 1954 Jaguar XK120 drophead coupé |
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Brooklands, 11 May, 2012
Historics at Brooklands - the classic and sports car auctioneer - believes a recent spate of wet weather will do nothing to dampen the British enthusiasm for ‘soft-tops’, as it brings no fewer than 27 examples to auction on Saturday 26th May.
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With interest in roadsters remaining rife, Historics’ current catalogue boasts 15 British born cars suitable for enjoying the summer sun, whatever the bank balance.
For those with the biggest budget, a 1933 Bentley 4¼ litre Open Tourer in the Vanden Plas style represents the ultimate in topless indulgence. Originally used by Bentley Motors as an experimental model, the car’s residence latterly in the Midlands Motor Museum is testament to its superb provenance, and it is valued at between £100,000 and £140,000.
Launched to great acclaim at the 1948 Earls Court motor show, the Jaguar XK120 mates timeless elegance with bristling performance. With parts plentiful, the XK120 remains an attractive option for top-down touring today, with Historics offering a sympathetically uprated 1954 drophead coupé for £75,000 - £85,000.
Equally alluring and in the same price range is a rare 1959 Jaguar XK150S Roadster. Formerly owned by Le Mans racer Nick Faure, the 150S boasts the highly desirable uprated 250bhp engine, which took the elegant sports tourer to 137mph, and from standstill to 60mph in just 7.8 seconds.
Earls Court connections continue with a 1953 Alvis TA21 Three Position drophead coupe by Tickford. For early TA21’s it was not uncommon for Alvis to swap bodies on the drophead coupés, which is how a car that started life with the Swiss Alvis importer in Zurich, before returning to the UK via California, has come to sport the body from the 1950 Earls Court show car. With a beauty to truly behold, Historics are anticipating offers in the region of £24,000 - £28,000 at auction.
Although designed by Italian styling guru Giovanni Michelotti, the Triumph Spitfire is considered as quintessentially British a car as they come, with the Mk.IV 1500 model delivering the successful Spitfire range a genuine 100mph model. Having covered just 16,800 miles, Historics brings a 1979 car benefitting from the addition of a roll bar and high performance exhaust system to auction, with bids expected in the region of £4,500 - £6,000.
Equally affordable – with an estimate between £3,000 and £6,000 - and with its own intriguing history, is a 1960 Ford Zephyr Mk.II Convertible. Although the Mk.II was a big seller in its day, convertibles – featuring a power hood that was rare in the 1960s - were produced in far smaller numbers. The example on offer via Historics next sale is from the estate of the late Dan Dare artist, Arthur Bruce Cornwall, and with a few of his own external embellishments, represents a tidy car.
For more information on these and all other consigned vehicles, and to attend the Historics at Brooklands auction on the afternoon of Saturday May 26th see www.historics.co.uk.
Description | S/N | Low Est. | 1957 Matchless Twin 600cc | A57094 | £ 1,600 | 1951 AJS 350cc | 65257 | £ 1,500 | 1959 Matchless 250cc | 5092 | £ 1,700 | 1963 Triumph 350cc Twin | 3TAH32336 | £ 2,200 | 1956 Matchless 350cc | A46247 | £ 1,800 | 2000 Piaggio Vespa ET4 | ZAPM1900000020228 | £ 3,500 | 1920 Matchless Twin with Sidecar | H22 | £ 45,000 | 1904 Sharp Tractor | | £ 20,000 | 1984 Bentley Mulsanne Turbo | SCBZSOTO4ECH08647 | | 1967 Triumph/Mistral TR3/4 Sports Special by Microplas | LSR.102.BH | £ 9,000 | 1987 Mercedes-Benz 300SL | WDB1070412A064211 | £ 5,500 | 1965 Ford Cortina GT to full Lotus Cortina Specification | BA77EJ29817 | £ 15,000 | 1954 Morris Minor ?Split Screen? Series II | CARNOFBE11371660 | £ 2,000 | 2001 Bentley Arnage Red Label | SCBLC31E61CH06105 | £ 18,000 | 1971 Jaguar E-Type Convertible 5.3L series III | 1S71489 | £ 29,000 | 2005 Maserati 2400 Cambiocorsa Coupé | ZAMBC38C000017029 | £ 14,000 | 1971 Austin Mini