Auction View by Richard Hudson-Evans
Historic Automobile Group International (HAGI) claims that collector Porsche prices fell by nearly two per cent during 2017, while three of its other indices failed to better inflation with the HAGI F charting investmentgrade Ferraris increasing by less than 2.5 per cent. Only the MBCI, which monitors classic Mercedes transactions, had increased by more than 8.7 per cent by the end of last year, although M-B prices may now have peaked.
On the UK auction circuit, two notable growth areas have been modern classics in general (more of which crossed the block in 2017 than ever before) and 1980s-2000s fast Fords. The premium-inclusive £97,875
‘More modern classics crossed the block in 2017 than ever before’
performance of a time-warp 1980 Escort RS2000 Custom MkII with a mere 900 miles on the odometer and the £91,125 paid for an 837-mile Escort Cosworth Lux during the Silverstone Auctions sale at the Classic Motor Show sale in November were modelrecord auction prices for Escort road cars.
A 1987 Sierra Cosworth RS500 with 10,773 mileage fetched a more-than-top-estimate £114,750 at the Silverstone Classic in July and, Silverstone hammered away another example driven only 600 miles since 1988 for £112,500 at the NEC in November. Silverstone’s Classic Car Auctions subsidiary then sold a 1987 Sierra RS Cosworth at the Warwickshire Event Centre in December for £37,950 with premium and a 1987 Capri 280 overtook its £35-45k estimate to sell for £55,125 at Silverstone in July.
Noteworthy Fiesta valuations meanwhile included the £13,420 handed over for a one-owner 1986 car during CCA’s final sale of 2017, and a 1979 1300S that had spent more than a decade in storage sold for £5720.
Most front-wheel-drive Escorts, by contrast, only just achieved their lower estimates, including a one-owner 1988 XR3i Cabrio with 17,247 mileage which sold for £12,650.
Not all sporty Fords will appreciate in 2018, but low supply and big demand for genuinely low mileages by few owners will continue to be highly valued.