DIGITAL DELIGHT FOR CAR BUYERS

Auctioneer bounces back by bringing more classics to new online outing

South Western Vehicle Auctions gets its new online sale underway this Friday, having postponed its April sale and used the time since wisely to bolster the variety of classics on offer.

Lots include everything from a Vauxhall Lotus Carlton to a onefamily owned Ford Popular, and we reckon the three Mercedes-Benz SLKs should delight buyers seeking out modern classic bargains.

There’s a pair of Triumph GT6s and, staying on a sporting hatch theme, a Reliant Scimitar GTE. Alongside a Popular, the Blue Oval is well represented by a Cortina MkI rally car, a Cortina MkII four-door and a 1976 estate in 1.6 GL guise. Meanwhile for those with a thing for big off-the-radar saloons, a 1970 Austin 3-litre saloon is a rarelyseen offering, and a 7500-mile 1983 Daimler 4.2 from new should spark serious bidding.

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❚ swva.co.uk

Brightwells’ first onlineonly classic sale might have offered fewer cars than its ‘normal’ outings but delivered plenty of variety.

It’s almost a classic auction rule-of-thumb to find Brightwells offering a decent selection of Land Rovers and Range Rovers and this was no exception, and in the prewar segment – another Brightwells strong point – two 1930s cars, a 1932 Armstrong Siddeley 20hp saloon and a 1937 Austin Seven Ruby both found new homes, the Siddeley’s original condition clearly finding favour.

Modern classics did every bit as well as the older offerings. A 2001 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 with Tiptronic transmission pulled £11,760 and a same-year Maserati 3200GT, £9301. However, the ultimate in latter-day value was surely the no-reserve 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL500 that had plenty of history, was MoTtested until next January and made a trifling £1904.

Brightwells’ Matthew Parkin said: ‘ We really weren’t sure how the market would take to ‘no viewing’ and a online sale, but duck to water springs to mind.

‘There were some excellent classic prices at this sale, pointing to a strong demand for bricks and mortar – well, steel and wheels – in these uncertain times.’

❚ 01568 611122

❚ brightwells.com