A 1966 Porsche 904-6 Carrera GTS recreation stunned pundits at Silverstone Auctions' NEC Classic Motor Show auction, selling for a massive £146,250 – nearly doubling its pre-sale lower estimate.
The stunning replica was built over a period of four years by a Porsche enthusiast in collaboration with marque specialists Martin & Walker, and features genuine Porsche components throughout. The glassfibre bodywork was copied from one of the original 120 cars, while the engine is a 2.5-litre short-stroke unit fitted with a pair of triple-choke Weber carburettors, which produces 220bhp.
A 1951 Land-Rover Series I also beat estimate, getting away for £38,250 – well above its £20-24,000 expectation. The Basic Horne Vehicle model had been owned by the same family for more than 30 years, and was fully restored 15 years ago. It was recommissioned for the sale following three years in storage.
Meanwhile, a 1980 Talbot Lotus Sunbeam with just 193 miles on the clock made a massive £50,625 – comfortably beating its £28,000 pre-sale upper estimate. The unregistered car was discovered by the vendor in a private collection in Italy. It offered a rare opportunity to buy an as-new rally icon.
More modern but also in high demand was a 1994 Range Rover LSE. The £14-18,000 car eventually sold for an impressive £33,750. The long wheelbase model had covered 28,976 miles from new, with the last service carried out just 277 miles ago. It was described by the vendor as 'driving like new'.
An increasingly rare BMW 2002 Turbo also did well, making £54,000. The car had been resprayed in the past, but still looked well-presented.
A Mercedes-Benz 190SL made very strong money, the hammer falling at £172,500 – far from the £100,000 pre-sale upper estimate.
A 1981 De Lorean DMC-12 was in-keeping with the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show's 'Big Screen' theme. The late entry, which had just 27,000 miles on the clock, sold for £28,125.
A 1964 Austin Mini that once belonged to radio DJ Chris Evans fetched £6750, with 10% of the proceeds being donated to the Sporting Bears charity, which had a big presence at the event.
Despite the high numbers achieved for the headline lots, there were also a number of bargains, including a 1967 Volvo Amazon. The totally original car sold for £11,813 – just short of its £12,000 lower estimate.
A 1966 P1800S wore the exact same estimate, and also sold for £11,813.
Selling for nearly 20% less than its upper estimate was a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda. The right-hand-drive car was well bought at £40,500.
A 1954 Bentley R Type Continental Fastback failed to sell – it was expected to fetch as much as £900,000.
A fantastic Aston Martin DB2/4 with period competition history fared much better, selling on estimate for £145,125.
Top seller was a Jaguar XJ220 once owned by the Brunei royal family, which crossed the block above estimate at £247,500. Click here for its full story.
