Some will like it hot at classics sale
A SENSATIONAL “car of the stars” – in this case made for Hollywood legend Tony Curtis – is among the highlights of a major classics sale next Wednesday.
The Excalibur Series I SS was built in the mid-1960s for the actor, who starred alongside Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot.
While styled like a 1930s car, the Excalibur was all about luxury and performance – a 5.4-litre V8 engine propelling it to 60mph in just 5.7 seconds and on to a 150mph top speed.
Other famous Excalibur owners include Frank Sinatra, Steve McQueen, Dick Van Dyke, Sonny and Cher and Dean Martin.
This particular car is likely to fetch up to £60,000 at the H&H Classics auction at Duxford, Cambridgeshire.
Also among sale gems is a 1969 Ferrari 365GT stunningly rebodied in the style of an earlier “Pontoon Fender” Testa Rossa.
Having been meticulously transformed and cared for, it benefits from the donor vehicle’s potent 4.4-litre V12 engine and has a tag of about £400,000.
Another Italian masterpiece is a rare right-hand-drive mid-engined 1973 Maserati Bora 4.7, with a 0-60mph stat of 6.2 seconds and 168mph capability.
Formerly part of Maserati UK’s Heritage collection, it is likely to go for as much as £160,000.
A fearsome British beauty available to buy is a 1960 Jaguar XK150 S 3.8-litre Drophead Coupe, worth up to £190,000.
This rarity – just 69 were made – was the culmination of five Le Mans wins and sprinted to 60mph in just 7.6 seconds and redlined at 141mph.
Another Jaguar in the mix that will hopefully attract a lot of interest is a 1976 XJ-C being sold to aid the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
Sheffield 85-year-old Roy Hatfield’s memories of the World War II blitz has persuaded the collector to sell his prized car to raise funds for children caught up in the conflict with Russia.
Go to www.handh.co.uk to find out more about the cars and the auction.