Classic Car Auctions News

Latest market commentary from CCFS auction analyst Richard Hudson-Evans

Latest market commentary from CCFS auction analyst Richard Hudson-Evans

A stately and clearly well maintained Daimler 16/20 iron block from the early thirties charmed a new guardian out of £18,900 at the latest ACA drive-through in King’s Lynn during another well attended Saturday afternoon’s entertainment at the former Cattle Market site, where 83% of the classic stock on offer sold for a bullish £577,550 with premium. Read more
Latest market commentary from CCFS auction analyst Richard Hudson-Evans

Latest market commentary from CCFS auction analyst Richard Hudson-Evans

‘Classic’ Mercedes-Benz values gained 11.65% in 2012 and, after taking the major European and US early season sale stats from Paris and Florida into account plus monitoring other transactions off the auctions screen, the prices of collector Mercs have again been motoring strongly this year, increasing by 11.14% in February alone and putting on nearly 15% growth in 2013 to date. The MBCI (Mercedes-Benz Classic Index), created by classic car market research resource HAGI (Historic Automobile Group International), is supported by Mercedes-Benz Classic, the Stuttgart manufacturer’s heritage division. Read more
Latest market commentary from CCFS auction analyst Richard Hudson-Evans

Latest market commentary from CCFS auction analyst Richard Hudson-Evans

A concours-ready 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL ‘Gullwing’ in dazzling blue was applauded in the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center as it successfully crossed the Auctions America block into new ownership for $880,000 24 March in South Florida. Bidders from 15 countries around the world and 38 states across the US spent $17.5m that they didn’t have to on 74% of the inventory. Significantly, too, 42% of bidders were first-time clientele for the RM subsidiary, many of them virgin players. Read more
One of the most significant motor cars of the 20th century soon to be up for auction

One of the most significant motor cars of the 20th century soon to be up for auction

One of the most significant motor cars of the 20th century - but also arguably the most important historic Grand Prix racing car ever offered at public auction - has been consigned by Bonhams for their Goodwood Festival of Speed sale. For in London’s West End earlier this week, Chairman Robert Brooks revealed to the national press and CCFS that the superstar lot at Goodwood 12 July would be the ‘barn found’ looking 1954 Mercedes-Benz works team W196 ‘einsitzer’ – chassis number 00006/54 - in which five-times Champion Juan Manual Fangio won both the 1954 German and Swiss Grand Prix, the latter victory, his third in four races, clinching the second Driver’s World Championship title for the Argentinian. Read more
Oldtimer Gallery

Oldtimer Gallery

An eclectic mix of European exotica and Soviet oddballs flocked to Russia's flagship classic car event on 8-10 March. Sam Glover reports from Moscow. Read more
Latest market commentary from CCFS auction analyst Richard Hudson-Evans

Latest market commentary from CCFS auction analyst Richard Hudson-Evans

Sporting Anglo Saxon makes like Allard, Alvis and, most appropriately in centenary year, Aston Martin were cool with “the right crowd and no crowding” at the pre-war Brooklands racing circuit even on an over-cast Saturday afternoon in depressingly inclement March 2013. For a shiney 1935 Aston Martin 1½-Litre MkII Long Chassis Tourer for four fresh air masochists was knocked down to the London trade for £98,890 with premium, a decent margin below Historics’ £105,000 lower estimate. A 1964 Alvis TE21 with in excess of £21,000 worth of restorative invoices on file motored above forecast to sell for £68,750 and, altogether sharper than it was when it first emerged from Sydney’s Putney workshops sixty-six years ago, a 1947 Allard K1 with Offenhauser aluminium heads atop a US V8 rumbled to a within-estimate £53,900 result. Oh yes, and so popular was the auctioneers’ season opening gig, that all the catalogues sold out.

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Latest market commentary from CCFS auction analyst Richard Hudson-Evans

Latest market commentary from CCFS auction analyst Richard Hudson-Evans

Although much stroked, none of the top cats awarded prime parking spots in the warmth of the Brightwells saleroom sold under the hammer or, as yet, have gone to new homes afterwards. The main viewing units were nonetheless packed with punters who parted with a not inconsiderable and largely taxed £605,082, including premium, for 78 cars, 68% of the 114 in the sale, as well as 4 classic bikes, 80% of the 5 on offer. For even on a dank weekday in the Welsh Marches on the brink of a mismanaged triple dip recession, and although there were few headliners for your screens or mine, there were still plenty of buyers for most of the medium and lower priced stock. Read more
Latest market commentary from CCFS auction analyst Richard Hudson-Evans

Latest market commentary from CCFS auction analyst Richard Hudson-Evans

One of only seven March-bodied 1932 Wolseley Hornet Specials with twin carb fed high compression six underbonnet realised £33,000 last Saturday at Castle Combe, where there were 32 buyers in the Richard Edmonds tent (and on-line) for 65% of the 49 collector cars and caravans on offer, while 23 of the 30 classic bikes also secured new riders to achieve a 76% sale rate. The day before, an even more impressive 82% of the 1053 lots of automobilia were successfully hammered away in a marathon session, led by a model of a Scottish gent astride a wee Vespa scooter adorning a no longer socially acceptable ashtray, which merrily smoked its way into Italian telephone bidder ownership for 4484 Sterling with premium! Read more
Latest market commentary from CCFS auction analyst Richard Hudson-Evans

Latest market commentary from CCFS auction analyst Richard Hudson-Evans

A couple of Ferrari left hookers certainly pulled well in the Bonhams Oxford saleroom at Shipton on Cherwell just outside Woodstock last weekend. The  leading ‘Prancing Horse’ was a convincing looking 250GT SWB-Evocazione in giallo fly (bright yellow to you and I). Before shortening and being re-bodied by an ex-Giordanengo ali-basher, the GT had started life as a 1968 365 2+2. 45 years later and following the transformation, it fetched £253,500 from a Thames Valley buyer.  And £85,500 was accepted for a 1963 330GT S1 2+2 that had been converted from four headlamp to S2 two headlamp configuration during previous restoration by Auto del Passato of Turin. Read more