Auction house Historics returned to the Ascot Racecourse for their March 2018 sale, with a 169 lot strong auction taking place in London as the ‘Beast from the East’ weather front slowly receded.
Of the 169 strong catalogue, 102 lots sold, most of which made their estimates. Given the conditions and time of year, a 60.3% sell-through rate seems about right.
Classic Car Auction Results analysis:
Available lots: 169
Lots sold: 102
Sell-through rate: 60.3%
Total sales amount: £3,026,707
Average vehicle value: £29,674
Individual results can be viewed by clicking here.
Click on each lot listing to view past auction results for each car.
2002 Cadillac XLR – sold for £23,520
When was the last time that you saw an XLR come up for auction? Almost never. The interesting mix of C5 Corvette chassis with bespoke Cadillac styling, interior, suspension and power-retractable folding aluminium hard top makes for one seriously interesting cruiser. The XLR still seems to be sliding down the depreciation curve, but it can’t be far from the bottom. This one was one of the very few UK delivered cars, and its low miles (12,000), two owners and sheer rarity ensure future collectability in our eyes.
1995 MGF Ex-Works Car – sold for £10,304
This is undoubtedly the most expensive MGF that we’ve ever seen…. however, it does have a rather interesting history. It was built in 1995 as a pre-production car, and then flown to Japan for the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show. After the show, it was flown back to the factory and received a light competition preparation, including special lightweight front and rear boot panels, for use in sprint and hillclimb events around the UK to promote the new car. It retains its complete factory preparation, and shows just 5362 miles on the odometer. An eye-wateringly expensive MGF, yes, but also quite a cheap piece from the final days of the famous Abingdon Competitions Department.
1971 Porsche 911 2.4S – sold for £135,000
Are 911 values finally beginning to soften? This is probably the best 2.4 S that you could hope to find, wearing a stunning colour that is so of-the-era. A few years ago this would have broken records, yet here in 2018 it sold for considerably less than its £165-190,000 estimate.
2002 Renault Clio Sport V6 – sold for £16,800
Lunacy is becoming increasingly rare these days, but thankfully there are (or were) companies still willing to do something a little wild. Like putting a V6 into the back of the humble Clio. Makes perfect sense. While it may lack the competition pedigree of its spiritual ancestor, the 5 Turbo, the Renault Sport Clio V6 still has a lot to offer. It is a car of which the likes we will probably never see again. Future collectability? Guaranteed.