AND ITALIAN BEAUTIES FIND FAVOUR AT BARONS
A trio of Italian sports cars topped the popularity polls at Barons’ Spring Classic sale at Sandown Park on April 6th. However, in an auction in which several lots powered past top estimate, the biggest battle was over a one-owner, 1963 Triumph TR4, which sold for more than double estimate after frenzied bidding
The highest price of the day was the £79,200 achieved for the immaculate 2004 Lamborghini Murcielago, reinforcing that fine examples of this supercar will command premium prices. It was joined on the ‘podium’ for top spot by the very pretty 1959 Alfa Romeo 2000 Touring Spider, which exceeded top estimate to sell for £35,750, and the 1971 Alfa Romeo Montreal restoration project, which also exceeded estimate, at £27,500.
Bidding on the highly original 1964 Triumph TR4 was quite extraordinary, with a tenacious telephone bidder finally securing it for £26,950. The one-owner car has sat in a garage since its road tax ran out in November 1991, and the bidding battle to over double estimate reflected both the desirability of this classic British sports car and the importance of interesting provenance.
Another iconic British model to power past top estimate was the superb 1973 MG B roadster, which has had almost 3,000 man-hours spent on refurbishment. The new owner drove that away for £20,350. And the charming 1935 Riley Falcon – which was in the same ownership for 77 years from 1935 to 2012 – has gone to just its third owner, for £15,765.
It was a very busy saleroom again, creating a great atmosphere for the auction. There were a record number of internet bidders, and a large number of telephone bidders - many of whom ended up buying cars - and multiple commission bids on several cars. Many of the cars that did not sell under the hammer generated a lot of interest afterwards, most notably the Triumph TR3, which subsequently sold. Barn find and restoration projects are still very much in vogue; in addition to the Alfa Montreal, the Jensen Interceptor and Volvo P1800s sold under the hammer.
Tim Gascoigne, Barons’ Auction Manager, commented, “We are really pleased with the strong results, and it goes to show that you don’t always need to have a large number of cars to have a good sale, as quality really is key. We’re now very much looking forward to returning to Sandown Park for our Ford Auction on Saturday 30th April at the International Ford Show.”
Results, Barons, Sandown Park, April 6th
Make/Model Sold @ Inc2004 Lamborghini Murcielago £79,2001959 Alfa Romeo 2000 Touring Spider £35,7501971 Alfa Romeo Montreal £27,5001963 Triumph TR4 £26,9501965 Ford Mustang Coupe £25,8501973 MG B Roadster £20,3501995 Aston Martin DB7 £18,1501998 Aston Martin DB7 £16,5001935 Riley Falcon £15,675 2001 Maserati 3200 GT £14,3001969 MG CGT £12,9251950 Opel Olympia £8,8001984 Mercedes 500SEC £8,5801967 Toyota Corona 1600S Coupe £6,8751972 Jensen Interceptor III £6,7501975 BMW 1602 Coupe £5,6101991 Bentley Turbo R £4,6001989 Mercedes 500SEC £3,9601984 Jaguar XJS V12 Coupe £3,8501996 Mini Cooper Saloon £3,8001998 Jaguar XJS Paul Banhams Conv. £3,5201998 Jaguar XK8 Coupe £3,5201992 Mercedes 190E £3,0801985 Opel Monza GSE 3.0 Coupe £3,0801996 Alfa Romeo Spider Convertible £2,8601991 Mitsubishi 3000 GTO V6 4WD £2,8001979 MG BGT £2,4201999 BMW 323i £2,2001973 MG BGT £2,2001964 Volvo P1800S £1,8702004 MG TF Sports Convertible £1,7601999 Mercedes C200 Classic Saloon £1,3501972 Volkswagen K70 £1,2501995 BMW 328i £1,150
