Silverstone Auctions' NEC Classic sale raises £2.7 million

Silverstone Auctions set a new company record at the NEC Classic Motor Show by raising £2.7 million.

The auction house sold 76 per cent of the vehicles on offer at the NEC, with the star of the sale being a fine 1965 Aston Martin DB5. The historic sports car was finished in Aston Martin’s famous Silver Birch paint scheme and sold for £362,250, more than £80,000 over its pre-sale estimate.

Another Aston Martin that sold above its estimate was a 1958 DB2/4 MKIII, which achieved £220,800 - £70,000 more than the catalogue list price.

One of the most hotly anticipated cars of the sale, a 1970 IKA Tornio 380S formerly owned by motor racing legend Juan Manuel Fangio, sold for £28,175 while two Ferraris - a 1982 512 BBi and a 1988 328 GTS - achieved £110,400 and £41,055 respectively.

The NEC Classic sale also saw a bumper crop of British classics cross the auction block, with bidders fighting it out for a Lister Jaguar XJ-S Le Mans Coupe. After intense bidding, the Lister doubled its pre-sale estimate and sold for £57,500. Other highlights included a 1950 Jaguar XK120 Roadster that sold for £86,825, more than £19,000 over its estimate, while a 1962 Jaguar Mk II 3.8 achieved £55,200 and a 1960 Jaguar XK150 Fixed Head Coupe sold for £42,837.

The sale also saw a number of modern classics go under the hammer, including a 1986 Sierra RS Cosworth that was formerly owned by Cosworth’s co-founder Mike Costin. The fast Ford fetched £27,600, while a 1985 Ford RS200 sold for more than £10,000 over estimate, reaching £105,800.

As with all classic car sales, there was also a large collection of automobilia on offer, with the stand out item being an ex-Ayrton Senna race suit which was sold for £13,000,

Additionally, Silverstone Auctions even managed to raise £1500 for BBC Children in Need by charging £5 entry fee to the sale.