Pre-war beauties headline Bonhams’ Beaulieu sale

By Lizzie Pope
News
 | 3 Sep 2019
Classic & Sports Car – Pre-war beauties headline Bonhams’ Beaulieu sale

Four pre-war cars are the lead lots at Saturday’s Bonhams auction.

The Beaulieu Sale, at the National Motor Museum, kicks off at 11am on 7 September and the car predicted to achieve the highest price is a 1908 Napier 45hp Type 23 Six-Cylinder Open Drive Limousine (above).

Described as being “Outstanding museum quality” and wearing coachwork by Burlington Carriage Co, it carries a pre-sale estimate of £250-300,000.

And, incredibly, it was owned by the same family from 1914 right up until 2002.

Classic & Sports Car – Pre-war beauties headline Bonhams’ Beaulieu sale

This Bugatti is believed to be one of two remaining with this coachwork

Next is a 1929 Bugatti Type 44 Tourer delivered new to the UK and it’s one of two known tourers to survive with Harrington coachwork.

It will be sold with a 56-page report detailing its history, which reveals it was delivered to London in rolling chassis form, but later spent time in the US.

The hammer is expected to fall on Saturday at between £200-300,000.

Classic & Sports Car – Pre-war beauties headline Bonhams’ Beaulieu sale

This Rolls-Royce was once a royal conveyance

And now for something royal…

First owned by HRH The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, is this 1927 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Phantom I Fabric Bodied Saloon, that’s also been consigned to Saturday’s sale.

After its regal start, the car disappeared, eventually discovered in a Suffolk farmyard by Edward Overton, a professional car restorer who’d actually gone there to buy a Bentley.

He wanted to buy the Rolls-Royce, too, but the response came, “No, that's the King's car”. Overton was able to verify this claim and later agreed a sale, eventually restoring and enjoying it, before selling it on.

It’s heading to Beaulieu with a pre-sale estimate of £150-200,000.

Classic & Sports Car – Pre-war beauties headline Bonhams’ Beaulieu sale

This Frazer Nash is a rally veteran

Last, but by no means least, is this 1926 Frazer Nash 1½-Litre Super Sports, that’s been with its current owner since 1977 – and could be just the thing if you’re interested in entering Vintage Sports-Car Club events.

Indeed, this car has been rallied across the UK and Europe, including three Frazer Nash ‘Raids’ to Bolzano in Italy, and it’s been campaigned in New Zealand.

Bonhams expects the Frazer Nash to sell for £130-150,000 in Saturday’s sale.

Check out the full lot list here.

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