Straight after the dispersal of several major collections in the Bonhams auction tent at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Friday, which if the gilt-edged stock does fly off the shelf has the potential of adding up to being the UK sale of the year if not the decade, Richard Edmonds has another marquee full of goodies at Castle Combe this Saturday 30 June. Although please don’t be caught out by the earliness of the start time as the bikes session commences 10am and the cars cross the block from 11am.
Next Thursday in Derbyshire, H&H will wield the gavel on home ground at the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, with a 2pm kick-off for 60 classics - and then, at the weekend on the European mainland auction circuit, French Artcurial stage their biggest gig of the season during the bi-annual Le Mans Classic meeting. Two years ago, their tent was the largest sauna in town, very sweaty. This year, happily, it will be air-conditioned. How cool is that? I will let you know!
The viewing times for the 130 cars in the auction at Le Mans are 10am-10pm Friday 6 July and 10am to 2pm on sale day Saturday 7 July, when an 11am automobilia aperitif kicks off the meal with a main course of fine automobiles from 2pm followed by the Herlioz Collection dessert at around 6pm.
Artcurial’s big ticket items are headed by the Ferrari 275 GTC which won the Nurburgring 1000k in 1966. 56 years later the still potent style icon will cost the next guardian 1.3-1.6m euros. The same money is sought both for a 1968 Porsche 908 with period race form and an Audi R10 TDI sports-racer only built in 2007.
A 1974 French Ligier JS2 is predicted to fetch 750,000-1,100,000 euros and a much more practical 1961 300SL Merc Roadster 570,000-650,000. A 1966 ASA RB 613 1300GT with 300,000-350,000 euros guide price is unusual and the auctioneers reckon a still Fixed Head 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Coupe is worth 220,000-280,000 euros. Spend them while you can!
Armed with my trusty CRV, and with my new and obligatory double breathaliser in the glove box, I shall be making pilgrimage to Le Mans to see classics at play by day and in the dark. I will, of course, let you all know what happens in a future e-pistle.
Before that, there will be reality checks for the market much closer to home in the auction tents of Sussex and Wiltshire. Until next week then. RH-E
