McLaren W1

McLaren Automotive has just confirmed the successor to the now iconic F1 and P1…the McLaren W1.

The new car will be revealed on Sunday 6th October 2024 at 13:00 BST and, I imagine, it’s going to be something as eye-catching as you’d expect!

All we know so far is that the W1 name has been chosen to celebrate McLaren’s “World Championship mindset” which explains why the 6th of October has been selected as the official reveal – this is the 50th anniversary of McLaren winning its first Formula 1 Constructor’s Championship in the same year that Emerson Fittipaldi won the World Drivers’ Championship with McLaren.

H&H Classics Best Of British Auction 2024

On Wednesday, 9th October, H&H Classics will host an auction at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford. At the company’s final Cambridgeshire auction of the year, there will be 160 classic, collectable, and performance cars going under the hammer. The total value of these vehicles is estimated at over £6.5 million, which is sure to attract plenty of attention from all those in attendance.

Craig and Gordon will be ready to bid as they are heading to Duxfrod for the auction. Excitingly, Me, Nick, and Molly will also be going to meet up with some of the H&H team before the auction for some filming!

Another exciting point about this particular auction is the range of cars on offer, with models spanning over 120 years of motoring history – from early 20th-century classics to more modern performance cars.

“It’s great to mark our final Duxford sale of the year with such an impressive collection of vehicles for sale. We always have fantastic and well attended auctions in Cambridgeshire, and with such an extensive and diverse offering, I expect October’s sale to be no different.”

James McWilliam, sales manager, H&H Classics

One of the most interesting lots is a rare 1957 Bentley S1 Continental Park Ward Drophead Coupé Adaption, which is expected to sell for somewhere between £300,000 and £400,000. While this is obviously a high ticket car, there are actually 23 cars being offered without reserve, so there’s a chance that the everyday auction goer can walk away with something special too.

Also available is a 1980 pre-production Lotus Esprit ‘Essex’ Turbo which was used to develop Active Suspension for Formula One and is thought to be the first vehicle in the world with this technology. It’s expected to sell for between £70,000 and £80,000 and will make a great addition to someone’s collection.

There are several Aston Martin DB6s on offer too, including a 1967 model estimated at £250,000 to £300,000 as well as a 2001 Aston Martin Vanquish, which was used by Pierce Brosnan and EON Productions to promote Die Another Day.

I recently spoke about a 1967 Jaguar Mark X 4.2, purchased by Madonna for her son Rocco which will be available to buy in the auction. It’s being offered without reserve and I’m always interested to see how much celebrity connections influence what people are prepared to pay for a car.

There are some pretty rare finds that will be available too. A 1970 Ford Escort Mexico, estimated at £60,000-£70,000, is the oldest known surviving car from Ford’s Advanced Vehicle Operations (I’ve also spoken about this recently). And, if you have a spare £300,000-£350,000, you could be the new owner of a 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Weymann Coach!

New owners will also be found for a 1962 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 litre ‘Semi-Lightweight’ Coupe, one of just 19  1939 Frazer Nash-BMW 327/80 Cabriolet, and a rare  1955 Austin Healey 100M BN1 ‘Le Mans’

All of the cars will be available for viewing from midday on Tuesday, 8th October, and the auction itself begins at 1 pm the next day. I’m very much looking forward to seeing all of the vehicles up close, even if I’m not in a position to actually bid on any of them.