Senna’s first and last Monaco GP cars lead Bonham sale

Ayrton Senna’s first and final Monaco Grand Prix cars were the stars at Bonhams auction in the principality.

Senna’s first Monaco GP car, the 1984 Toleman-Hart TG184, sold for €1,610,000 (£1,406,187) while the 1993 McLaren-Cosworth Ford MP4/8A, fetched €4,197,500 (£3,666,335).

But the car generated the most furious bidding was a 1955 Jaguar XK140 SE Michelotti Coupé, unearthed from a barn in rural Belgium. The unique barn find eventually achieving €365,500 (£319,248) – more than seven times its pre-sale estimate. Proceeds from the sale are going to an animal welfare charity in Ghent.

Philip Kantor, Bonhams European head of motoring, said, ‘We achieved astonishing prices across the board and found new owners for some of the most historically important cars to come to public auction in Monaco in recent memory.

Other highlights included a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster at €1,219,000 (£1,064,597), a 1973 Porsche 911 2.7 Carrera RS Touring Sunroof Coupé that made €575,000 (£502,169), and a 1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 Corto Gara Stradale hammered away for €414,000 (£361,569).