15 stunning classics for sale at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting

Bonhams’ Goodwood auction offers treats aplenty

Dozens of rare and desirable cars will take to the track at the 77th Goodwood Members’ Meeting next month – but wander away from the action and you might find one you can actually take home with you. 

That’s because Bonhams will also be hosting a big-money auction at the Chichester estate that weekend, as it has every year since 2015.

With 118 lots on offer there’s plenty of choice at the sale, which takes place on 7 April, but after much deliberation we narrowed down our favourites to these 15 classics.

1964 Aston Martin DB5

Estimate: £580,000-660,000

As you’d expect from a sale hosted at one of the UK’s most historic circuits, there’s a raft of British machinery on offer at the Bonhams sale – including, naturally, a slew of Aston Martins.

Should you have around £1.5m going spare, you'd be able to bid on a dream trio of the DB4, DB5 and DB6. Only got enough for one? We reckon the nicest – and most usable – is this DB5 from the mid ’60s, a gorgeous example of the 4-litre GT that’s expected to sell for around £600k.

Stunning in Sierra Blue, the iconic tourer recently received a total restoration. Stripped down to its chassis, every mechanical component was restored and rebuilt, the interior retrimmed and the engine upgraded to 325bhp Vantage spec. The bill for all that work? A cool £340k.

1963 Jaguar E-type

Estimate: £90,000-130,000

Prefer a different British marque? You’ll find a dozen Jags at the Bonhams auction, from a bevy of XK150s to an understated Mark 2, and a fair few E-types for good measure.

Given a free choice, we'd take home this E-type from 1963 – an early example of the long-nosed legend in 3.8-litre Series 1 guise, expected to sell for at least £90k.

Bought in the ’90s by enthusiast David Ham, chassis 861396 was in a pretty decrepit state when he took possession of it. Fortunately, this matching-numbers stunner is now back to its beautiful best following a seven-year restoration.

1973 Excalibur Series II

Estimate: £60,000-£65,000

Built new to look vintage, Excalibur machines were the work of the Stevens brothers, whose boutique operation supplied retro-styled sports cars to all manner of celebrities – and this Series II from ’73 is no exception.

Clearly aping a Mercedes-Benz SSK, the throwback classic shipped new to The King of Cool himself, Dean Martin. Bought as a birthday present for the Rat Pack member, it came with a raft of options, including power steering, power brakes and air-conditioning – plus a 7.4-litre V8 engine good for 250bhp.

Freshly refurbished and returned to original specification, it goes to auction with fewer than 21,000 miles on the clock and an upper estimate of £65k. That’s amore than you wanted to pay (sorry)? Let it go, let it go, let it go (sorry again).

1974 Ferrari 365GT4 Berlinetta Boxer

Estimate: £250,000-300,000

From one celebrity motor to another, this Ferrari also has a famous former owner: Sir Elton John.

Ordered by the Rocketman in 1973, the 365GT4 BB was delivered the following year and joined a Ferrari ‘Daytona’ in the garage at Sir Elton’s Surrey home – though a mileage of less than 10,000 today suggests he didn’t have much time to use it.

One of just 58 built for the UK, chassis 17741 remains a lovely example of Ferrari’s first true supercar and the start of a line of mid-engined, flat-12 Berlinetta Boxers. How much for the shiny prancer? At least £250k.

1988 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV

Estimate: £260,000-300,000

Thought the Members’ Meeting was all about refinement and class? This ostentatious display of Italian supercar might begs to differ.

The ultimate iteration of the angular Countach, the 5000 QV doesn’t so much draw a crowd as demand one.

Equipped with a 5.2-litre engine good for 450bhp and a then-world-beating top speed of 185mph, the only thing more dramatic than its performance is the audacious body kit – complete with superfluous wing.

Just 14 were built by Lamborghini in right-hand drive guise and this well-maintained example is one of them. With a mere four former owners, 33,000 miles on the clock and its original engine, it’s certainly hard to ignore.

1986 Porsche 911 Turbo SE

Estimate: £100,000-130,000

Speaking of body kits, there are few Porsches more recognisable – or more desirable – than the 911 Turbo in ‘slantnose’ guise.

Beside its huge fenders and whopping great wing, the rare bonnet option saw the Turbo equipped with a flat nose that aped the fabled Porsche 935 racer.

This 1986 Turbo SE is up there with the best of them. Combining 3.3-litre turbocharged power (upgraded by the factory to 360bhp when new) with cabin luxury and that distinctive shell, it’s the ultimate in ’80s Porsche performance. And it’s done fewer than 5000 miles.

The lower estimate? £100k. Which seems a lot, until you consider the jaw-dropping Porsche 356A Speedster that’s also in the sale – with an upper estimate of £300k.

1989 Lola LC89

Estimate: £135,000-165,000

If that Porsche isn’t racy enough for you, then try this Lola LC89. A genuine late-’80s Formula 1 car, it was fielded by French team Larrousse in some 14 Grands Prix across the 1989 and 1990 seasons.

