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© Bonhams MPH
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© Historics Auctioneers
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© Historics Auctioneers
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Historics Auctioneers
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© Historics Auctioneers
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© Historics Auctioneers
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© Historics Auctioneers
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Historics Auctioneers
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© Historics Auctioneers
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Historics Auctioneers
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© Historics Auctioneers
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Historics Auctioneers
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© Historics Auctioneers
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Historics Auctioneers
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© Historics Auctioneers
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© Bonhams MPH
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© Bonhams MPH
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Make your dreams come true
With COVID restrictions here in the UK easing, we are once more able to enjoy going for a drive in our classic just for the sake of it, to take pleasure from simply being in them and out on the open road.
And if that’s your dream but you don’t have a car to do it in, we might be able to help.
This weekend there are two classic car auctions taking place, both of which have a host of cars that you should be able to claim for £15,000 or less – in some cases much less – according to the cars’ pre-sale estimates.
Both sales are being held this Saturday, 17 July 2021, one at Bicester Heritage with Bonhams MPH, the other at Windsorview Lakes with Historics Auctioneers. Let’s see what’s on offer…
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1. 1968 Ford Capri (est: £12-16,000)
We’re sharing these cars in no particular order, and we’re sure you can forgive the fact that this car first caught our eye because of its stunning Amber Gold finish.
That this 1.6-litre Mk1 Capri has done fewer than 30,000 miles is a further plus point.
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1968 Ford Capri (cont.)
This car was imported to the UK from South Africa and was last restored in 2014, and this work is documented in the accompanying paperwork.
Its original engine has been upgraded with, among other things, high-compression pistons and a fast road camshaft, plus drive now goes through a five-speed Sierra gearbox.
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2. 1965 Autobianchi Bianchina (est: £5-8000)
If space and pace are two must-haves for your classic purchase, click on…
If, however, charm and character are high up your wish list, then you’re in luck with this Fiat 500-based Autobianchi that should easily be attainable within our self-imposed £15,000 budget.
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1965 Autobianchi Bianchina (cont.)
This car is described by Bonhams MPH as being ‘in an excellent condition’. What’s more, prior to its life in the UK it was exhibited at a Fiat 500 museum in its Italian homeland.
The auction house goes on to say that this is ‘a very original example that is thought to be one of the cleanest and unmolested Bianchinas left on the road’ – high praise indeed.
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3. 1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car (est: £6-10,000)
We said to click on for more space and pace – and well, everything – because next we have this ’78 Lincoln which represents a whole lot of classic car for £6-10,000, if the pre-sale estimate is accurate. Even the boot is seriously deep.
And of course it’s not just its sheer size, which is very impressive, it is this land yacht’s 6.6-litre V8 that is ‘said to be running well’ and should offer sufficient pace, as well as a lovely burble.
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1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car (cont.)
You need to like beige because it’s the same colour inside and out, but as well as that cool horizontal speedometer you get serious levels of comfort from the leather-upholstered interior.
There is extra cachet in that this 61,000-mile car is a Williamsburg Limited Edition model, which accounts for, among other things, the full-length vinyl roof and the really-very-comfy-looking seats.
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4. 1976 Lancia Fulvia 1.3S (est: £12-15,000)
We’ve something very different again with our next pick that this time comes from Historics Auctioneers’ Windsorview Lakes sale and that should, just, be attainable within our £15,000 bidding budget.
It is an 87,789-mile car first registered on 1 March 1976 and still finished in its original dark blue. The vendor describes it as a ‘wonderfully original Fulvia’ that has ‘enjoyed a pampered life in recent years’.
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1976 Lancia Fulvia 1.3S (cont.)
It was resprayed around 15 years ago and is said to be coming to auction in ‘solid condition’, and the vendor says it runs and drives well, too.
This Fulvia has always been garaged with its past two owners and in the last few years has covered only around 3000 miles, but it sounds like it is fit and well for many more.
