Market indicators When a TR7 sells for almost as much a Bentley GT you know it’s been an interesting month
1981 Triumph TR7 £10,101 Classic Car Auctions, Leamington Spa, Oct 5
Yes, this is a remarkable price for a TR7 coupé, but of course there is a reason behind it. If anything, the condition was even better than the promise of sub-25k miles and comprehensive history suggested. It was immaculate in every respect and period-correct down to the Eighties Pioneer radio-cassette unit and supplying dealer’s tax disc holder. So probably the right price paid, but interesting to see someone pay it.
1960 Jaguar XK150S 3.8 fhc £88,333 Bonhams, Goodwood Revival, September 14
Jaguar XK values have been a bit wobbly for the last 18 months or so, but this had the whiff of a bargain buy about it. A nice driver-quality car rather than a show pony, it had a believed correct 51,000 miles but had sat for many years in a small Austrian museum. Recently revived and fitted with new chrome wires and tyres, it was ready to go. The £130-170k estimate did look optimistic, even for a 3.8S. But not by this much.
2004 Bentley Continental GT £11,037 Historics, Brooklands, September 21
Quentin has regularly highlighted the value these ‘Premier League’ GTS offer, but this marked a new low price for one at a classic sale. It didn’t even get near the £13k low estimate, but seeing that the seller was willing to take the bid it was a car you probably had to be feeling lucky to take on. History showed the 80,500 miles wasn’t for real, but it did come with a cleanish MOT. And at this price there’s room to spend a little on it.
1958 Peugeot 403 Cabrio £40,708 RM Sotheby’s, Sáragga, Portugal, Sep 21 Anyone expecting bargains at RM’S largely noreserve sale in the wilds of Portugal went home disappointed. Prices were pretty solid and in cases like this, exceptional. Made famous by TV detective Columbo, 403 Cabrios are rare. This one wore a nice patina and had a fair estimate of £18k-£26.5k. Either we are way oé the pace on values of these cars, or there were two ardent Columbo fans in attendance.
1997 Toyota Supra Twin-turbo £27,000 Bonhams MPH, Bicester, September 26 Solid confirmation of the growing interest in these lively 320bhp coupés. The price paid here also reflects how hard it is to find immaculate unmessed-with manual examples. This was a well-preserved 64,000-miler from a collection of modern classics and had all the right maintenance history. That said, CCA’S £18k-£24k estimate looked reasonable until the bids piled up; £27k looks heady, but find a better one.