Cooper S 1275cc | XAD1364104A | £ 12,000 | 1985 Audi Quattro | WAUZZZ85ZFA096872 | £ 1,800 | 1962 Jaguar E-Type Convertible 5.3L series III | 877026 | | 1963 Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint | B54540 | £ 22,000 | 2002 Maserati 2400 Cambiocorsa Spyder | ZAMBB18C000005256 | £ 14,000 | 1953 Alvis TA21 Three Position Drophead by Tickford | 23871 | £ 24,000 | 1977 Porsche 911 3.0 litre Carrera Targa | 9117610503 | £ 12,000 | 2002 Jaguar XK | SAJAC41N42PA27813 | £ 8,000 | 1954 Jaguar XK | 667182 | £ 75,000 | 1965 Sunbeam Tiger FIA Appendix K Rally Car | 4825F21K4 | £ 33,000 | 1935 Bentley Derby Bentley Saloon Body by Park Ward | 894 | | 1934 Bentley 3 Litre Super Sports | B121AE | | 1962 Jaguar 3.8 MkII Manual with overdrive | 208123DN | | 1962 Austin Gipsy Chassis | n/a | | 1960 Bentley S2 | B403BR | £ 8,000 | 1970 Fiat Dino Berlinetta | 135BC0003930 | £ 12,000 | 1964 Mercedes-Benz 230SL 'Pagoda' | 11304220003017 | £ 26,000 | 1971 Porsche 911S | 9111301204 | £ 48,000 | 1968 Ford Cortina Mk.II 1600E | BA97GS23401 | £ 8,500 | 1979 Mercedes-Benz 350SL | 10704322014074 | | 1978 Ford Escort RS2000 | GCATUY00011 | £ 8,500 | 1979 Ferrari 308 GTB | 27439 | £ 23,000 | 1970 Alfa Romeo GT | 10530 | £ 15,000 | 1935 Railton Fairmile One Drophead Coupé by Coachcraft | 546552 | £ 38,000 | 1974 Triumph TR6 | CR63360 | £ 10,000 | 1967 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT Veloce | AR247193 | £ 32,000 | 1933 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Limousine by Thrupp & Maberly | GSY98 | £ 23,000 | 1938 Lancia Aprilia Ardennes | F38 3190 | £ 7,000 | 1967 Ford Mustang 289 GT Coupé | 7T01A12034 | £ 15,000 | 1935 Bentley 3 Litre Super Sports | B-82-EF | £ 48,000 | 1951 Bentley Mk. VI Saloon by James Young | B281LH | £ 8,000 | 1989 Mercedes-Benz 500SL | WDB1290662F003228 | £ 3,000 | 1964 Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider | TBA | £ 24,000 | 1960 Mercedes-Benz 220SE Ponton Cabriolet | 128030.20.003425 | £ 72,000 | 1962 Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster | 2Y85Z11271 | £ 21,000 | 1984 Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera Sport | WPOZZZ91ZES101049 | £ 12,000 | 1939 Delage D6 | 51559 | £ 150,000 | 1933 Bentley 4.5 Litre Blower | B5GA | £ 100,000 | 1970 Lamborghini Espada S2 | 7590 | £ 35,000 | 1958 Jaguar XK | S831029 | £ 75,000 | 1992 Mercedes-Benz 260E Pullman Limousine | | | 1960 Bentley S2 | BC63AR | £ 63,000 | 1990 Jaguar XJS | SAJJNAEC3CA1759579 | £ 3,500 | 1960 Jaguar Mk. IX | 774736BW | £ 8,000 | 1994 Mini 1.3 litre Sprite | SAXXNYADBBD088547 | £ 3,000 | 1979 Triumph Spitfire Mk. IV, 1500cc | FH127115 | £ 4,500 | 1964 Porsche 356SC | 218738 | £ 35,000 | 1954 Bentley R Continental | B329.SP | £ 95,000 | 1955 Jaguar XK | 810963 | £ 70,000 | 1968 Jaguar E-Type Convertible 5.3L series III | 1E51022 | £ 14,000 | 1949 Jaguar Mk. V Drophead Coupé | G21054 | £ 29,000 | 1980 MGB GT Coupé | GVGEJ1AG517194 | £ 3,000 | 1956 Chevrolet Two-Ten Sedan | B56/142850 | £ 5,000 | 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider | AR 167828 | £ 35,000 | 1959 Jaguar XK | T832055DN | £ 75,000 | 1990 Ferrari Mondial T Convertible | ZFFKC33C000083290 | | 1973 Jensen Interceptor Series III | 136/9028 | £ 15,000 | 2002 Mercedes-Benz 500SL | WDB2304752F013037 | £ 12,500 | 1960 Ford Zephyr Mk. II Convertible | 206E200690 | £ 3,000 | 1980 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II | SRH 41226 | £ 8,000 | 1935 Austin Eighteen | 37744/18 | £ 9,500 | 1962 Austin A40 Farina Mk. II | AAW842065 | £ 4,000 | 1998 Lancia HF3000 Stratos by Hawk | STSL-1-97-02-21 | £ 28,000 | 1992 Bentley Continental Convertible | SCBZD00A3MCH30614 | £ 35,000 | 1999 Mercedes-Benz SL280 | WDB1290582F137926 | £ 6,000 | 1989 Jaguar XJR 3.6 Sport | SAJJPALH3AA584586 | £ 3,000 | 1986 Alfa Romeo 90 | ZAR162A0003001753 | £ 3,000 | 1986 Jaguar Sovereign Series III | SAJJDALW3CC443082 | £ 2,000 | 1953 Alvis TA21 Saloon | | £ 4,500 | 1968 Plymouth Fury III 383 V8 Police Car Recreation | PM41G8D272895 | | 1962 Peugeot 203 | 1903203 | £ 3,500 | |