'000 | N | ||||
| 103 | Aston Martin 1½-Litre Standard Sports Model | 1928 | 100'000 | 120'000 | 100'000 | 115'000 | 138'000 | 127'650 | +4.55%
|
V |
| 104 | Mercury Cougar Convertible XR-7 | 1969 | 100'000 | 150'000 | 310'000 | 365'500 | 438'600 | 405'705 | +192.4%
|
V |
| 105 | Aston Martin Vantage Coupé | 1995 | 150'000 | 200'000 | 115'000 | N | ||||
| 106 | Jaguar XK140 Drophead Coupé | 1955 | 115'000 | 145'000 | 95'000 | N | ||||
| 107 | Alvis TC21 3-Litre Cabriolet Sport | 1953 | 120'000 | 140'000 | 120'000 | 138'000 | 165'600 | 153'180 | +6.15%
|
V |
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All information is provided without guarantee.
Legend: Column S = Status (V = Sold, N = Not sold, Z = Withdrawn, U = Under reserve)
Est = Estimate, HP = Hammer Price, SP = Sale Price
