Sales in excess of £1m as host of historic legends went under the hammer
Beautifully restored 1923 Vauxhall OD 23/60 Kington Tourer sold for £71,500 Bicester
Heritage recently hit headlines when it was crowned Industry Supporter of the Year at the 2016 International Historic Motoring Awards
Bicester, 10 April 2017– Bicester Heritage – the UK’s only business campus dedicated to the restoration, storage, maintenance and enjoyment of vintage cars, motorcycles and aeroplanes – has completed its first auction with sales amassing over £1m.
The inaugural auction saw over sixty cars go under the hammer in a day of sales to a truly global bidding audience. The impressively restored 1923 Vauxhall OD 23/60 Kington Tourer was the standout vehicle up for auction, the unique classic sold for £71,500.
While pre-war classics proved popular throughout, with an elegant 1927 Delage DIS Colonial Tourer, still sporting its original Phizakerley of Sydney coachwork in eye-catching powder blue and with a wonderful milled aluminium dashboard, shooting well beyond estimate to finish on £49,500, a number of post-war cars were also highly desirable.
A stunning 1955 Jaguar XK140SE Coupe, resplendent in dark red with a lovely tan hide interior which fetched £55,000. A 1971 Jaguar E-Type S3 V12 Automatic Coupe with a 350bhp Forward Engineering-tuned 5.7-litre V12 engine smashed its estimate to finish on £42,900.
An 1980 Rolls-Royce Camargue, the most expensive car in the world when launched in 1973, and just one of 531 went for a reasonable £31,900. Bargain prices on iconic cars continued with a 1996 Mercedes-Benz SL60 AMG snapped up for £26,620. Whilst a former concours-winning 1962 Ford Zephyr Six MkII Convertible fetched £25,575, while a nicely restored 1960 Triumph TR3a raised an impressive £28,050, making the ex-1970 World Cup Rally Morris 1800S MkII was a steal at just £25,850.
All the values given above include the 10% buyer’s premium.
Bicester Heritage will be announcing plans for future auctions in due course. Bicester Heritage is the centre of excellence for historic motor cars and aircraft in the heart of England, with over 30 specialist businesses operating from the 348-acre Oxfordshire site.
Daniel Geoghegan, Managing Director at Bicester Heritage, said: ““Brightwells created a remarkable atmosphere inside one of our historic hangars in order to demonstrate their 150+ year auctioneering expertise and experience: judging by the buzz on the day and the results, this clearly met with the firm approval of buyers and sellers alike. For an engaging and un-intimidating way to buy and sell at auction at a central location, look no further.”
“Our hard-working consignors had assembled a wonderfully diverse and intriguing selection of cars including some real rarities that have never been seen at auction before,” said Brightwells’ Joint Managing Director Richard Binnersley. “We were delighted with the results of the sale and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, as did the hundreds of enthusiastic bidders who attended. The atmosphere in the magnificent surroundings of Bicester Heritage was truly something to savour and we feel privileged to be playing our own part in the development of this marvellous venue, which is fast becoming the most exciting hub of the classic car movement in Europe”.
Bicester Heritage is all about the future of the historic car movement and, in creating a national centre for specialist expertise and outstanding motor cars. We are delighted to have hosted such a historic event and look forward to the next auction here at Bicester Heritage, stay tuned for more info!”
