Iconic Auctioneers
December 22, 2023
Our good friends at Iconic Auctioneers have recently announced that they have regained their status as the foremost leaders in the UK car auction market.
car auction
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Recreation
July 20, 2023
If you’re a fan of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang film then you might want to take a look at an auction being hosted by
The Carrera Collection Auction Starts Tomorrow
July 6, 2023
Tomorrow is the first of a two-part auction for a collection of 86 cars, all owned by a single individual, hosted by RM Sotheby’s. The
Another World Record Set At Auction
June 6, 2023
On May 20th, Silverstone Auctions hosted their Supercar Fest Sale at Sywell Aerodrome, Northampton. Among all of the lots available was a very special car
This Time Next Year, We’ll Be Millionaires
May 23, 2023
A British icon is going to auction in June! The 1972 Reliant Regal Supervan III is believed to be one of the original ‘Trotters Independent
Out and About – Bridge Classic Cars at Barons Auctions
May 16, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars team recently at the pleasure of attending the final Barons Auctions event at Sandown Racecourse before their move. The team went
Fast And Furious Toyota Supra Sells For $550k
June 22, 2021
Fast and Furious’ iconic Toyota Supra recently sold at auction for a staggering $550k. The car, which was one of two that the late Paul
Record-Breaking Bugatti
September 28, 2020
A 1934 vintage Bugatti Type 59 Sport has sold at auction for a record-breaking £9.1 million. Thought to be the most expensive Bugatti ever to
Iconic Auctioneers
December 22, 2023
Our good friends at Iconic Auctioneers have recently announced that they have regained their status as the foremost leaders in the UK car auction market. They have achieved this by completing £36 million in car sales, setting 18 auction world records, and maintaining a sales rate of 70%.
Rob Hubbard, Managing Director of Iconic Auctioneers said:
“Naturally we are delighted with this early Christmas present. It is a great tribute to the whole team who have worked so hard to make this market leadership position a reality. It comes after a number of strong years where we have steadily closed the gap on our competitors.
The result is also due to strong marketing, a rebrand from Silverstone Auctions to Iconic Auctioneers and a vastly increased international reach thanks to our media profile. Today we have a presence on five continents. Our bidders are a truly global group. And our client service is in a class of its own.”
This achievement owes itself to robust marketing strategies, a rebranding from Silverstone Auctions to Iconic Auctioneers, and a substantially expanded global presence through heightened media visibility. Presently, our reach extends across five continents, drawing in bidders from around the world. Our unparalleled client service sets us apart.”
Congratulations to Iconic Auctioneers!
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Recreation
July 20, 2023
If you’re a fan of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang film then you might want to take a look at an auction being hosted by H&H later this month, as a bespoke replica of the nostalgic classic is going under the hammer.
Described as possibly the only “Chitty” built with genuine pre-WW2 components, the car is something of a work of art and has been built and finished to an extremely high standard. The owner and creator of the vehicle is a renowned builder of vintage American cars so had access to a number of parts that were suitable for his recreation.
The overall design of the car closely follows the one you would have seen in the iconic film, but some small changes have been implemented to improve aesthetics. A great deal of attention has been given to the authenticity of the 1920s era, including the genuine wooden artillery wheels. Other components include 1909 oil-fired sidelights and 2 wheel-only brakes, with bands on the outside and shoes on the inside. This authenticity also extends to the pedal layout that remains consistent to the time with the accelerator in the middle, brake on the right, and clutch on the left.
Not only is the look of the car a stunning replica, but “Chitty” is also being sold with the “FLY 539” number plate.
It’s not just from the film that you may recognise the vintage vehicle either, as it has been displayed at multiple shows such as the London Classic Show 2023, the NEC Classic Car Show, and at various other events around the country. Molly and Lily saw the car at the London Classic Car Show and actually spoke with its creator.
Lucas Gomersall, vehicle specialist at H&H Classics said, “Being trusted with the sale of such an iconic vehicle is a privilege. This is a truly unique piece of automotive history, with remarkable provenance, and is certain to be as much a delight to movie fans as it will be to car enthusiasts worldwide. The thorough attention to detail and unwavering commitment to creating a handsome evocation of the car, make this sale a one-off event.”
