A very special Lotus comes up for sale at H&H's July 25 auction at a racetrack of a different kind, Kempton Park near London. The first ever Lotus 72 Grand Prix car was raced first by John Miles for Team Lotus, then Graham Hill for Rob Walker Racing, in 1970, subsequently passing through the hands of Jo Siffert before ending up in Emerson Fittipaldi's collection. Estimated at 220-260,000, it joins a fabulous 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Super Sport F W Stile's team car and veteran of Brooklands, the Irish Grand Prix and Ards TT at a stonking 380-420,000 and a range of more affordable cars, of which the greatest bargain appears to be the rare US-built 1912 Empire Runabout at just 6-8000. More on www.classic-auctions.com
Meanwhile at market leaders Bonhams, the annual Monaco sale produced some exceptional results. Its always difficult to estimate the value of a unique, or almost unique, car but the 1952 Jaguar XK 120 Supersonic, bodied by Ghia, astonished everyone by commanding double the estimate, selling for 753,000 (518,253) - a lot for a car that, though admittedly beautiful to look at from outside, you'd struggle to drive unless youre under 5ft 5in.... Other highs included almost 300,000 for Michele Alboreto's 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO, 71,231 for a 1969 Aston Martin DBS Vantage - the wedges are finally being valued - 154,950 for a 1963 Aston Martin DB5 and, incredibly, the same price for a 1981 Lancia Beta Monte Carlo (OK, to be fair, it was the 1981 Le Mans class-winning racer!).
New additions to the impressive line-up for Bonhams' Goodwood Festival of Speed sale on June 22 include a collection "from a private North country motoring connoisseur," whose interest in old cars was sparked after winning a handsome 1930 Talbot 20.9hp Foursome Drophead Coupe in a New Year's Eve bet in 1948. That car is in the sale, needing restoration, estimated at 10-12,000, but is just one of a fine collection that includes a 1923 Hispano-Suiza H6B Dual Cowl Tourer by Kellner, a 1929 Bentley 4-litre Tourer by Cadogan, a 1928 Isotta Fraschini saloon and a 1925 AC 12hp, all in the collection since the 1950s and remarkably original and unspoiled.
In the week before Goodwood, Bonhams has its annual Rolls-Royce and Bentley sale at Kelmarsh Hall, Northants, on June 16. More details should soon be available on www.bonhams.com. 'By Malcolm McKay'
