The Bonhams Auction is as much a part of the Goodwood Revival as the children's pedal car race or the re-enacted Motor Show. On September 13, 2025, 73 cars with a total value of around £10.6 million went under the hammer alongside automobilia and expensive vehicle registration plates.
On average, the vehicles were 64 years old and only five of them were offered without a reserve price.
Racing cars, sports cars and super classics
The three most represented brands were all from the island, Jaguar with one car, Aston Martin with six and Bentley with five. They were followed by Ferrari with four cars and AC, Lotus and Riley with three each. The British brands were therefore very well represented, which could also be seen in the exotic cars, which included manufacturers such as Alvis, Bristol, Cooper, Costin, HRG, Lester and Piper.
While the sales quotas for Jaguar, Aston Martin, Bentley and Austin-Healey leveled off at 50 to 60%, only a quarter of the Ferraris on offer and a third of the ACs for sale were sold.
In contrast, the Lotus sales rate was 100%, although the particularly highly prized Lotus Elan S3/SE ex Jim Clark had been withdrawn before the auction.
Overall, the offer was divided into racing cars, classic sports cars and a few tourers/limousines. In addition, there were a few young vehicles such as a Wiesmann GT MF5 from 2011 (with just 550 km on the clock) or a Land Rover from the same year.
Some withdrawals
Five cars had already been withdrawn before the auction, a comparatively high proportion. In addition to the aforementioned Jim Clark Elan, this included an Austin-Healey 3000, a Jaguar E-Type, an Austin Champ and a pre-war Lancia Dilambda from 1930.
Elliot well above expectations
Giovanni Lurani used a 1948 Healey Elliot Sports Saloon in the 1948 Mille Miglia and managed to win the touring car class despite technical problems. He later repeated his success at the Targa Florio of the same year. In view of this palmares, the estimated £ 60,000 to £ 80,000 did not seem exaggerated.
And indeed, the bidders saw it that way too, as they went as high as £ 175,000, with the car ultimately costing £ 201,250 (EUR 233,450, CHF 217,350).
Not all bizarre cars sold so successfully. In fact, neither the Piper GTR from 1969, nor the Constin-Nathan from 1966 or the HRG Twin Cam Roadster from 1955 found a new owner.
Nevertheless, the 1955 MG T51 Sports reader, a sports car without doors, sold below expectations for £36,800 and the 1929 Derby Supersport "Surbaissé" also found a new owner for £37,950.
Aston Martin DB4 GTZ the most expensive car
The highest price of the auction was achieved by an Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato as a "Sanction III Coupé, converted in 2000.
The officially recognized racing sports car cost £ 1.079 million (EUR 1.251 million, CHF 1.165 million).
It was followed by the Maserati A6G/54 2000 GT as an Allemano coupé from 1956, although the £ 483,000 (EUR 560,280, CHF 521,640) achieved was well below expectations.
It was a completely different story for the TOJ SC 302 sports prototype from 1977, which found a new owner for £ 356,500 (EUR 413,540, CHF 385,020), which was significantly more expensive than had been estimated in advance.
Some bargains, many unsold
The new owner had to pay just £ 20,700 (EUR 24,012, CHF 22,356) for a 1989 Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16V.
The Nissan Fairlady 280 Z in rally trim from 1979 also found a new owner comparatively cheaply, £ 34,500 (EUR 40,020, CHF 37,260) was enough to buy it.
The £ 25,300 (EUR 29,348, CHF 27,324) that had to be paid for a Jaguar Mark VII 3.8 as a racing car from 1956 also seems good value, as the car had already taken part in the Goodwood Revival several times.
The Ferrari 512 BBi from 1983 as a Koenig Special could not be sold. Only just £85,000 was bid, far below the already subdued expectations of £100,000 to £150,000. It was one of the 32 unsold cars for which bidders went as high as 69% of the median estimate on average.
Among the cars that obviously did not excite the bidders enough were a Citroën 2 CV, a 1961 Jaguar E-Type "Flat Floor" Roadster and a 1950 Healey Silverstone with racing history.
Many cars were left empty-handed, especially towards the end, perhaps due to the exciting racing action on the circuit.
Overall, only 56% of the cars on offer were sold, with the highest bids averaging 78% of the average estimate. Not necessarily a bravura performance by Bonhams, but thanks to the sales success of some expensive cars, the car auction, which lasted a good 3.5 hours, was not a complete failure, even if the flagship, a 1966 AC Cobra as a racing car, stopped at £ 1.3 million.
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 | Ford 'Lakes Modified Hot-Rod' | 1933 | 25'000 | 35'000 | 22'000 | 25'300 | 27'324 | 29'347 | -15.67%
|
V |
| 102 | Citroën 2CV6 Saloon | 1984 | 25'000 | 35'000 | 23'000 | N | ||||
| 103 | Austin-Healey 100/6 BN4 Convertible | 1957 | 35'000 | 45'000 | 30'000 | 34'500 | 37'260 | 40'020 | -13.75%
|
V |
| 104 | Lotus 18 Formula Junior | 1960 | 38'000 | 44'000 | 34'000 | 39'100 | 42'228 | 45'356 | -4.63%
|
V |
| 105 | Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16V | 1989 | 40'000 | 50'000 | 18'000 | 20'700 | 22'356 | 24'012 | -54%
|
V |
| 106 | Fiat 1100 'Abarth Evocation' Competition Saloon (Bj. Ca.) | 1959 | 15'000 | 20'000 | 11'000 | 12'650 | 13'662 | 14'673 | -27.71%
|
V |
| 107 | Ferrari 512 BBi Koenig Coupé | 1983 | 100'000 | 150'000 | 85'000 | N |
Möchten Sie alle Auktions-Ergebnisse sehen?
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
