15 tempting classic cars for sale this week

Time to raid the piggy bank?

If you’re anything like us, you’re always checking out auction catalogues and classified listings, scrolling through pages of classic cars for sale just in case something catches your eye.

Well we’ve done the hard work for you.

We’ve handpicked 15 classics for sale this week that we simply couldn’t resist sharing – and there’s certainly some variety! Some are more bank-balance friendly than others, but it’s always fun to dream, isn’t it? Let’s see what we found…

1. 1973 Fiat 130 Coupé (est: £14-18,000)

Consigned to this Saturday’s (15 May) Historics Auctioneers sale at Berkshire’s Ascot Racecourse is this 83,000-mile Fiat 130 Coupé.

We still love its deceptively simple, Pininfarina lines – and its 3235cc V6 doesn’t hurt its appeal one bit.

1973 Fiat 130 Coupé (cont.)

Neither does this left-hand-drive example’s red-leather interior, which the auction house describes as being ‘in very good condition’.

This car has been in the UK since 2011, since when it’s had around £12,000 invested in it. Could this mean this weekend’s winning bidder will simply be able to enjoy this stylish two-door?

2. 1971 MGB Roadster (£17,500)

Our next pick comes from our own classifieds. For sale via Hampshire-based specialist Robin Lawton, this car has come from what is described as ‘a small MG collection’.

It has also been rebuilt with a Heritage shell and since completion has been seldom used, and only in good weather.

1971 MGB Roadster (cont.)

From behind the wheel you’ll notice it’s got a bit more ‘go’ than you might expect, thanks to the motor now being a 1950cc unit in ‘fast-road’ specification.

And we think the combination of an Iris Blue body, wire wheels and a black-leather-trimmed cabin is very attractive.

3. 1962 Lancia Flaminia Sport (est: £280-340,000)

You’ll have to dig rather deeper if you’re to call this Lancia your own, but once we’d seen it, we couldn’t not share it.

For sale on 19 May in Bonhams’ The Bond Street Sale in, you guessed it, London’s Bond Street, this Zagato-bodied stunner is one of 174 Sport 3C 2.5-litre cars to be built and features the coachbuilder’s famous ‘double-bubble’ roof.

1962 Lancia Flaminia Sport (cont.)

And this is surely one of the best examples. Why? Because having been bought as a barn-find, the talented marque specialists at Thornley Kelham embarked on a nut-and-bolt restoration, costing £322,000, which was finished in 2019.

This Flaminia has since scooped concours silverware and has covered around just 4000km (c2500 miles) since that work was completed.

4. 1987 BMW M3 Evo 1

Homologation specials are always, well, very special, and this E30’s previous owners must agree, because since being delivered new in Germany in 1987, it’s covered more than 227,000km (in excess of 140,000 miles).

The car came to the UK and was reregistered in 1996, and it’s been with its current custodian for more than seven years.

1987 BMW M3 Evo 1 (cont.)

Should that high mileage worry any prospective bidder? Well, the good news is it passed its last MoT, in July 2020, first time and with no advisories. We’re told that the headlight height adjustment doesn’t work, but there are no other known issues.

It is being sold via online auction site Collecting Cars, in a sale which ends at 7:15pm on Monday (17 May).

5. 1971 Marcos GT (est: £14-18,000)

Coming from a private collection to Historics’ 15 May Ascot auction is this glassfibre-bodied, Volvo-engined Marcos.

That three-litre unit is its original, as are its interior and exterior colours, and it was supplied new by Hexagon of Highgate to its first owner, also in London.

1971 Marcos GT (cont.)

Today, 34,725 miles later, the car is said to drive and run well with good paintwork, although there is some cracking which you might expect with a glassfibre body.

Its good history file even features chassis 3V5836’s original build sheet.

6. 1973 Triumph TR6 (est: £24-30,000)

This lovely-looking roadster certainly has a lot to live up to, given that vendor The Market describes it as ‘magnificent’ and ‘possibly the best TR6 restoration we’re likely to see for quite some time’.

Given that its owner has spent in excess of £40,000 restoring it, in the knowledge that he won’t get that back when it changes hands, this is clearly a much-loved and well-cared-for example of the breed.

1973 Triumph TR6 (cont.)

This left-hand-drive TR6 was sold new to Canada in November 1973 and came back to the UK in 2018, at which point it desperately needed some care and attention, which it has clearly had – and it has covered only around 100 shakedown miles since.

It’s had a full rotisserie restoration, including a replacement chassis, new floors and wheelarches, major engine surgery, an overhauled gearbox, refurbished brakes, new suspension, a new soft-top, refurbished seats… The list goes on.

It’s being sold right now via The Market in an online auction that closes at 8pm on Monday 17 May.

7. 1976 Maserati Khamsin (est: £120-150,000)

If you have a Khamsin-sized hole in your life that you need to fill, then this fabulous-looking example, in this oh-so-period hue known as Luci del Bosco, might tick all your boxes.

Consigned to Bonhams’ aforementioned 19 May London sale, it is a right-hand-drive model sold new to the UK. It comes from a classic car collection, its current keeper taking ownership in 2007.

1976 Maserati Khamsin (cont.)

It has since been restored by specialists McGrath Maserati to concours quality and is Classiche certified – it even has the autograph of its designer, Marcello Gandini, on its sunvisor.

It will also be sold with its original wallet and handbook, a Maserati service book, plus its original factory toolkit and jack.

