Market indicators

Some justified high prices, the odd inexplicable peak performer and a few sound buys

1993 MG R V8 £39,375 H&H, Duxford, October 17

Low-mileage R V8s are hardly rare and can be had with even four-figure mileages for prices in the twenties. Why did this one make so much more? It had everything going for it – one of only 330 UK market cars, not green, one owner from new, 3250 miles and even an ‘MGB’ plate. Add the immaculate condition and you have every single box ticked– cue a bidding storm. A great result but it changes nothing.

1971 Volvo 1800E £29,167 RM Sotheby’s, Hershey, October 12

Some unusually high results defy explanation. This Volvo was nice enough, but nothing exceptional. The repaint and engine rebuild were around 15 years ago, it didn’t boast low miles or special history, this is not the most popular version, and it looked slightly odd on its modern BF Goodrich tyres. The £19,000-£22,750 estimate looked like plenty for it, but obviously more than one person thought otherwise. A market mover?

1972 De Tomaso Pantera L £81,585 Bonhams, Padua, October 27

Early Panteras like this are pretty thin on the ground, but they have a much stronger following in the US (where this one lived until 2008) than Europe. That explains the below low-estimate result for this one. There was nothing wrong with it, with just 500km covered since a bare metal 2015/16 restoration, including a set of prettier Euro-spec bumpers. One of the easier supercars to live with, this looked like a good buy.

1980 Porsche 924 £41,900

RM Sotheby’s, Atlanta, October 27 A truly exceptional car – 11,250 miles, two owners, meticulously maintained, original tyres (plus a ‘driving’ set) and eight-track player. But the price paid, £10k-plus over top estimate, still provokes feelings of disbelief. At the same Porsche 70th Anniversary sale a 944 with the same kind of history and similar mileage fetched a below-estimate £22,695. That has to have been the better buy.

1979 Lotus Eclat 521 £12,320

Brightwells, Bicester, October 24 Most true car guys would struggle to resist an immaculate Seventies Lotus in JPS livery, and so it proved here. Lacking much in the way of history, this Eclat was flying by the seat of its ten-year-old restoration. With just 4000 miles covered since, it looked the part. The estimate was £6000-£8000, but in truth the buyer here still didn’t overpay, once you measure this against the cost of replicating it.