Great cars to buy this summer

Silverstone Auctions is offering more than 200 classics in its annual flagship sale next week. We go behind the scenes to appraise four cars that have a genuine ‘wow’ factor

Silverstone Auctions and its sister company, Classic Car Auctions (CCA), have both enjoyed strong sales performances during the coronavirus lockdown, each with an impressive sale rate of 89 per cent in their most recent sales (23 May for Silverstone and 27 June for CCA). However, Silverstone’s upcoming auction, held next week across two days – Friday, 31 July and Saturday, 1 August – is very much being billed as ‘the big one’, with more than 200 cars consigned, together with four significant collections.

All four of the cars that we’re driving here are from the SA-30 Collection, originally chosen to celebrate 30 years of the Silverstone Classic prior to this historic motor sport festival being postponed until next year. Sales manager, Harry Whale, says: ‘The chap who owns them – I’ve never met anyone who’s so meticulous with how he sources cars. He only buys the best.

‘Sometimes we come across collections that have been sitting there for several years. They haven’t been serviced and they’ve been admired rather than driven. What’s great about these cars is that they’re all ready for their next owner.

‘They’re no-reserve, the quality is there and they’re on the button. They are all, in my opinion, the best versions of their type.’ For more details of the cars that have been consigned in Silverstone Auctions’ upcoming sale, visit its website, while details of how to arrange a viewing prior to the sale can be found opposite. silverstoneauctions.com