Driven by the likes of Michele Alboreto and Aguri Suzuki in period, chassis 03 didn’t enjoy the greatest run in the sport (recording six retirements), but there was no arguing with the fearsome power of its Lamborghini V12 engine.

Going to auction fresh from museum storage, it’ll need some work to get it running. You didn’t expect a working car for £150k, did you?

If you did, you’d better plump for the Vauxhall Firenza that’s also up for grabs instead: a championship-winning touring car that’s ready to race, it could be yours for upwards of £90k.

1967 Maserati Mistral Spyder

Estimate: £350,000-450,000

With summer right around the corner, what could make for a more sensible purchase than a delightful drop-top sports car? And they don’t come much prettier than the Maserati Mistral in Spyder guise.

Sure, it’s no spring steal at £400k, but who can argue with its handsome Frua-designed shell, zippy 3.7-litre performance and surprising practicality? And, with a record of careful maintenance, this one-of-46 Italian is up there with the loveliest.

Need more than two seats? Bonhams is also offering a truly beautiful Maserati 3500GT at the Goodwood sale, recently restored and with space for a pair of little ones in the back. Yours for upwards of £230k.

1970 Mini Cooper S MkII

Estimate: £25,000-35,000

In case you hadn’t noticed, the Mini turns 60 this year – and what better way to celebrate the big birthday of this little British icon than by buying a really interesting example?

This recently restored pocket rocket is a fine example of the immaculately packaged Issigonis machine in John Cooper-tuned, 1275cc guise – good for 76bhp and 100mph, not to mention that famed Mini handling.

And that performance was put to good civic use in period: it was one of 27 cars bought by the Liverpool Police in 1970, and it served for a year on the streets. 

1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Tourer

Estimate: £600,000-800,000

Sticking with the Brits, this beautiful Bentley offers a lesson in the value of maintenance. Stabled with a single family for the past 80 years, the 4.5-litre tourer has enjoyed meticulous care over the decades, leaving it in stunning, highly authentic condition today.

Twice stored and refurbished, it retains its original engine, gearbox, chassis, shell and more, and goes to auction fresh from a recommissioning by specialists Brewster Mudie.

It’s a picture of pre-war performance, wrapped in Vanden Plas coachwork and capable of startling many a pigeon – not least thanks to the overdrive unit, added in 1991. 

1947 Delahaye Type 135M

Estimate: £220,000-280,000

Fancy some French class for a third of the price? Try this delightful Delahaye. Its open-top Antem coachwork – all smooth curves and elegant lines – was fitted to only seven such chassis, making it quite the rarity.

And this one’s more unusual still: chassis 800939 was one of just two cars shown at the 1948 Paris Motor Show, complete with Applex steering wheel and Plexiglas buttons – and there are pictures to prove it.

Since then, it’s appeared at the Deutsch Danischer Freizeitpark Oldtimer Museum and, latterly, been part of the Key Collection. Fresh from a restoration and clad in an arresting two-tone finish, it’s a Delahaye that truly cuts a dash today.

1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SC

Estimate: £400,000-500,000

Speaking of elegance, this mid-century Mercedes is about as luxurious as autobahn cruisers come.

Sure, the 300SL is more iconic – and there’s a Gullwing on offer at Goodwood if that’s what you’re after – but the 300SC was more expensive in period, on account of its handbuilt exclusivity and coachbuilt class. It also borrowed the best bits of the SL, including the fuel-injected engine – even if the top speed was somewhat lower.

One of just 200 built, this 1956 example was restored in the ’90s and goes to auction as a vision of post-war refinement.

1936 Cord Model 810

Estimate: £80,000-120,000

Proving that it’s not all Europeans at the Goodwood sale, this Cord Model 810 is the best of a bevy of American classics from the ’30s and ’40s.

Instantly recognisable by that distinctive ‘coffin’ nose, the gorgeous Cord is the epitome of an era when wheels were best in white, fenders were nothing if not swept and hoods came long and straight.

Equipped with a Lycoming V8 motor, this late example shipped in 1936 and remains as arresting today as when it first took to the streets. The guide price? £80-120k.

The Terry Drury Tribute Ford GT40

Estimate: not given

The last of our 15 lots is something of an oddity: a one-off tribute to Ford’s legendary, Le Mans-dominating GT40, built by the late racer and Blue Oval engineer Terry Drury.

According to expert Ronnie Spain it’s “the most accurate non-original GT40 chassis” in existence and features a raft of original parts – including the steering column, uprights and 302 cu in V8 engine – and an accurate ‘crossover fuel’ chassis, all assembled with painstaking precision.

Where parts are new, they’re pretty much entirely correct to specification and period, from the wiring loom to the brakes. The seats have even been produced by the original trimmer.

Quite the creation, then – even if the Drury family acknowledges that the true lineage of the chassis isn’t certain. What’s the estimate? Bonhams won’t say – which probably means it’s too expensive for us mere mortals.

Bonhams’ auction at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting takes place on 7 April.