This beautiful Chitty Chitty Bang Bang replica will be one of over 130 lots to be featured at H&H Classics’ sale at the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, on the 26th of July. Additional highlights of the auction include a 1910 Brush Model D, a 1929 Lagonda 2-Litre Low Chassis Speed Model Tourer, and the 1973/2021 Lister Jaguar ‘Knobbly’ Evocation.
The Carrera Collection Auction Starts Tomorrow
July 6, 2023
Tomorrow is the first of a two-part auction for a collection of 86 cars, all owned by a single individual, hosted by RM Sotheby’s. The majority of the collection is made up of Porsche 911’s which is why this unique group of vehicles has been named – The Carrera Collection.
The Carrera Collection – Part 1
Part one of this incredible auction will be held in Switzerland at the Hotel Meilenstein in Langenthal on 7 July. All of the cars going up for sale are Swiss-registered and are all offered with no reserve! Tomorrow’s auction will see some impressive vehicles go under the hammer, including a 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Touring, which is offered in its original colours of Light Yellow over Black. It is a fully matching-numbers example and is estimated to sell for CHF400,000 – CHF450,000 (approximately £350,000 – £394,000).
If one wasn’t enough, there is actually another 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Touring in the collection. This one is finished in the highly-desirable factory-specified colour of Tangerine and specified with Recaro seats. As one of Porsche’s most desirable halo models, it is estimated to sell for CHF350,000 – CHF400,000 (approximately £306,000 – £350,000).
One car that will no doubt capture the attention of Porsche fans is the 1963 Porsche 356 B Carrera 2 2000 GS Coupé by Reutter. An example of Porsche’s first-ever production model, it is finished in a factory-correct colour combination of Ivory White over black leatherette. After an extensive seven-year restoration, the estimated sale price is CHF360,000 – CHF450,000 (approximately £316,000 – £394,000).
Another incredible Porsche to be offered in tomorrow’s auction is the 1963 Porsche 356 B by Reutter. This one comes in a rare Carrera 2 ‘Sunroof’ Coupé specification and was restored in 2012 by a 356-specialist workshop in Italy. Estimate – CHF350,000 – CHF450,000 (approximately £306,000 – £394,000).
Neil Fraser ©2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Simon Clay ©2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Neil Fraser ©2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Neil Fraser ©2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Oliver Camelin, Director of Sales, Switzerland said, “It is incredibly rare that a collection of Porsches of this quantity and quality comes to market. It features a wide and exceptional cross-section of 911s, many of which boast rare specifications or are limited-edition cars. With all cars offered across both the sales with no reserve, this is an exciting opportunity for Porsche enthusiasts.”
It isn’t just road cars that will be up for grabs either. One particular highlight comes in the form of a 1995 Porsche 911 GT2 Evolution. This one comes with an extensive history file that includes FIVA and ACI technical passports. As the highest-performance version of the air-cooled era of the 911, and undergoing a rebuild in the mid-2010s by Rennsport of Reggio Emilia, Italy, estimates are CHF350,000 – CHF450,000 (approximately £306,000 – £394,000).
Tomorrow’s sale will also feature three BMW Z8 Roadsters and two Alpina V8 Roadsters, six 911 Speedsters of different eras, three 911 S’s, three 356’s, two 2.7 RS Tourings, three 911 Turbos, and four GT3 RSs from different generations.
The Carrera Collection – Part 2
Part two of The Carrera Collection sale will be held on 12th July at Sotheby’s Milan, Italy. This will be for the European Union-registered cars in the collection. One of the cars that will be offered is a 1959 Porsche 356 A Carrera 1600 GT Coupé by Reutter, which is offered with period competition history with class wins at the 1959 Pontedecimo-Giovi and Aosta-Pila hill climbs. It also comes with period photographs, Kardex document, FIVA assessment book, and past registration documents, and it is estimated to sell for between €400,000 – €500,000 (approximately £342,000 – £427,000)
Another attention-grabbing vehicle in the Italian line-up is a 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo S Prototype. It has the final and most technologically advanced air-cooled 911 Turbo engine, and was a factory prototype with more than 30 optional extras including a sunroof, heated racing-style sport seats, and a period Motorola 2200 car phone. Estimate – €300,000 – €400,000 (approximately £256,000 – £342,000).