8. 1967 Fiat 850 (no reserve)

Now you don’t see one of these every day. This quirky little Fiat is being offered with no reserve by Historics Auctioneers this Saturday (15 May).

Rear-engined and rear-wheel drive, this example has the Idromatic semi-automatic gearbox and has done a little over 22,000 miles.

1967 Fiat 850 (cont.)

High performance isn’t the order of the day, then, thanks to the 843cc water-cooled ‘four’, despite this car’s attractive horizontal speedometer.

But what it lacks in pace it more than makes up for in charm, and this example, finished in white with a red interior, is said to be ‘in good condition throughout’.

9. 1969 De Tomaso Mangusta (est: £200-250,000)

We’ve a change of pace here – and you’ll need a rather larger budget, too. And if it looks familiar, that could be because it starred on the cover of the November 2018 edition of Classic & Sports Car, after being imported to the UK from California in 2008.

It is also one of 50 single-headlight examples to leave the factory.

1969 De Tomaso Mangusta (cont.)

A seven-year restoration completed in 2015 at a cost of around an eye-watering £250,000 – as detailed in the accompanying paperwork – is why this De Tomaso presents so well today.

It is still powered by its original engine, although its ‘340 stroker kit’ is one gentle modification that helps it give around 330bhp.

It is being sold at Bonhams’ The Bond Street Sale on 19 May.

10. 1977 Lamborghini Urraco P300

While we’re on the topic of low-volume, high-performance Italian classics…

Here we have a Lamborghini that is one of about 32 right-hand-drive examples, and the P300 is the ultimate iteration of the fabulous Urraco.

1977 Lamborghini Urraco P300 (cont.)

Fully restored and with just 40,556km on its odometer (that’s around 25,000 miles), its cabin has been retrimmed, it was last serviced in 2019 and, according to the vendor, it ‘now presents in superb order’.

The one downside, if you’re in the UK, is that at present it is in Melbourne, Australia, where it is being sold by online auction house Collecting Cars – and you have until 10:30am on Monday 17 May to place your bid.

11. 1950 Chrysler Newport Town & Country (est: £30-38,000)

One of 698, this now 71-year-old, straight-eight-powered Chrysler will still add a dash of glamour to your driveway.

What’s more, this is thought to be one of only two in the UK – and one of the only black-on-black examples full stop.

1950 Chrysler Newport Town & Country (cont.)

Restored and now a serious head-turner, this 54,000-mile example will go under the hammer with Historics Auctioneers this Saturday (15 May) at Ascot Racecourse.

Having been displayed in a museum prior to sale, it might, however, benefit from a little recommissioning before hitting the road.

12. 1961 AC Ace (est: £240-280,000)

Rather more dinky – in size if not price-tag – is this sweet-looking AC that’s bound for Bonhams’ Bond Street sale on 19 May.

An original left-hand-drive model, it has been with its present keeper since 1971, fully restored between 1994 and 2006.

1961 AC Ace (cont.)

When it was restored, this example’s 2.6-litre overhead-valve Ford engine was rebuilt with, among other items, a Ruddspeed alloy cylinder head by Burton Power, lightweight pushrods and a Kent A14 ‘fast-road’ camshaft.

Since all that TLC, we’re delighted to learn that this pretty classic has been enjoyed on European tours, including trips to Monaco, Ireland and into the Arctic Circle, and its owner says: ‘The car is in very fine order, but is not perfect. This is a working road car, to be used and enjoyed.’ We couldn’t agree more.

13. 1993 Ferrari 348tb (est: £45-55,000)

Maybe only a naturally aspirated V8 Ferrari will do. If so, how about this, one-of-150 right-hand drive 348tbs, with fewer than 65,000 miles under its wheels.

It’s going under the virtual hammer with The Market right now, bidding set to close on this lot at 7:30pm on Monday 17 May.

1993 Ferrari 348tb (cont.)

According to its listing it is rust-free, but there are some scuffs and chips to the bodywork, plus some light kerbing to the alloys – and those alloys received fresh, matching Continental rubber last November. Inside you can see the car has been used, but it still presents very nicely.

It’s not pristine, but we’re told it goes well and sounds great, and any improvements could be made over time, just consider that before bidding.

14. 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman (est: £280-330,000)

Few cars make an impression like a Mercedes-Benz W100 600 and this black example with rechromed brightwork will cross the block with Historics Auctioneers at Ascot Racecourse this Saturday (15 May).

Yes, we know that with its air-sprung suspension and hydraulics there’s a lot to go wrong, but we also know these are magnificent machines, so we can but dream.

1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman (cont.)

We also know that, perhaps unusually for a V8-powered classic, while the driver/chauffeur has a relatively cramped cabin, it’s all about the rear-seat accommodation.

In this four-door example, a powered partition provides privacy between the driver and those behind, who sit on twin facing seats with the option of drawing curtains around them.

15. 1968 Aston Martin DB6 Volante (est: £400-500,000)

This is way out our league – in fact, it’s predicted to sell for more than any other car at Bonhams’ The Bond Street Sale in London on 19 May.

One of 140 Mk1 DB6 Volantes, it was sold new in the same colours it is today, and with the same engine and gearbox, although at some unknown point in its life it’s thought it was upgraded to Vantage spec.

1968 Aston Martin DB6 Volante (cont.)

In January of this year it gained Aston Martin Assured Provenance and other than an aftermarket audio system it is thought to be original.

It benefited from some work at Aston Martin Works, no less, in 2017, but has since been stored, so may need a little TLC prior to a return to the road. It’s more than worth it, though.

So, have we tempted you?