Report: H&H classic car auction, Duxford, 16 October

H&H's popular October auction at the Imperial War Museum was packed to the rafters with bidders - and the end result was a £2.8m sale total, with a sale rate for the cars of 76%. Top seller on the damp and blustery day was 1956 Bentley S1 Continental Mulliner Fastback, which had originally been bought by the seller as a Valentine's gift for his wife, which sold for £308,000.

The major talking point at the sale was the collection of 13 Rolls-Royce and Bentley restoration projects - and the lots proved particularly popular. It was a complete sell out and totalled more than £290,000; the standout lots being the 1935 Bentley 3.5 Litre Saloon (£24,640), ex-Sir Arthur Sidgreaves 1939 Rolls-Royce Wraith Special Saloon (£35,840) and ex-Olympia Motor Show 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Touring Saloon (£62,720).

Other strong performers included the Bahama Yellow 1969 Aston Martin DB6 MkI Vantage (above, which went for £190,400), careworn 1934 Lagonda M45 T7 Tourer with integral box boot (£128,800) and 43,000 miles from new 1965 Jaguar E-type 4.2 Roadster (£100,800). Indeed, all five E-types consigned to the sale found new homes. Perhaps the most keenly contested lot, the 1935 Lagonda Rapier Special had not run for fifteen years but still commanded an estimate busting £49,280. Repatriated to Scotland, the 1913 Argyll 12hp Torpedo Tourer made £34,720, while the other Edwardian on offer – a 1910 Renault AX Tourer – fetched £22,035.

Last word should go to the Mercedes-Benz-based Excalbur (below), which amazingly found a buyer for £30,510. The car, which is the last world in vulgarity, took two years to complete with the body being entirely re-sculpted using Kevlar and fibreglass. The 24-inch front and 30-inch rear custom spinner wheels are supported by custom hydraulic suspension, while eight-piston Brembo brake callipers bring the car to a stop. Inside, it was even more special, with a Swarovski encrusted gear knob and camera operating joystick.

H&H’s next sale will be held at Chateau Impney, Droitwich, Worcestershire on 4 December 2013, more information at, www.handh.co.uk.

Top 10 sellers, H&H, 16 October 2013

• Bentley S1 Continental Fastback, £308,000
• Bentley 3.5 Litre Vanden Plas Drophead Coupe, £212,800
• Aston Martin DB6 Vantage, £190,400.00
• Lagonda M45 T7 Tourer, £128,800
• Jaguar E-type 4.2 Roadster, £100,800
• Rolls-Royce 20hp Cabriolet, £67,200
• Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Park Ward, £67,200
• Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Touring Saloon, £62,720
• Aston Martin Virage Volante 6.3, £51,520
• Mercedes-Benz 300SE Cabriolet, £50,850