All set for take-off!

Aviation museum sale includes a strong cast of British sports cars

It’s back out east for H&H Classics as once again it lands at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford. Benefitting the fine array of aircraft on display is an equally fine array of classics with many unashamedly luxurious or powerful cars or, in some instances, a meeting of both those pleasurable traits.

Lots offered include (at time of writing) three Jaguar XKS, a 1953 120 drophead being joined by a brace of 150 ‘S’ models in 3.4 fixed-head and 3.8 drophead forms. Just a little older but equally exciting is the 1949 Allard M1 drophead and moving ahead to the earlier days of the swinging Sixties, a 1962 AC Ace 2.6 adds more excitement. A selection of big 'Healeys continue the waving of the British sports car flag.

From across the Channel a 1952 Hotchkiss Anjou 1350 adds postwar Gallic more-door motoring and makes a fine alternative to a same-age Rover or Jaguar. A 1958 Mercedesbenz

190SL project offers some glamour, as does a 1965 Excalibur originally owned by actor Tony Curtis.

A 1969 Triumph Herald 13/60 convertible is certainly worth a look; they appear frequently in auctions but this one is described as ‘quite possibly the best example extant’ following a full restoration by its third owner.

As always the sale includes a good number of pre-war cars. A generous number of saloons includes a 1927 Sunbeam 12hp with Coachcraft body (thought to have been sold new to Poet Laureate John Masefield), a 1928 Rolls-royce Phantom I limousine first owned by H Goldman of Goldman Sachs and a 1933 Talbot AW75 closecoupled saloon. These are joined by a selection of Ford model Ts (including a TT truck) and a Model A fivewindow Coupé. Those who like cars of this era but want to experience wind in their hair might find the 1934 MG PA more to their liking.