Coys returned to the Royal Agricultural Halls in Central London for their recent Spring Classic sale, where 43 lots went under the hammer and a satiasying 81.4% sell-through was achieved. Highlights included a genuine barn-find Bentley Continental Mulliner Park Ward S3 coupe, and one of just 50 300SL Gullwing Ostermeier evocations, which found a new home in Switzerland.

 

Classic Car Auction Results analysis:

Available lots: 43

Lots sold: 35

Sell-through rate: 81.4%

Total sales amount: £1,853,700

Average vehicle value: £52,962

Click on each lot listing to view past auction results for each car.

 

1963 Bentley Continental Mulliner Park Ward S3 – sold for £48,000

As you can see from the image, this Continental has been laid-up in storage since it was parked in the early 1990s and presents in true barn find condition, for better or worse. The good: you’re getting an original, matching numbers and unmolested car from with which to work. The bad: It’s full of rust to the point that it left a Bentley-shaped outline of dust on the carpets of the Royal Agricultural Halls, and it will need many thousands of pounds investment before it sees the road again, in any shape.

Our data would tend to indicate that assuming the restoration doesn’t prove ruinous, there could be scope for this project to make economic sense. An exciting opportunity or a restorer’s worst nightmare? Only time will tell.

 

1941 Buick Eight Series Model 49 ‘Woodie’ Wagon – sold for £63,000

The cost of the woodwork restoration alone on this incredible Woodie Wagon could well have cost more than its £63,000 sale price – it sure had us captivated like few other cars ever have. It was, in a word, perfect, and with a recent restoration that is rumoured to have run into the hundreds of thousands of pounds, this was potentially the bargain of the sale. Note to the buyer of the Bentley Continental above – make sure this doesn’t happen to you.

 

1980s Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Evocation by Ostermeier – sold for £205,000

The Ostermeier Gullwings are an interesting thing – built in the 1980s in California, the reinforced aluminium body is taken from moulds and the dimensions of a real Gullwing, but the chassis underneath is pure W124 300E. This example is one just two to be built with a 280bhp AMG-tuned straight-six motor, and is likely eminently more usable than a real Gullwing would be. Many Ostermeier owners buy them to drive and also have a real 300SL in their collection, too – we wonder what this one will share garage space with.

 

1974 Ferrari 365GT 2+2 Manual – sold for £57,000

Mark our words, this is the result that we’ll look back to in five years time and kick ourself for not jumping on. Ferrari 365GT 2+2s and the later 412s are (relatively) plentiful, but most are automatic. Decent manuals are super rare, and given what Daytonas and 275s have done over the past decade, it’s surprising that values haven’t risen accordingly. We think the looks are stylish and understated – a manual Ferrari V12 from the 70s for under sixty thousand? That sounds like a deal to us.

 

1998 Ferrari 456GTM – sold for £30,000

While we’re on the subject of bargain Ferraris, a V12 Ferrari GT in nice condition for less than the cost of a new MX-5 has got to be a good thing. Sure, it’s a left-hand drive automatic, but it would be one hell of a motorway cruiser and an ideal entry point to the prancing horse.

 

2008 Ferrari F430 Scuderia – sold for £125,000

Other than being left-hand drive, we can’t quite work out why this F430 Scuderia was so cheap. It shows just 13,000 miles and has just had a new clutch fitted by GTO Engineering, yet our data shows that it sold for around £100,000 less than the very best examples. It looked quite nice to our eyes – another bargain of the sale? Or did we miss something important?

 

1990 Porsche 964 Carrera 2 Cabriolet – sold for £27,000

Every so often we find a car at these sales that just seems remarkable value, and at Spring Classics, this was it. We absolutely loved its Linen Grey over cream and navy leather interior, and it’s a UK-delivered manual with a full history. Sure, 911 Cabriolets aren’t the most dynamically accomplished of the Stuttgart sports cars. But so long as you approached it purely for fun, we think that this is a great buy that you’d struggle to loose out on.

 

Auction Results:

Prices do not include buyers’ premium

Lot 101 – 1964 Renault 8 Major, sold for £6,200

Lot 102 – 1977 BMW E12 520, sold for £6,000

Lot 103 – 1990 Porsche 964 Carrera 2 Cabriolet, sold for £27,000

Lot 104 – 1949 Cadillac Series 62 ‘Cad Attack’ custom, sold for £37,000

Lot 105 – 1970 Fiat 500 Gianni Turismo Veloce, reserve not met

Lot 106 – 1992 Porsche 964 Carrera 2 Turbo Body Cabriolet, sold for £34,000

Lot 107 – 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 Roadster, sold for £66,000

Lot 108 – 1934 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Sports Saloon by Hooper, sold for £23,000

Lot 109 – 1991 Honda NSX, sold for £24,000

Lot 110 – 1998 Ferrari 456 GTM, sold for £30,000

Lot 111 – 1996 Aston Martin DB7, reserve not met

Lot 112 – 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1, sold for £30,000

Lot 113 – 1986 Porsche 911 3.2 Cabriolet, reserve not met

Lot 114 – 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL Roadster, sold for £18,000

Lot 118 – 1969 Porsche 911T 2.0 Coupe – sold for £44,000

Lot 119 – 1987 Bentley Turbo – sold for £17,000

Lot 120A – 1997 BMW 840ci, sold for £6,500

Lot 121 – 2006 Porsche 997 GT3, reserve not met

Lot 122 – 1974 Ferrari 365GT 2+2 Manual, sold for £57,000

Lot 123 – 1985 Ferrari 308 GTSi Quattrovalvoe, sold for £43,000

Lot 124 – Ostermeier 300SL Gullwing, sold for £205,000

Lot 125 – 1955 Austin Healey 100/M Specification, reserve not met

Lot 126 – 1952 MG TD, sold for £15,000

Lot 127 – 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster, sold for £82,000

Lot 128 – 1938 Lancia Aprilia Monoposto, reserve not met

Lot 129 – 1963 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.9 Litre Roadster, sold for £124,000

Lot 130 – 1963 Bentley Continental Mulliner Park Ward S3, sold for £48,000

Lot 131 – 1920 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost by Barker, sold for £64,000

Lot 132 – 1974 Studebaker Avanti, sold for £10,000

Lot 133 – 1969 Porsche 911T, sold for £55,000

Lot 134 – 1969 Jaguar E-Type Series II 4.2 Roadster, reserve not met

Lot 135 – 1983 Ferrari 512 BBi, sold for £240,000

Lot 136 – 1987 Bentley Continental Convertible, sold for £56,000

Lot 137 – 2008 Ferrari F430 Scuderia, sold for £125,000

Lot 138 – 1941 Buick Straight Eight ‘Woodie’ wagon, sold for £63,000

Lot 139 – 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL, sold for £60,000

Lot 140 – 2000 Porsche 996 GT3, reserve not met

Lot 141 – 1953 Jaguar XK120 Fixed Head Coupe, sold for £63,000

Lot 142 – 1938 Rolls-Royce 25/30 Sports Saloon by Thrupp and Maberly, sold for £24,000

Lot 144 – 1968 Citroén DS21 Safari, sold for £18,000

Lot 145 – 1989 Ferrari 328GTS, sold for £52,000

Lot 146 – 1969 Jaguar E-Type Series II FHC, sold for £66,000

Lot 148 – 1988 Audi Quattro, sold for £15,000