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5. 1994 Jaguar XJS Convertible (est: £14-19,000)
We’ll concede that this is another car where you might have to be a little lucky to land the winning bid within our £15,000 budget, but it’s not impossible – and this is a real headturner.
We just love the Carnival Red paintwork that really pops in the sun – and with its electrically operated soft-top you really can make the most of the good weather with ease.
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1994 Jaguar XJS Convertible (cont.)
This Jaguar’s cream leather interior has recently been reupholstered so, as you’d expect, it appears to present very well indeed.
It has done just over 65,000 miles, and is powered by a 4.0-litre ‘six’ mated to an automatic gearbox, for the ultimate in smooth, summer wafting.
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6. 1996 Mercedes-Benz E320 Cabriolet (est: £10-15,000)
Another classic option for sale this week which will deliver comfortable, luxury wafting is this three-pointed star.
Our first Mercedes-Benz in this list is a 124-series E320 Cabriolet that’s had, believe it or not, just one owner and covered 136,900 miles from new, and has been cared for by marque specialists.
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1996 Mercedes-Benz E320 Cabriolet (cont.)
Bonhams MPH concedes that the central locking doesn’t work, however the car as a whole was refurbished back in 2006 during which it received two new front wings and a new roof, and just last September it got a new wiring loom.
It might be a high-mile car but is said to run and drive well and, when in fine fettle, that ‘six’ is a very smooth powerplant.
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7. 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG (est: £14-18,000)
Our second Mercedes is, arguably, the pick of the modern-classic Benzes, with its awesome M113 supercharged, 5.5-litre V8 that means it can hit 62mph from rest in 4.7 secs en route to its 155mph top speed.
The famous folding hardtop also means you can react quickly to whatever the great British summer throws at you.
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2003 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG (cont.)
This example, consigned to Historics’ 17 July sale, has done just over 87,000 miles, is at the top of our budget and is loaded with kit including a panoramic roof.
Of course, all those electric items mean there is a lot to go wrong on these cars, although the fact this one is, we understand, being sold with a big service history, should offer some reassurance.
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8. Eunos Roadster (est: £1500-3500)
Definitely not a budget-buster, this Japanese-market Mazda MX-5 – where it was known as the Eunos Roadster – is described by Bonhams MPH as ‘a good honest example that could be brought up to a much higher standard if desired’.
And it could well be worth the extra work because this is a limited-edition V-Special, which means it came loaded with kit including a limited-slip differential, power steering, leather seats, electric windows and air-conditioning.
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Eunos Roadster (cont.)
It is being sold with an MoT until July 2022 which should bring some peace of mind and means it can be enjoyed straightaway.
And we’re pleased to see an odometer reading of 95,000 miles, meaning this car has already brought pleasure to its former owners.
Plus, this roadster is being sold with no reserve.
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9. 2001 Honda Insight (est: £4-6000)
Next we have another green(-ish) Japanese car that really is something rather different. You don’t see a Mk1 Honda Insight every day, but this near-103,000-mile example still stands out from the crowd just as much as it did when new.
Indeed, it is hard to believe that ‘when new’ now means a full two decades ago. It is just on the edge of classic status, then, but given how unusual it is, we couldn’t resist taking a look.
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2001 Honda Insight (cont.)
Honda’s Insight was the first hybrid vehicle to be sold in Europe and any potential bidder will probably be pleased to know that this car received a new battery in 2013.
In fact, this three-owner car comes with paperwork that shows it has received maintenance totalling around £30,000 in its lifetime, including a respray in 2019. No wonder Bonhams MPH describes it as being ‘in a very good condition inside and out’.
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10. 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider (est: £14-17,000)
Red with a tan interior and a black soft-top is a classic combination for these pretty Alfas and, with a bit of luck, the winning bidder could secure this lot within our £15,000 budget at Historics’ 17 July 2021 sale.
