Ferrari is top of the lots at Autosport sale

A 1970 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 took top spot at the Autosport International auction over the weekend. One of 52 produced in right-hand drive, it was offered for sale for the first time in more than 20 years from a private collection.

Finished in its original Azzurro Hyperion and superbly maintained by marque specialists, it sold for £200,250, including premium, at Silverstone Auctions’ first sale at the show. In total, 36 of 57 classic and competition cars offered were sold at the auction which took place at the NEC, Birmingham on 12January, generating combined total sales exceeding £2.6m.

Post-Christmas financial exhaustion, a lack of consumer confidence within the wider economic climate and ongoing uncertainty over Brexit didn’t seem to cause any problems on sale day. Ten lots valued in excess of £100,000 were successfully hammered away. Furthermore, not only was the sale the first in the UK of 2019, it also marked Silverstone Auctions’ debut as the show’s new official auction partner.

Other auction highlights included a 1990 AC Cobra Mk IV 'Lightweight', one of 21 genuine, alloy-bodied, lightweight examples in right-hand drive, was the subject of an extended bidding war between telephone and room bidders. The very rare and desirable V8 muscle car sold to a round of applause for £139,500 - almost £50,000 over its lower estimate.

Also exceeding its sale estimate, an elegant 1935 Mercedes-Benz (W18) Type 290 2-door Cabriolet 'B', particularly rare in right-hand drive and presented in restored condition, sold for an impressive £121,500, more than double its lower estimate.

‘We’re delighted with the results of our first ever sale at Autosport International as the new official auction partner,’ comments Lionel Abbott, classic car specialist, Silverstone Auctions. ‘A new sale comes with an element of the unknown, but the turn out on the day combined with our global audience of online bidders has maintained the strong results we achieved in 2018, generating good returns for our vendors.’

The sale also included a number of impressive competition car sales, including a one of three, 1966 Ford Cortina Lotus ex-works cars with incredible race history. Driven by motorsport legends including Jim Clark, Peter Arundell, Jacky Ickx, Sir John Whitmore and Graham Hill in period, the rare fast Ford sold for £168,750 to a telephone bidder.

Another of the rare classics which performed well on sale day was a ‘rotisserie’ restored 1969 Ford Cortina Lotus (MkII), one of only three factory finished in Fern Green, which sold over estimate to a buyer in the room for £40,275.

To see all the results from the Autosport International Sale visit silverstoneauctions.com.