SAM GRANGE-BAILEY
There’s a real passion for cars at Manor Park Classics, no matter the marque or era. We hold our first sale on Tuesday 27th April, but it won’t be any ordinary day at the market — we’re putting transparency, public access and our love for classics centre stage, with two special air-cooled 911 Targas leading the way...
When embarking on the restoration of a classic Porsche, the single biggest decision you’ll make is which model to work on. The next biggest decision you’ll make is where you’ll source the car. The classic (and modern classic) sales scene is difficult to navigate, which is why Manor Park Classics was established in 2020 — to enable safe, relaxed purchasing of historically interesting vehicles, a process facilitated by enthusiasts with a lifetime of experience in the field.
I grew up at my family’s car dealership, Southern Cars, and returned in 2004, operating the business to this day. Roger Nowell, Manor Park Classics Managing Director, has been selling specialist cars since 2017 and enjoyed a period with auction house, H&H Classics. When talking with our friend, classic car collector, Stephen Ashworth, about our collective auction experiences, we saw clear gaps in the market where processes could be significantly improved. Before long, Stephen suggested creating a one-stop shop that could become a classic car destination in its own right. A short while later, Manor Park Classics was established at a purpose-prepared site in Runcorn, Cheshire, in northwest England.
The company’s premises is the cornerstone of our fresh new approach to classic car sales. Covering 30,000ft2 and owned by Stephen’s Hurstwood Holdings property firm, the twin auction halls offer a fixed location contrasting sharply with traditional event sales — the usual auction format is almost a travelling show, where cars are delivered and put into place two days before the event, there’s a single day to view them statically, and then there’s the sale. We consider this quite stressful for buyers, who generally don’t get to see the cars outside business hours. Manor Park Classics counters with an unhurried approach putting flexibility first. More specifically, we offer five consecutive viewing days (including weekends) before our auctions. We plan to provide evening sessions in the not too distant future. Potential purchasers will be welcome until eight o’clock at night, though even then, there’s capacity to stay longer if needed. Ultimately, we want to make Manor Park Classics and the cars we’re offering completely accessible, thereby removing the anxiety brought about by traditional auction houses serving up hurried, limited viewing slots. After all, it’s not unusual for a prospective purchaser to want to spend more time looking at the vehicle catching their eye, as well as to dig into its history file.
There’s no rush after the auction, either — while most auction houses require winning bidders to collect their cars within hours of the hammer dropping, Manor Park Classics offers three days of complimentary postevent storage. We want attendees to build confidence in their car of choice, something they feel static sales simply don’t provide. To this end, Manor Park Classics headquarters boasts a dedicated test area allowing enthusiasts to see offered cars on the move. Interested parties are even invited to engage in a test drive. And, as coronavirus restrictions lift, we intend to offer accompanied test drives on the open road. The idea is for there to be far less risk than buying privately, but without the restrictions of the traditional auction format. Additionally, a four-post lift has been installed in one of our auction halls, allowing enthusiasts to thoroughly inspect their potential purchase and, much to our delight, Car SOS presenter, Fuzz Townshend, is producing videos reviews of the star lots for interested parties to watch at their leisure.
The first Manor Park Classics sale takes place on the 27th April, just after this issue of Classic Porsche lands on newsstands. We’re excited to offer a pair of pre-impact bumper 911 Targas — a 1973 2.4-litre E and a rare soft-window, two-litre example manufactured in 1967. The latter is in near purist form, with triple Weber carburettors, a comprehensive history file and time spent with the same family since 1999. Visit our website (which can be found at manorparkclassics.com) to view the full list of lots. We look forward to welcoming you to Manor Park Classics.
REMOVING ANXIETY BROUGHT ABOUT BY TRADITIONAL AUCTION HOUSES SERVING UP HURRIED VIEWING SLOTS