The odometer reads 60,900km – that’s just shy of 38,000 miles – and this example has been dry stored for much of the past two decades.
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1991 Alfa Romeo Spider (cont.)
This Alfa’s current keeper has had the interior retrimmed, the suspension, brakes and gearbox overhauled, the engine serviced, a new clutch fitted and more.
Which sounds like all that’s left is to enjoy it.
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11. 2000 BMW Z3 (est: £4-6000)
For a more modern-classic roadster, how about this BMW Z3 consigned to Bonhams MPH’s Bicester Heritage sale on 17 July?
Whether you like its wide-body style and aftermarket alloy wheels is down to personal taste, but we think it is a very purposeful-looking car.
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2000 BMW Z3 (cont.)
It is powered by a 2.8-litre straight-six that is said to be running well and it will be sold with a good history file.
Looking at the interior, there is some wear to the seats, but then the car has been enjoyed for 89,000 miles, so there is some room for improvement, but it can still be enjoyed in the meantime.
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12. 1952 MG TD (est: £13-17,000)
We are winding the clock back almost half a century with our next pick and this 1952 MG TD which, like many of its ilk, was exported to the USA when new.
It returned to the UK in 1990 and straightaway was the subject of a complete restoration, which is documented in the car’s paperwork. Its engine was also rebuilt in 2004.
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1952 MG TD (cont.)
It has now covered 90,762 miles and we think its green paint with a matching interior is absolutely charming.
Historics says it runs well and remains in good condition. In fact, the only downside we can see is the work required to keep those wire wheels sparkling!
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13. 1993 Lotus Elan SE Turbo (est: £8-12,000)
It seems that 13 could be lucky for someone if this Lotus is anything to go by.
It’s surely pretty unusual for a car that has done 136,000 miles to be described as ‘immaculate’, but that is the case with this M100 that Bonhams MPH has given an impressive 90 out of 100 score.
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1993 Lotus Elan SE Turbo (cont.)
We’re told this car has been with its current keeper for three years and what you see here is the result of £5000 being spent on it, including an engine rebuild last year.
Retrimmed seats, powder-coating for the alloy wheels and new indicator lenses are among the other jobs that have been carried out, and while the vendor concedes a few issues need resolving, such as the intermittent rev counter, it does boast a soft-top that is in a good state.
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14. 1974 Reliant Scimitar (est: £12-15,000)
While we definitely don’t need to be reminded that a certain member of the British royal family once owned several Scimitars, we do think this example deserves a moment in the spotlight.
Like the Lotus we’ve just looked at, this is a higher-mileage classic with an odometer reading of 92,993 miles, yet Historics Auctioneers describes it as presenting ‘as new’, which is quite some statement. Especially when you discover that its nut and bolt restoration was in the mid-1990s.
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1974 Reliant Scimitar (cont.)
Photos of that restoration will be sold with this V6-engined classic which is said to run and drive perfectly, and which is fitted with an overdrive gearbox.
The auction house closes its listing as follows: ‘Not to be confused with your average Scimitar, this car represents the best.’
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15. 2000 Mini Cooper (est: £14-16,000)
Finished in fetching Tahiti blue, this very late Mini – it was supplied new on 9 September 2000 – has done only 17,400 miles and has been with its current keeper for two years.
It is part of a collection so, as one might expect, it is said to be in superb condition inside and out – plus it has an MoT until April 2022.
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2000 Mini Cooper (cont.)
In fact, if you like the look of it and want proof of the fact that it drives well, its current keeper will be driving it to the auction for one final moment behind the wheel.
So, have we tempted you at all? This Mini Cooper will cross the block in Bonhams MPH’s sale at Bicester Heritage this Saturday, 17 July, and you can view the full lot list here.
Historics Auctioneers’ Windsorview Lakes sale also takes place this Saturday – for full details please click here.
And if you’re bidding in either, good luck!