Brisk bidding at British classic car sale

BREXIT was put on the back burner in Buxton’s Pavilion Garden in the UK this week as bidders attending the H&H Classics auction focused on the great collection of classic cars for sale.

Such was the level of enthusiastic bidding in the room, on the phone and the internet that a sale total nudging £1 million (R18.2m) was achieved with a solid 76% of the cars sold.

The three stand-out cars were examples of the best of British motoring spanning three decades – a 1963 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Roadster estimated to sell for £50 000 made £121 325; a 1935 AC 16/66 Drophead Coupe estimated to sell for £30 000 made £41 400 and a low-mileage 1963 Austin Mini 850 Super De Luxe made £14 375.

Beautiful and viciously quick, the E-Type remains for many the ultimate production Jaguar. The sale car had been sensibly upgraded for UK and continental touring with a five-speed manual gearbox, enhanced brakes, improved cooling and power steering. Originally supplied by Ritchies of Glasgow, the Roadster had been extensively restored and enjoyed during its 15 years with the vendor’s family.

The charming 1935 AC 16/66 Drophead Coupe had similarly been used for numerous UK and European Tours. A well-proportioned four-seater Drophead Coupe powered by a 2 litre OHC straight-six engine (which remained in production for 40 years), sensible modifications included a hydraulic brake conversion, alternator, spin-on oil filter conversion and Kenlowe electric fan.

The 56-year-old Mini 850 Super De Luxe was bought by a midwife from Aberdeen. She drove it for just a year before she died and the car remained in storage until 1982. It was then bequeathed to her brother-in-law who used it for a year before putting it up for auction at the Grampian Motor Museum in 1983.