From Bentley to Jaguar: 5 Historic British Cars Are Heading to Auction This Fall
Gooding & Company has selected a suitably spiffy quintet of British classics to lead its auction at this year’s Concours of Elegance.
The sale, which will take place at Hampton Court Palace on September 1, includes a pair of coveted early production Jaguar E-Types, a couple of one-of-a-kind Aston Martins, and an ultra-rare Bentley 8 Litre. This is only the first lot of historic English rides Gooding & Co. has announced for the auction, too.
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“Our September sale is gearing up to be a celebration of British automotive history at its best,” the auction houses’ president and founder David Gooding said in a statement. “In our third year at this royal venue, we aim to provide an opportunity to own some of the most desirable and important vehicles the U.K. has ever produced.”
Starting with the Jags, the duo includes the first right-hand-drive E-Type Fixed Head Coupe to roll off the line back in 1961. Only four such models were built with outside latches, making chassis 860001 incredibly special. Even better, the historic ride was treated to a full restoration by the folks at Classic Motor Cars (CMC) in 2001. It is expected to fetch between $1.3 million and $1.8 million (£1 million and £1.4 million).
The second Jag on offer was the very first production E-Type sold. The Series I Roadster, chassis 850004, was delivered to the marque’s racing team manager F.R.W. “Lofty” England in 1961. The car was famously pictured with driver Graham Hill just after he had claimed the inaugural win for the model at Oulton Park. It, too, was restored by CMC and is expected to hammer down for between $1.1 million and $1.5 million (£900,000 and £1,200,000).
Also up for grabs is a 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Spider (chassis LML/762) that was custom-built for millionaire industrialist Stanley “Wacky” Arnolt. The sleek body was designed by none other than Bertone’s lead stylist Franco Scaglione. Nicknamed Indiana, the one-off is estimated to sell for between $1.5 million and $2.3 million (£1.2 million and £1.8 million).
The second Aston Martin included in the sale is a vintage 1.5 Liter (Chassis 1914) car that was used for the marque’s international racing debut at the 1922 French Grand Prix in Strasbourg. It started in fifth position on the grid and completed 30 out of 60 laps before finishing ninth overall. It has been in the same family for more than 70 years and is one of the earliest Aston Martins in existence, according to the auction house. It has a comparatively modest estimate of $506,000 to $759,000 (£400,000 to £600,000).
Last but not least, the Bentley on offer (chassis YX5123) was one of only 100 8 Liters ever produced. Powered by a massive inline six-cylinder engine, the legendary four-wheeler was the fastest production vehicle of its time. Bodied by H.J. Mulliner, this particular example is one of the desirable “short chassis” variants. With largely original upholstery and matching-numbers engine, gearbox, and axles, the rarity could achieve between $1 million and $1.6 million (£825,000 and £1.25 million).
Stay tuned to see what other classics will go under the gavel.
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