A 2010 Porsche 911 GT2 RS will also be available. With less than 7,500 kilometres on the clock, the car features a 3.6-litre flat-six paired with a six-speed manual gearbox which certainly makes for a passionate driving machine. Estimate – €240,000 – €280,000 (approximately £205,000 – £239,000).
One car that is expected to be extremely popular is a 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster that comes in paint-to-sample Elfenbein with colour-matched Fuchs wheels, and has an estimate of €150,000 – €200,000 (approximately £128,000 – £171,000).
Simon Clay ©2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
©2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Simon Clay ©2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Simon Clay ©2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
The Italian sale includes six 911 Ss, four 356s, four Porsche 911 Targas, and seven 911 Turbos from differing generations.
Full details can be seen at RM Sotheby’s.
Another World Record Set At Auction
June 6, 2023
On May 20th, Silverstone Auctions hosted their Supercar Fest Sale at Sywell Aerodrome, Northampton. Among all of the lots available was a very special car – a unique 2000 TVR Cerbera Speed 12. As the winning bid was announced, a new world record for both any TVR model and also the highest price paid for a TVR by any UK bidder was set.
The Car
The 2000 TVR Cerbera Speed 12 is a unique vehicle in that it is the only TVR-built road car of its kind. When it was announced that it would be going to auction, it generated a huge amount of interest from potential bidders all over the world.
As one of the rarest and most admired supercars of the last 25 years, the TVR Cebera Speed 12 was used as a model for ‘Gran Turismo’ – one of the most popular and best-selling computer game franchises.
During the auction, there were plenty of interested parties bidding for the chance to own this one-of-a-kind car. Bidders from Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, and America all tried to become the new owner but, in the end, it was a UK bidder who won with the astonishing bid of £601,500
Known as the TVR Project 7/12, the Cerbera Speed 12 was introduced at the 1996 Birmingham Motor Show. The number “7” referred to the 7.7 litre (actually 7.73 L) engine, and “12” for the number of cylinders in the engine. TVR claimed that the engine would have a power output of more than 800bhp and that it would be faster than the McLaren F1.
The record-breaking supercar was prepared by TVR engineers over two years and has been heavily featured in many motoring publications.
The History
The design for Project 7/12 was based on two Cerbera Speed 6 straight-sixes spliced together, utilising a steel block. This was further developed by TVR’s John Ravenscroft creating a 7.7-litre V12. It has been said that the powerful engine snapped the input shaft of the 1,000bhp-rated dynamometer so the engineers had to measure each bank of cylinders separately. When this happened, an output of 480bhp was measured on each side, suggesting a total output of 960bhp! However, TVR said that, when set up for road use, the total figure was 800bhp.
After a short-lived racing chapter, the Speed 12 was seemingly finished. That all changed in 1999 though when TVR decided that they would develop a new car to race in the GT2 class, but there was a lot of interest in a road version and, in 2000, the Cerbera Speed 12 was ready.
Despite the excitement and the huge interest (including paid deposits), the road car never moved into production. When TVR boss Peter Wheeler took one of the prototypes home, he said it was too powerful and too wild to ever be used on the road. It was at this point that production plans were scrapped, all deposits were returned, and all the remaining prototypes were broken up for spares to be used for the race cars. There was one exception to this though – the now record-breaking TVR Cerbera Speed 12 that sold at auction a few weeks ago.
Going Up For Sale
In August 2003, TVR advertised a Cerbera Speed 12 for sale. At this point in time though, a complete car didn’t exist so TVR started the process of creating a road-going Cerbera Speed 12. Three race engineers worked on the project for two years, using the best components from the race development program and the 7.7-litre ‘bucket-head’ V12 to make a road-legal supercar for the ages.
After new components such as the gearbox, transmission and brakes, and carbon-fibre/kevlar bodywork were added, the engine was remapped and the finished product was a car that weighed 1000kg and produced 850bhp, and over 900lb/ft of torque.
A Record-Setting Auction
£7.5 million worth of bids were successful at Silverstone Auctions Supercar Fest Sale. In addition to the impressive TVR Cebera Speed 12, a 1996 Ford Escort Cosworth Lux 2.0 sold for £163,125. This set a new world record for a standard production car sold at auction.
