Market indicators One supercar aside, it’s three-box models grabbing all the attention his month

1971 De Tomaso Pantera £67,500 Silverstone Auctions, online, 13 November

Panteras have been a rare sighting at auctions this year, so this was a chance to take their temperature in a shaky market for supercars. They seem in good health. This was a very smart and original early example – still with the purity of Tom Tjaarda’s styling preserved. Unusually rust-free after living its first 40 years in Oregon, it had been refreshed on arrival in the UK and sold for bang-on our guide’s ‘Mint’ rating.

1976 Ford Granada 3.0 Ghia £15,120 Anglia Car Auctions, online, 8 November

One of the standouts at ACA, this Granada went for more than 50% over its £10k top estimate. Over-the-odds money for smart Fords is not that unusual to be fair, but though a show-goer this car is a bit of detail work away from being a full-on pot-hunter. It also has the unexceptional auto ‘box and an unremarkable 95k on the clock. All of which shows that market values of nice Granadas are still moving in an upward direction.

1982 BMW 323i E30 £10,147 Brightwells, online, 5 November

Often forgotten (also hard to find), the 323i was flagship of the E30 range for the first three years. This is one of the best you’ll see, retained by the same owner from new in a growing collection of classics, and clocking up just 63,750 miles. It was highly specced in the first place, with close-ratio gearbox, limited-slip differential and sports suspension. It looks like a smart buy at the price paid, especially in the longer term.

1994 Alfa Romeo 164 3.0 24V £9350 The Market, online, 10 November

Selling just over the lower end of its guide price, this 164 – the range-topping Green Cloverleaf model – looked a good deal. A recent club trophy winner, impeccably cared for and without a speck of rust, it has the 230bhp version of Alfa’s wonderful V6. Maybe the aftermarket 18in BBS alloys were a touch too much. We suspect with the original wheels it might have made even more on the day.

1992 Vauxhall Cavalier GSI 16V £18,563 Silverstone Auctions, online, 14 November

Not the usual fare for CC, but this 28-yearold Cavalier is a rare bird. Just 17 of these sporty 150bhp GSI models survive on UK roads. Almost certainly none of the others is like this – one owner and 27,355 miles from new. It’s original, down to the factory paint and unrestored. The only way to value it was let the market decide, and the response was enthusiastic. Expensive but unrepeatable.