Bonhams' MPH auctions are already well established, and on December 11, 2020, it was time for the last time in 2020. Almost without an audience, but live and with a real auctioneer, around 123 three- or four-wheeled vehicles worth £ 2.6 million were offered.
47 brands were represented, including some that hardly anyone knows. Land Rover was the most strongly represented, followed by Jaguar, Bentley, Ford, Rolls-Royce and Citroën.
The average age of the vehicles on offer was 45 years. On average, each of these vehicle lots should cost around £21,000.
Good result
81 of the 123 vehicles were finally sold, with an average price of £17,951, around 14 percent less than expected, even though the average bid was around 92 percent of the median estimate.
However, some expensive lots such as a Bentley S2 Continental Sports Saloon from 1962 or a Ferrari 348 ts were left standing and no interested parties were willing to pay the minimum price for German classics such as the Mercedes-Benz 350 SL from 1976, the BMW 3.0 CSi Coupé from 1974, the 300 d Adenauer from 1961 or the BMW 3.3 from 1976.
Rover Ten Coupé as a high-flyer
On June 1, 1938, a Rover Ten Coupé was redeemed for a director of the company. In the late nineties, the elegant two-door car was restored and even achieved concours honors. The last owner maintained the Rover conscientiously. Now the car with chassis number 881220 was to cost £4000 to £6000 and was even offered without a reserve price.
But the bidders took a different view, eventually bidding up to £12,000, double the upper estimate. The car was ultimately worth £13,500 to the buyer, including surcharge/commission. A beautiful story.
Spurned 500E
The Mercedes-Benz 500E is actually one of the most sought-after youngtimers due to its Porsche connection and its distance from the "normal" W124.
However, the steering wheel was probably on the wrong (left) side for the British and therefore the interest in the well-maintained car was lower. Expected to fetch £25,000 to £30,000, the bid was only £19,000, not enough for a sale.
Battle for a pre-war Rolls-Royce
Pre-war Rolls-Royces with saloon bodies and 20/25 HP chassis do not have an easy time with today's buyers. This also explains why the estimated value of the 1936 car was only £20,000 to £25,000 despite an investment of £49,000.
But enthusiasts saw more potential, bidding the car up to £40,000, making the Rolls-Royce cost £45,000.
Popular Ford Capri
A really well-preserved Ford Capri Mk III 2.8i from 1985 came under the hammer as lot 409.
Estimated at a reasonable £12,000 to £16,000, the three-door coupé fetched a much better price, £21,375, which seems understandable given its good condition and low mileage.
Interest in projects
Several projects were offered by Bonhams to coincide with the Corona winter and attracted a great deal of interest.
For example, a 1932 Austin Seven limousine fetched £2475 (estimate £800 to £1200), a 1983 Volkswagen Golf GTI, which was pulled out of the garage after standing for some time, fetched £12,375 (estimate £8000 to £10,000) and a 1965 Jaguar S-Type was valued at £4725 (estimate £2000 to £4000).
Some super classics with mixed results
MPH does not stand for super classics, but rather for affordable second-hand classic cars, but some of the cars otherwise traded at the major auctions were still on offer.
An AC Aceca from 1957 fetched £ 94,500 (just over the estimate), a Jaguar E-Type Series 1 4.2 Litre Coupé from 1965 was worth £ 74,250 (estimate £ 45,000 to 55,000) and a Ferrari 308 GTS QV from 1984 fetched £ 46,687 (estimate £ 40,000 to 50,000).
A Ferrari 400i from 1983 stopped at £ 32,000. A Sumbeam Tiger, a Rolls-Royce Corniche and a 2002 Renault Sport Clio V6 Hatchback fared similarly.
Spectacular Citroën 2 CV without a fan base
Towards the end of the auction, a very special Citroën 2 CV came under the hammer. Similar to the Sahara, it was equipped with two engines, but these had four cylinders instead of two and came from the Citroën GS.
This 1974 rally car was sold for a reasonable £ 8437, with the highest bid reaching just 38 percent of the median estimate.
Alfa Romeo GTV at a discount price
The wedge-shaped Alfa Romeo GTV Coupés are still looking for their fan base. At least that is what the sales price of just £ 1575 for a 2.0-liter coupé from 2000, which was sold for around half the expected price, suggests.
Even an Audi TT 3.2 Quattro from 2004 fared better, selling for £ 2925.
Affordable Jaguar Mk2
Surprisingly little had to be paid for a 1962 Jaguar Mk2. The 3.4-liter version was in the same ownership from 1968 to 2020 and was even (partially?) restored in 2010. Now, however, the car no longer presented itself in optimal condition and the consignor himself had described it as being in "fair" condition.
As no reserve price was set for the car, which was estimated at £15,000 to £20,000, a bid of £9,000 was enough to get hold of a Mk2 that would presumably require little work to keep it roadworthy for £10,125 (including surcharge/commission). A real bargain.
The desirable Morgan 4/4 Series 1 Roadster from 1938, one of the company's earliest four-wheel sports cars still in existence, was even better off at £20,025, although even this price seems cheap.
The auction lasted around six hours, with online bidding making a significant contribution to the overall good sales 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 299 | Raleigh Safety Seven | 1934 | 10'000 | 11'000 | N | |||||
| 304 | Morris Minor Series II Saloon | 1955 | 4000 | 6000 | 5800 | 6525 | 7699 | 7112 | +30.5%
|
V |
| 305 | Morris Minor 1000 Traveller Deluxe Estate | 1965 | 5000 | 7000 | 6500 | 7312 | 8628 | 7970 | +21.87%
|
V |
| 306 | MG PA Project | 1934 | 8000 | 10'000 | 7000 | 7875 | 9292 | 8583 | -12.5%
|
V |
| 307 | Citroën 2CV Saloon Project | 1957 | 5000 | 6000 | 5000 | 5625 | 6637 | 6131 | +2.27%
|
V |
| 308 | Bentley Continental GT Speed Coupé | 2010 | 20'000 | 25'000 | 26'000 | 29'250 | 34'515 | 31'882 | +30%
|
V |
| 309 | BMW 735i Saloon | 2000 | 6000 | 10'000 | 5500 | 6187 | 7300 | 6743 | -22.66%
|
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
