A 1958 Austin A35 driven by F1 legend David Couthard and a 2008 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG driven by F1 double world champion Mika Hakkinen will be put under the hammer by international auctioneers Coys at their ‘Thoroughbred & Vintage’ auction at Fonwell House on September 7th, just a few miles up the road from the action at the internationally famous Goodwood Revival meeting.
Chris Routledge, CEO of Coys, said: “The Coulthard-Hakkinen partnership was synonymous of McLaren racing in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and now these two cars driven by them will share the share the spotlight at Coys auction. This is a rare opportunity to own cars with genuine provenance and a special piece of motorsport history attached to it.”
The history of the Austin A35 is unique and special, being the first A35 driven by David Coulthard in the St. Marys Trophy at the Goodwood Revival 2016. It was also driven at the Silverstone Classic Celebrity Challenge this year by world champion boxer Carl Froch. Aside from its celebrity drivers, the car has featured regularly on the HRDC podium in both single and two-driver races over the last two years.
The A35 was built for the current vendor by specialist Mike Curtis in 2016 for entry into the HRDC Academy racing series using a 1958 donor vehicle. It was built to HRDC Academy regulations and has all the correct optional additions that make it highly competitive and easy to drive. It is estimated at £30,000 to £40,000 and even comes with the historic race suit worn and signed by David Coulthard.
The 2008 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG was driven by Formula One champion Mika Hakkinen after he retired from competitive motorsport in 2007. The car was first registered in April of 2008 by Mercedes-Benz Greenoaks and was fitted with every optional extra imaginable. It has been signed by Mika himself and is estimated at £36,000 to £42,000.
The high-octane auction also features a number of sports and racing legends, including "Piggy", the famous 1950 XK120 aluminium alloy competition roadster (£200,000 to £250,000), a thunderous 1989 Sauber Mercedes C9 Group C racing car (refer department), a 1963 Lotus 23B eligible for the Masters Historic Race Series (£50,000 - £60,000) and a 1973 Trojan T101 F5000 (90,000 - £110,000).
The very rare, early XK120 competition roadster is one of only 184 left-hand-drive aluminium alloy-bodied roadsters and was delivered new to Charles Hornburg in Los Angeles, USA. He was the first importer of Jaguar automobiles to the United States and a competition specialist responsible for the sale of some of the very important racing Jaguars in the 1950s, including lightweight XK120s, C-Types and D-Types.
The car was raced in America for a number of years until it returned to the UK in 1972/3 where it continued a successful racing life under the reigns of John Harper. It became known as ‘Piggy’ from its UK number plate. Piggy is eligible for the world’s most exciting classic racing events such as Silverstone, Le Mans, Goodwood and Nurburgring, amongst others.
From the Sauber Mercedes Museum collection, the sale also features a 1989 Sauber-Mercedes C9 Group C. These high performance racers were developed by Sauber as a constructor and Mercedes-Benz as an engine builder for the World Sportscar Championship, replacing the previous Sauber C8. With its M117 C9 engine, a modern electronic system and FIA papers, it is ready for competitive motorsport.
TV featured cars also fighting for the podium at Coys auction include a 1967 Land Rover Series II from the ITV television drama “Heartbeat” (£10,000 - £20,000) and a 1956 Austin Healey BN2 ‘100M Spec’ from the BBC documentary “The car’s the star” (£60,000 - £80,000).
This Series II Land Rover is in an all-round good condition and has been well maintained by its current owner following an extensive restoration. It featured in the hit ITV show ‘Heartbeat’, as well as several magazines and calendars. For the true TV soap fan, the car is even signed by the cast!
This car was subsequently part of the Beaulieu Motor Museum collection and is regularly sought after for photoshoots. It comes with a large history file detailing work carried out and information regarding the various features in which it has starred.
The Healey is believed to have been upgraded to LeMans specification early on in its life and has all of the correct components with upgraded SU carbs rather than the H6 purley’s for greater reliability and ease of road use. It appeared on ‘the car’s the star’ documentary with Roger Menadue, Healey’s lead road tester, and has recently been awarded 2nd place in the 2016 Austin Healey Club National Concours d’Elegance.
Other important lots include a matching numbers 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster (refer department), a 1938 Bentley 4 1/4 Sportsman’s Coupe by De Villars ex-1938 Paris Motor Show Car (£120,000 - £150,000), a 1973 BMW E9 3.0 CSL (£110,000 - £120,000) and a 1934 Bentley 3.5 litre Drophead Coupe by James Young (£150,000 - £200,000).
