Every year in the run-up to Christmas, Bonhams organizes an auction at its own headquarters on New Bond Street in London. On December 11, 2025, in addition to interesting memorabilia, 27 automobiles worth £ 6.5 million were offered.
14 cars were sold and an average of £ 158,536 was paid for them. The average bid across all lots was 78% of the average estimate.
Little enthusiasm for pre-war cars
Four cars from the period before the Second World War were on offer, none of which could be sold.
Hopes were high for the 1928 Mercedes-Benz 36/220 S-Type Four Seater Sports Tourer, which had been estimated in advance at £1.25 to 1.75 million. The car once belonged to actor Peter Ustinov, but he was of course not the first owner. Apparently there were some gaps in the history, but Ustinov eventually donated the car to the National Motor Museum. In 1987, the car took part in the Mille Miglia and has probably not been driven since. Now £950,000 has been bid for the imposing four-seater (with probably not quite correct bodywork), not enough for a knockdown.
Things hardly went any better for the Invicta 4½-Litre S-Type Low-chassis Tourer from 1931, a well-known vehicle in the scene. Instead of the expected £600,000 to £800,000, the bidders did not want to go higher than £480,000.
Even the affordable and mille-capable Lancia Dilambda 1st Series Sports Tourer from 1930 did not find an enthusiast willing to bid more than £ 40,000.
The Bentley 8-Litre 'Le Mans' Tourer from 1932 also failed to attract enough interest to push the bids above £330,000, which was not enough for a knockdown at an estimate of £400,000 to £500,000.
Interest in mid-engine pioneers
A quartet of early mid-engined sports cars met with a little more enthusiasm.
The Lamborghini Countach LP400 S from 1981, which moved to a new garage for £ 546,250, sold well.
The 1976 Maserati Bora and the 1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB also found new owners, albeit for a comparatively modest £103,500 and £149,500 respectively.
However, the 1972 De Tomaso Mangusta, which failed to sell at £172,000, could not be sold.
All four cars were right-hand drive vehicles, which certainly curbed the appetite from the mainland and also from the USA.
Some popular front-engined GT classics
In addition to the mid-engined sports cars, a quintet of front-engined GT sports cars also came under the hammer.
The Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 Series 2 from 1962 sold for more than expected. 230,000 was transferred from one bank account to another.
A 1968 Ferrari 330 GTC was sold for around the estimated value, with the buyer paying £414,000.
The 1973 Lamborghini Jarama S also found a new owner, even if the sale price of £ 78,200 was significantly below the estimate.
The Maserati Khamsin from 1982 (highest bid £ 79,000) and the Aston Martin DB6 from 1965 (£ 105,000) did not find their way into new garages.
For a Queen Mary, i.e. a Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 from 1968, the highest bid of £ 120,000 was also not enough for a knockdown.
Not enough Bristol fans on site
Only around 20 Bristol 402 convertibles were built in the early 1950s. The car on offer with chassis 402/711 from 1950 was left-hand drive, but was delivered new in England.
Completely restored in 2010, the open Bristol was estimated at £ 120,000 to £ 150,000, but nobody wanted to ask more than £ 85,000 for it.
There were also not enough bids for the sale of the 1987 racing Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth Group A.
Younger cars sometimes more successful
Five cars that were not yet youngtimers went under the hammer on New Bond Street.
Four of them were sold, the best being a Bentley Mulsanne from 2012 for £47,150, while £115,000 was paid for a Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4 from 2015.
The only unsold "boy" was a 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB, for which bidding stopped at £320,000.
The virgin Ferrari 328 GTS from 1989 with less than 100 km on the clock also failed to find a new owner. Despite a high bid of £120,000, it was not knocked down, as a lot more had been expected.
There were no real bargains at Bonhams on December 11, 2025; the consignors' reserve prices were too high for that. The season thus ended for the British auction house with a somewhat unsatisfactory result, i.e. a sales rate of 52%.
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 | Bentley Mulsanne Saloon | 2012 | 35'000 | 45'000 | 41'000 | 47'150 | 49'979 | 53'750 | +17.88%
|
V |
| 102 | Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Coupé | 2011 | 65'000 | 85'000 | 61'000 | 70'150 | 74'359 | 79'971 | -6.47%
|
V |
| 103 | Triumph GT6 2.5-Litre Mark 2 Coupé | 1969 | 15'000 | 20'000 | 16'000 | 18'400 | 19'504 | 20'976 | +5.14%
|
V |
| 104 | Lamborghini Countach LP400S Coupé | 1981 | 450'000 | 550'000 | 475'000 | 546'250 | 579'025 | 622'725 | +9.25%
|
V |
| 105 | Maserati Bora 4.7-Litre Coupé | 1976 | 90'000 | 120'000 | 90'000 | 103'500 | 109'710 | 117'989 | -1.43%
|
V |
| 106 | Lamborghini Jarama S Coupé | 1973 | 90'000 | 120'000 | 68'000 | 78'200 | 82'892 | 89'147 | -25.52%
|
V |
| 107 | De Tomaso Mangusta Coupé | 1972 | 200'000 | 250'000 | 172'000 | N |
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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
