THE WEEK IN DEALS

FRIDAY

Busy times ahead for Brightwells as it gets one timed online sale out of the way and immediately starts on the next, which finishes on 13 May. It’s still early days (entries are closing on 30 April) but I’m already liking what I see. The 48,000 miles 1992 Subaru 284 Brat pick-up is a cracking offering but it’s the pair of upper-crust ration-book era cars that are right up my street. I make no apologies for mentioning the needing some work 1950 Lagonda 2.6 saloon – the last sale included a 1952 model – while the pre-production Bristol 400 is something very special. If that’s not to your taste there’s always the never-assembled Hustler Hellcat 6 kit, which thoughtfully comes with a Metro engine and automatic transmission.

SUNDAY

Historics holds its sale today, putting it back 24 hours because of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral. The one-day re-alignment hasn’t affected buyers’ enthusiasm and what’s on offer is enough to satisfy most punters, whatever their tastes, despite a small number of withdrawals. A quick glance at the results (I’m writing this not long after they were put up) shows some decent sums being paid, and it’s the ‘regular’ motors that have done particularly well, but there have been one or two corking estimate-busters, too.

I’ll be reviewing the sale in next week’s issue but let’s note the 1956 Continental II going well beyond its £52,000 upper estimate to make a whopping £73,580 and a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL making £184,800, streets ahead of its £95,000-120,000 estimate. This wasn’t the only ‘Benz performing well, either; one of my favourite cars in the sale, a 1954 170SV, easily trundled beyond the £25,000 upper estimate originally assigned to it to a healthy £45,280. There’s little time for rest or reflection, mind, because Historics’ next sale is on 15 May.