At most auctions these days, the cars are on average around 50 years old, but not on October 30, 2020, when Bonhams in London puts 34 vehicles from "The Golden Age of Motoring" under the hammer.
What the "veterans" have in common is that they mostly come from long-standing ownership and are
Few well-known brands
The 34 cars are spread across 27 marques, including of course better known and still common today such as Rolls-Royce or Bentley, but by and large rather manufacturers that have long since been forgotten, e.g. Alta, Arrol-Johnston, Crestmobile, Darracq, Delage, Fowler, Lanchester, Métallurgique, Rambler, Sunbeam, Thornycroft, Vauxhall, White or Woods.
Several London-Brighton candidates
Eight of the cars are more than 116 years old, meaning they were first put on the road in 1904 or earlier. This makes them candidates for the popular London-Brighton "race".
Among these cars is a Mignonette-Luap 2¼hp Voiturette from 1900, a very rare early car from France with a De Dion-Bouton engine and in restored condition. EUR 50,000 to 55,000 was estimated for it.
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, should also be welcome on the journey from London to Brighton.
With its 7 hp engine, it should be good for a thoroughly sporty drive to Brighton, but it is also said to cost £ 225,000 to £ 275,000.
The Thornycroft 20hp Four-Cylinder Double Phaeton from 1903 can 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.
Fully restored and once driven by the owner of the marque, the open car is now said to cost £340,000 to £360,000.
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 solid rubber tires. It is now said to cost between £800,000 and £1.2 million. Where you want to drive it is probably another question.
The special Rolls-Royce
The early Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost from 1911 with unique bodywork by Joseph A Lawton & Co (Liverpool) is said to cost £ 1.0 to 1.3 million.
The car has been with the same owner since 1995 and has obviously covered around 20,000 kilometers in that time without any problems, although the restoration was carried out some time ago.
Several Lagondas
With three cars, Lagonda is well represented at the auction on New Bond Street.
In addition to an M45 4.5 Litre Tourer from 1933 (£ 200,000 to 250,000), two of the pre-war twelve-cylinder cars will come under the hammer as a Drophead Coupé from 1938 (£ 120,000 to 140,000) and as a Sports Saloon from 1939 (£ 60,000 to 80,000).
A fast Alta and other rarities
A racing jewel is the Alta 1½-Litre Supercharged Sports from 1932. The car is even said to have a racing history with Brooklands participations. Even then, the factory 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 seems almost reasonable, especially as a well-running Alta is always at the forefront of historic car racing.
In a similar price category is the pretty Delage CO2 4½-Litre Dual Cowl Tourer from 1922, which was completely restored between 2009 and 2012 and looks stunning today.
The Bugatti Type 40 Grand Sport Tourer from 1929, which has been in the same ownership since 1957 but was restored many years ago, is to be somewhat more expensive. Now £270,000 to £330,000 is expected to be paid when the car changes hands.
A glance at the auction catalog is almost like a lesson in automotive history. For this reason alone, you should visit the Bonhams website, where you will of course find much more information and pictures.
Offered Vehicles
The following table lists all offered vehicles with estimated prices. The price conversion was made at the exchange rate valid at the time of publication. All information is provided without guarantee.
| Lot | Car | Year | NoR | £ Est from | £ Est to | CHF Est from | CHF Est to | EUR Est from | EUR Est to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 201 | AC Sociable | 1910 | 22'000 | 28'000 | 25'960 | 33'040 | 24'200 | 30'800 | |
| 202 | Rover 8hp Tourer | 1910 | 30'000 | 40'000 | 35'400 | 47'200 | 33'000 | 44'000 | |