Another exciting sale was the last regular production Jaguar E-Type to leave Browns Lane Production Line – a 1974 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 V12 Roadster which sold for £180,000.
Auctions like this tend to be full of very exciting cars and the new owners are no doubt extremely happy with the new additions to their garage.
This Time Next Year, We’ll Be Millionaires
May 23, 2023
A British icon is going to auction in June!
The 1972 Reliant Regal Supervan III is believed to be one of the original ‘Trotters Independent Trading’ vans. Several of these were used during the filming of “Only Fools and Horses” and this is thought to be one of the vehicles that Del Boy and Rodney used in their many schemes of becoming millionaires.
The Vehicle
This very special Reliant Regal Supervan comes from a private collector, who has owned it since 2021. Prior to their ownership, John Mansfield of the BBC had the vehicle (along with another identical example that he sold in 2017 for just over £41,000).
With 97,000 miles on the clock and a top speed of 55mph, the yellow van was a prominent feature of the TV show and is easily recognised by its millions of fans.
Along with its storied history, the van has been subject to recent recommissioning works including having new tyres fitted, its brakes overhauled and the fuel system checked through. Also with the vehicle comes a roof rack, market suitcase, fluffy dice, and an inflatable doll that helped create one of the most iconic and memorable scenes in Episode 2 of Series 6 – “Danger UXD”.
The 1972 Reliant Regal Supervan III will be auctioned on Saturday 17th June by Classic Car Auctions at the Warwickshire Event Centre in The Summer Sale 2023.
Only Fools And Horses
Only Fools and Horses was created and written by John Sullivan and has become a beloved British sitcom. First airing in 1981, it ran for over two decades until 2003. The show follows the lives of Derek “Del Boy” and Rodney Trotter, as they navigate the ups and downs of life in Peckham, South London.
Del Boy, played by David Jason, is a lovable rogue and ambitious market trader with dreams of becoming a millionaire. His younger brother Rodney, portrayed by Nicholas Lyndhurst, is more naive and often finds himself caught up in Del Boy’s get-rich-quick schemes. The show’s humour stems from Del Boy’s outrageous and often ill-fated attempts at making money, which often involve the sale of dodgy goods or elaborate cons.
The show won numerous awards including several BAFTAs and has left a permanent mark in British television history.
Out and About – Bridge Classic Cars at Barons Auctions
May 16, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars team recently at the pleasure of attending the final Barons Auctions event at Sandown Racecourse before their move.
The team went to look at all the cars on display. A wonderful mix of modern and vintage with something there to suit everyones taste. From beautiful original Mini’s to a brand new Mini Cooper S JCW which was being auctioned for charity. That’s always the wonderful thing about Barons, they cater to all tastes and styles with a fair few Bentley’s and Rolls Royce’s going across the auction block at this particular event.
We’re excited to see what the future holds for our friends at Barons Auctions and we wish them the best of luck with this new move and new way of auctions in the future.
Fast And Furious Toyota Supra Sells For $550k
June 22, 2021
Fast and Furious’ iconic Toyota Supra recently sold at auction for a staggering $550k. The car, which was one of two that the late Paul Walker drove in production, is speculated to be one of the most expensive Fast and Furious cars ever sold.
The car was built by Eddie Paul at The Shark Shop in El Segundo, California which was then overhauled into ‘Slap Jack’s’ Supra that featured in the ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’ movie.
Record-Breaking Bugatti
September 28, 2020
A 1934 vintage Bugatti Type 59 Sport has sold at auction for a record-breaking £9.1 million. Thought to be the most expensive Bugatti ever to be sold at auction.
French racing driver René Dreyfus won the 1934 Belgium Grand Prix in the car, before selling it to King Leopold III of Belgium in 1938.
The car’s had many owners throughout its lifetime, but amazingly has been kept in it’s original condition.
We spotted this Teal Car in a local car park recently. Teal Cars are incredibly high-end replica’s, inspired by the original Bugatti. It’s easy to see why Teal Cars are so popular – not everyone has a cool £10m to spend on a classic car!
