Silverstone Classics auction generates more than £2m

1966 Aston Martin DB5 A host of cars with ‘star’ appeal helped Silverstone Auctions to a record-breaking Silverstone Classic sale, generating more than £2million .
In total, 64 percent of the road cars on offer were successfully hammered away at the home of British motorsport, and aptly, a further eight competition cars were also snapped up.
Among the cars grabbing the limelight, which all sold for above their pre-sale upper estimates, were a 1966 Aston Martin DB6 MkI, once owned by entertainer Des O’Connor, which sold for £147,200, a 1996 Ferrari 456, originally owned by Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone which fetched £34,500, and the ex-Enid Blyton ‘Noddy Car’ – a 1969 Fiat 500 Gamine which sold for £29,325.
“We’re absolutely delighted with the fantastic results we’ve achieved for our vendors,” commented Nick Whale, managing director, Silverstone Auctions. “While the celebrity cars grabbed much of the pre-sale attention, fantastic prices were achieved on cars right across the sale, confirming the quality of the lots on offer.”
Indeed, the car achieving the highest price on the day was a stunning 1965 Aston Martin DB5 saloon which sold for well above its upper estimate, fetching £373,750.
Meanwhile, a 1958 Jaguar XK 150 ‘S’ Roadster with a fascinating history and just 580 miles on the clock, sold for an amazing £201,250, one of the highest prices ever paid anywhere in the world for a car of its type.
Other notable lots finding new homes included a rare 2005 Honda NSX Targa which sold for £80,500, a true piece of British automotive history – the ‘Longbridge Tunnel’ Mini Clubman, which sold for £1,610, and a beautiful 1967 Ford Lotus Cortina MkI fetching £38,525 – more than double its pre-sale estimate.
In the glorious surroundings of Silverstone circuit, competition cars were not to be outdone and among those successfully sold was Kimi Raikkonen’s first UK single seater – a Formula Renault, which sold for £25,300.
“Our team did a fantastic job in bringing together such a desirable collection to the Silverstone Classic Sale,” added Whale. “However, what’s perhaps even more impressive is that we’ll also be offering dozens more cars in less than a week as we head off to host our ‘Pride & Joy’ sale at CarFest North.”
While the catalogue has closed for the sold-out CarFest North event, which takes place from August 2 - 4, interested bidders can still take part by leaving a commission bid with Silverstone Auctions or by registering to make a live phone bid or online via i-Bidder.com.