At most auctions these days, the cars are on average around 50 years old, but not on October 30, 2020, when Bonhams in London put 34 vehicles from "The Golden Age of Motoring" under the hammer.
What the "veterans" had in common was that most of them had been owned for many years and, with a few exceptions, were presented in good condition.
With bidders on site and at home, there was a good dynamic, but only half of the cars were sold.
Few well-known brands
The 34 cars were spread across 27 brands, including, of course, better-known brands that are still in use today, such as Rolls-Royce or Bentley, but by and large manufacturers that have long been forgotten, e.g. Alta, Arrol-Johnston, Crestmobile, Darracq, Delage, Fowler, Lanchester, Métallurgique, Rambler, Sunbeam, Thornycroft, Vauxhall, White or Woods.
The predecessor of the AC Cobra
After many automobiles and several historic bicycles, which found new owners at considerable prices, it was the turn of the AC Sociable from 1910 to be the first "automobile". John Weller was the designer of the Auto-Carrier, a three-wheeler with an air-cooled 636 cm3 single-cylinder engine. From 1904, the Auto-Carrier was mainly sold to tradesmen, as it was more practical for transportation tasks than a horse-drawn carriage or bicycles.
In 1907, a version for the transportation of passengers was added. Auto-Carrier became AC and the new version became known as the AC Sociable. Auctioneer Malcolm Barber said that this AC was the predecessor of the Cobra, so to speak.
The 1910 example was expected to fetch between £22,000 and £28,000, but the bids dried up at £18,000. The tricycle was sold anyway and found its way into a new garage for £ 20,700.
A Panhard et Levassor with a history
Welcome to the journey from London to Brighton with the Panhard et Levassor Type A2 7hp Twin-Cylinder Rear-Entrance Tonneau from 1901, which was once part of the Schlumpf and later the Mercedes collection.
£ 225,000 to 275,000 was the estimate, £ 100,000 was the opening bid, £ 280,000 was offered after persistent negotiations, making the car cost the new owner £ 322,000 including surcharge.
The Thornycroft 20hp Four-Cylinder Double Phaeton from 1903 could also look back on successful participations in the race from London to Brighton (100 percent finishes) and this car was also in the same ownership for over 30 years.
Completely restored and once driven by the owner of the marque, the open car was now expected to cost £340,000 to £360,000. Nobody wanted to offer that much, but it was sold anyway for £ 304,750.
A locomotive for the road
The Fowler 10hp B6 Showman's Road Locomotive 'The Lion' from 1932 looks more like a steam locomotive than a car. Nevertheless, it can drive on the road thanks to its solid rubber tires. Now the road locomotive should fetch £800,000 to £1.2 million.
It just about made it, with the highest bid being £800,000, meaning the Fowler cost £911,000 (EUR 1.01 million, CHF 1.08 million).
The steam-powered White
Around 10,000 steam-powered White automobiles were built in the early years of the 20th century, with around 150 believed to have survived. The 1910 Model O-O Five Passenger Touring Steam Car on offer was estimated in advance at £48,000 to £55,000.
However, the bidders took a different view and bid up to 70,000, around 40 percent above the median estimate, resulting in a sale price of £ 80,500 including commission.
Special Rolls-Royce
The early Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost from 1911 with unique coachwork by Joseph A Lawton & Co (Liverpool) was expected to cost £ 1.0 to 1.3 million. The car had been with the same owner since 1995 and had apparently covered around 20,000 kilometers in that time without any problems, even though it had been restored some time ago. The bidders were prepared to go up to £900,000, but no further. The Rolls remained unsold.
The slightly younger 1936 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Sedanca de Ville fared similarly, while the 40/50hp Silver Ghost Doctor's Convertible Coupé from 1920/21 came into new hands for £90,850.
Several Lagondas
With three cars, Lagonda had an above-average presence at the auction on New Bond Street.
In addition to an M45 4.5 Litre Tourer from 1933 (£ 200,000 to £ 250,000), which could not be sold (highest bid £ 180,000), two of the pre-war twelve-cylinder cars came under the hammer as a Drophead Coupé from 1938 and a Sports Saloon from 1939. They found new owners for £132,250 and £60,950 respectively.
A fast Alta and its connection to Alfa
A racing gem was the Alta 1½-Litre Supercharged Sports from 1932, which was even said to have a racing history with Brooklands participations. Many decades ago, the factory had already converted it into a two-seater sports car and in the new millennium, parts from an Alfa Romeo 8C engine helped to get the Alta running again. The estimated £75,000 to £90,000 seemed almost cheap, especially as a well-running Alta is always at the front of the field in historic car races.
However, the bidders were obviously of the opinion that the estimate was on the right level and went up to £ 79,000, which ultimately meant a favorable £ 90,850 as the selling price for the Alta.
The 1929 Bugatti Type 40 Grand Sport Tourer, which had been in the same ownership since 1957 but had been restored many years ago, was to be somewhat more expensive. Now £ 270'000 to 330'000 were in demand. The bid was exactly the lower estimate, resulting in a sale price of £ 310,500.
With a sales rate of 50 percent, one cannot really be entirely satisfied, but some of the more expensive vehicles were successfully sold, so that in the end Bonhams still managed to make a profit. For the visitors and spectators (online), the auction was almost a car history lesson, to which the pretty little films from the past also contributed. In any case, the entertainment value was considerable.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 201 | AC Sociable | 1910 | 22'000 | 28'000 | 18'000 | 20'700 | 24'633 | 22'977 | -17.2%
|
V |
| 202 | Rover 8hp Tourer | 1910 | 30'000 | 40'000 | 27'500 | N | ||||
| 203 | Maxwell Model AB Runabout | 1911 | 20'000 | 22'000 | 17'000 | 19'550 | 23'264 | 21'700 | -6.9%
|
V |
| 204 | Lancia Lambda 8th-Series Grande Luxe Saloon | 1928 | 70'000 | 100'000 | 60'000 | N | ||||
| 205 | Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost Doctor's Convertible Coupé (1920/21) | 1920 | 80'000 | 100'000 | 79'000 | 90'850 | 108'111 | 100'843 | +0.94%
|
V |
| 206 | Thornycroft 20hp Four-Cylinder Double Phaeton | 1903 | 340'000 | 360'000 | 265'000 | 304'750 | 362'652 | 338'272 | -12.93%
|
V |
| 207 | Delage CO2 4½-Litre Dual Cowl Tourer | 1922 | 90'000 | 120'000 | 85'000 | 97'750 | 116'322 | 108'502 | -6.9%
|
V |
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
