Review: Bonhams

Some rarities went for huge sums at Goodwood’s latest sale, but there was plenty to be found for under £50k

Traditionally Bonhams has held three sales at Goodwood, to accompany the Members’ Meeting, Festival of Speed and the Revival. But with all public activities on hold, the London-based auctioneer made the best of the tricky circumstances with a sale assembled to accompany Goodwood’s SpeedWeek event.

Cars offered did both auctioneer and Goodwood proud, and while here was a sale that was unashamedly airmed at buyers with large budgets, the sensibly-curated mix echoed the types of cars offered in the Revival auction.

This meant sports, luxury and pre-war cars were to the fore; numerous Aston Martins and Ferraris added true grand touring glamour, while pre-war Bentleys and Lagondas added an earlier-era touch of style. The top price of the sale was £1.26 million, which bought a 1967 Ferrari 330GTS. Sold new in Italy, the car then went to the USA and arrived in the UK in 2004, and had been owned by the vendor since 2005. Those with an eye for British engineering might have been taken by a 1939 Lagonda V12 drophead, and interest was enough to see it making £230k, a price far ahead of a 1936 Railton Eight drophead (offered from the ‘Alps to Goodwood’ collection), which was bought for £36,800.

The sale also included a 1957 BMW 503 Cabriolet ( below) that had been bought by John Surtees in 1992. Originally owned by a Mrs Aldington (of the family behind Frazer-Nash) it was one of six right-hand drive 503s built, three being convertibles. It was sold for £230,000.

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