| 203 | Maxwell Model AB Runabout | 1911 | 20'000 | 22'000 | 23'600 | 25'960 | 22'000 | 24'200 | |
| 204 | Lancia Lambda 8th-Series Grande Luxe Saloon | 1928 | 70'000 | 100'000 | 82'600 | 118'000 | 77'000 | 110'000 | |
| 205 | Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost Doctor's Convertible Coupé (1920/21) | 1920 | 80'000 | 100'000 | 94'400 | 118'000 | 88'000 | 110'000 | |
| 206 | Thornycroft 20hp Four-Cylinder Double Phaeton | 1903 | 340'000 | 360'000 | 401'200 | 424'800 | 374'000 | 396'000 | |
| 207 | Delage CO2 4½-Litre Dual Cowl Tourer | 1922 | 90'000 | 120'000 | 106'200 | 141'600 | 99'000 | 132'000 | |
| 208 | Rambler 7hp Model H Rear-Entrance Tonneau | 1904 | 55'000 | 65'000 | 64'900 | 76'700 | 60'500 | 71'500 | |
| 209 | Sunbeam Sixteen Drophead Coupé | 1929 | 28'000 | 34'000 | 33'040 | 40'120 | 30'800 | 37'400 | |
| 210 | Alta 1½-Litre Supercharged Sports | 1932 | 75'000 | 95'000 | 88'500 | 112'100 | 82'500 | 104'500 | |
| 211 | Panhard et Levassor Type A2 7hp Twin-Cylinder Rear-Entrance Tonneau | 1901 | 225'000 | 275'000 | 265'500 | 324'500 | 247'500 | 302'500 | |
| 212 | Métallurgique 12hp Cabriolet | 1912 | 28'000 | 32'000 | 33'040 | 37'760 | 30'800 | 35'200 | |
| 214 | Darracq Perfecta 2 Quadricycle | 1900 | 80'000 | 120'000 | 94'400 | 141'600 | 88'000 | 132'000 | |
| 215 | Bugatti Type 40 Grand Sport Tourer | 1929 | 270'000 | 330'000 | 318'600 | 389'400 | 297'000 | 363'000 | |
| 216 | Bentley 4¼-Litre Vanden Plas-style Tourer | 1939 | 150'000 | 200'000 | 177'000 | 236'000 | 165'000 | 220'000 | |
| 217 | Vauxhall 30-98 OE-Type Velox Tourer | 1924 | 250'000 | 300'000 | 295'000 | 354'000 | 275'000 | 330'000 | |
| 218 | Lagonda V12 Sports Saloon | 1939 | 60'000 | 80'000 | 70'800 | 94'400 | 66'000 | 88'000 | |
| 219 | Lagonda V12 Drophead Coupé | 1938 | 120'000 | 140'000 | 141'600 | 165'200 | 132'000 | 154'000 | |
| 220 | Lanchester 40hp Tickford Saloon | 1925 | 50'000 | 70'000 | 59'000 | 82'600 | 55'000 | 77'000 | |
| 221 | Crestmobile Model D 8½hp Four-seater Rear-Entrance Tonneau | 1904 | 48'000 | 55'000 | 56'640 | 64'900 | 52'800 | 60'500 | |
| 222 | Lagonda 4½-Litre M45 Tourer | 1933 | 200'000 | 250'000 | 236'000 | 295'000 | 220'000 | 275'000 | |
| 223 | Rolls-Royce Phantom III Sedanca de Ville | 1936 | 80'000 | 90'000 | 94'400 | 106'200 | 88'000 | 99'000 | |
| 224 | White Model O-O Five-Passenger Touring Steam Car | 1910 | 48'000 | 55'000 | 56'640 | 64'900 | 52'800 | 60'500 | |
| 225 | Arrol-Johnston 10/12hp Dogcart | 1902 | 80'000 | 120'000 | 94'400 | 141'600 | 88'000 | 132'000 | |
| 226 | Fowler 10hp B6 Showman's Road Locomotive 'The Lion' | 1932 | 800'000 | 1'200'000 | 944'000 | 1'416'000 | 880'000 | 1'320'000 | |
| 227 | Alvis 12/50hp Tourer | 1932 | 35'000 | 40'000 | 41'300 | 47'200 | 38'500 | 44'000 | |
| 228 | Vauxhall Type OD 23-60 Malvern Tourer | 1923 | 65'000 | 75'000 | 76'700 | 88'500 | 71'500 | 82'500 | |
| 229 | Crestmobile 5hp Model D Runabout | 1903 | 40'000 | 42'000 | 47'200 | 49'560 | 44'000 | 46'200 | |
| 230 | MG SA Tourer | 1936 | 80'000 | 100'000 | 94'400 | 118'000 | 88'000 | 110'000 | |
| 231 | Bentley 3-Litre Speed Model | 1925 | 250'000 | 300'000 | 295'000 | 354'000 | 275'000 | 330'000 | |
| 232 | Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost Tulip-Backed semi open drive Pullman Limousine | 1911 | 1'000'000 | 1'300'000 | 1'180'000 | 1'534'000 | 1'100'000 | 1'430'000 | |
| 233 | Frazer Nash-BMW 326 Saloon | 1938 | 60'000 | 80'000 | 70'800 | 94'400 | 66'000 | 88'000 | |
| 234 | Mignonette-Luap 2¼hp Voiturette | 1900 | 50'000 | 55'000 | 59'000 | 64'900 | 55'000 | 60'500 | |
| 235 | Woods Dual Power Type 44 Roadster | 1917 | 32'000 | 35'000 | 37'760 | 41'300 | 35'200 | 38'500 |
All information is provided without guarantee.
Legend: Column NoR = No Reserve (no minimum price), Column S = Status (V = Sold, N = Not sold, Z = Withdrawn, U = Under reserve)
Est = Estimate, HP = Hammer Price, SP = Sale Price
