There were some surprises at H&H Classics' Donington Park sale, including an absence of any Brexit jitters. Some 113/164 motorcycles and motorcars on offer changed hands resulting in a 70% sale rate.
AUCTION HIGHLIGHTSLot 16 - Lotus Elan SprintA 1972 Lotus Elan Sprint which had been in the vendor's care for twenty-five years but barn stored for the last fourteen of those surprised many yesterday by making £25,168 (against a saleroom estimate of £12,000 - £14,000) especially as it was a non-runner and hand been converted from a Fixed Head Coupe to a Drophead Coupe by Lotus specialist Mick Miller.Lot 39 - Daimler V8 250Supplied new to Sydney, Australia and resident down under for four decades, the 1966 Daimler V8 250 had been repainted and re-trimmed during the 1980s but was otherwise remarkably original. It made £15,444 against a guide price of £10,000 - £12,000
Lot 89 - Chevrolet Corvette StingrayThe vendor's pride and joy for many years and a car with various show wins to its credit, the 1976 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray was a pure slice of Americana. Finished in Red with a White interior and sounding decidedly purposeful thanks to its bespoke exhaust system, the two-seater sportscar sold for £20,134 against a saleroom estimate of £10,000 - £12,000Lot 70 - Jaguar E-Type V12 FHC
A home market car that had belonged to the seller since 1982, the 1972 Jaguar E-Type V12 FHC also boasted manual transmission and what appeared to be its original red leather upholstering. Displaying a credible but unwarranted 48,000 miles, it attracted fierce bidding to become the day's best seller at £41,756 against a saleroom estimate of £24,000 - £28,000Lot 71 - Sunbeam 25hp Sports Coupe
One of just two known survivors, the 1933 Sunbeam 25hp Sports Coupe with its elegant four-door pillarless design was an eloquent reminder that the Wolverhampton marque was once a direct rival to the likes of Bentley, Alvis and Lagonda. An older restoration, the handsome four-seater made a respectable £34,320Lot 88 - Jaguar MKI 3.4 Saloon
An older restoration that had received several sympathetic mechanical upgrades, the 1958 Jaguar MKI 3.4 drew bidders like moths to a flame due to its no reserve status. Driven to Donington Park from France for the sale, it defied the vendor's expectations to reach £33,176
Lot 74 - Lancia Flavia Coupe
A former television star that had been thoroughly restored for the popular programme 'CAR SOS', the 1967 Lancia Fulvia 1.8 Coupe had been with the vendor (its second keeper) since 1977. Stated to have covered just 55,000 miles from new and decidedly rare as a RHD survivor, it made £21,450 against a saleroom estimate of £14,000 - £16,000
WORLD RECORD SALE at Donington Park
1966 Velocette ThruxtonThis 1966 Velocette Thruxton was sold by H&H Classics at their Donington Park Auction on July 28th for £20,000, twice the pre-sale estimate, and a new world record for an unrestored bike of this type.
Mark Bryan, a Motorcycle Specialist at H&H said: “We are delighted with this result and this new record. There were no Brexit nerves evident, and 85% of the motorcycles sold.”
The Velocette was the last great British single, outlasting other British marques by almost a decade. The Velocette Thruxton lived long enough to race against the first of the modern Japanese superbikes. But in 1971 Velocette shut down its Hall Green, Birmingham factory and quietly went out of business.
Estimated at between £10,000-£12,000 this great survivor of a time when British motorcycles raced successfully, was put to auction with "NO RESERVE"
Mark Bryan commented further; “It is super rare to find a bike in this condition, which is not even on the Velocette Owners Club register! This motorcycle is a very real and rare discovery.”
The Thruxton was a true factory-built cafe racer. Its immediate predecessor, the Venom, had already made a good name for itself in performance circles despite running an antiquated 500cc pushrod motor. In 1961 a works-supported team of riders set the world 24-hour speed record, and in '64 another Venom took a class win at the Thruxton 500-mile endurance race, crown jewel of England's popular and hotly contested Production roadracing series.
That victory gave Velocette a great excuse to hot-rod the Venom and make the resulting 1965 Thruxton an even better race bike.
The engine was upgraded with a flowed cylinder head, bigger valves and a downdraft intake tract. Working through a close-ratio gearbox, the Thruxton put out 40-41 horsepower.
It did not take long for success to find the Thruxton. Another class win in the 1965 500-miler made for a great debut, and in '67 a pair of Thruxtons finished 1-2 in the inaugural running of the Production TT at the Isle of Man. Before production ceased, Velocette made approximately 1100 Thruxtons.
