Ultimate barnfind Aston Martin team car is top seller at Goodwood

An incredibly rare 1949 Aston Martin DB Team Car that was left in a garden for decades became the top seller at Goodwood this weekend. Abandoned and then stolen 14 years ago, ‘UMC 65’ was eventually recovered and returned to its rightful owners. It sold at Bonhams Festival of Speed auction for £679,100.

James Knight, Bonhams international group motoring director, said, ‘This ex-works Le Mans Aston Martin is the ultimate “barn find”. Despite its neglected condition, connoisseurs of truly historic racing cars regard it as a truly historic time machine.

‘Its wonderfully original patina, reminiscent of the days when it raced at both Le Mans and in the Spa 24-Hours, explain this special appeal.’

The Bonhams sale offered a wide range of cars, including a 1981 BMW M1 Coupé. The M1 coupled Italian style with German engineering, as its development was a co-operative effort with top Italian specialists.

The M1's wedge-shaped coachwork proved highly efficient aerodynamically, needing very little in the way of additional spoilers and wings, even in race configuration. The M1 sold for £303,900.

Further sales included a 1938 Jaguar SS100 3½-Litre Roadster, which made £337,500; a 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GT Berlinetta (£281,500); and a modern classic 1996 Porsche 993 911 RS Clubsport Coupé (£281,500).