Auctioneer’s View
Silverstone
How many years have you been holding the competition cars sale at Race Retro?
We’ve been holding sales at Race Retro since 2012, which have included a mix of classic road cars. However in 2016 we introduced a separate competition car sale.
Which are more popular, single seaters, sports cars or saloons? And are particular makes popular with particular types of cars, such as Fords and BMWs for saloons, or Lotuses in single seaters?
There’s no one particular area of the competition car market which is more popular than others, although it is fair to say that single seaters are a more limited part of the market.
In terms of the popularity of particular makes and marques, Escort MkIs and MkIIs remain popular.
When it comes to competition (whether genuine raced when new or latter-day builds) cars, is history all? And are podium finishes most important, or just regular outings?
To some extent history does help the car to sell but it’s certainly not the beall and end-all.
One of the main aspects potential owners will want to know is that the car is built to the right specification for the car to be competitive in the right environment. However, obviously this does depend upon what the potential owner wants to use the car for!
In the saloon category, do people want something that’s primarily Goodwood-event eligible or just something to have some fun with?
Cars that are Goodwood-eligible certainly have appeal for some prospective owners, but there are plenty of other racers who want the car for something else. It really is a mix, not a one size fits all approach.
Are some models/classes of single seaters more popular than others? For example, Formula Fords look good value for money, while 500cc racers can be much more expensive.
In the single seater market, appeal can be limited as the opportunities to compete are more limited than say, saloon cars.
If owners want to be competitive, then they will be more inclined to buy an example that has been prepared properly and has proven race pedigree. However, for some they’ll just want something that they can have fun with, so they may be able to pick up great-value single seater.
‘Goodwoodeligible cars have appeal for some prospective owners’