Bond Street sale is packed with pricey classics
Finding Christmas shopping a pain? You could always splash out on a beautiful classic car from the latest Bonhams auction.
The Bond Street Sale takes place in the British capital this Saturday (7 December) and it’s packed with lots that we’d love to get the keys to this Christmas – even if the cars themselves are too big to fit under the tree.
So while others are dreaming of a white Christmas, why not join us in dreaming about one day owning one of these classics – starting with the auction’s rather special lead lot…
1961 Aston Martin DB4GT 'Lightweight' Sports Saloon
Estimate: £2-3m ($2.6-3.9m)
This striking Aston Martin might have the highest guide price at Saturday’s sale – a cool £2-3m, no less – but it’s actually going under the hammer with no reserve.
It’s the sixth-from-last DB4GT and is one of just nine cars completed to lightweight specification by the factory – indeed, it’s known as the ‘missing’ lightweight.
With just three owners, a bulging history file, excellent provenance and an engine rebuilt by Aston Martin Works in 2007, it’s a truly exceptional example of the model.
1973 Citroën SM 3.0-Litre Coupé
Estimate: £40-60k ($52-78k)
From the priciest lot in the auction, to the one with the lowest predicted sale price – although £40-60,000 is hardly cheap.
For that sum you’d get a design classic with those fabulous Robert Opron-penned lines plus classic Citroën features such as hydropneumatic suspension and power-assisted disc brakes and a Maserati-made V6 engine.
This example has spent much of its life in Switzerland and with around 32,000 miles on the clock, it has plenty of life left in it.
1964 Bentley S3 Two-door Convertible
Estimate: £110-120k ($140-160k)
Famous former owners are always an extra draw when a car goes under the hammer and this car is the property of prolific musician Jools Holland, no less.
What’s more, it’s thought that its two-door convertible coachwork is unique – and it’s done fewer than 60,000 miles.
In Bentley’s centenary year, this super-stylish drop-top is expected to achieve £110-120,000 on Saturday.
1953 Bentley R-Type Continental Sports Saloon
Estimate: £900k-1.1m ($1.2-1.4m)
Here’s another Bentley, but you’d need to dig quite a bit deeper to secure this one.
That’s hardly surprising, though, because the R-Type Continental is one of the greatest of all post-war Bentleys and was built to the tune of just 208 examples in the early-to-mid 1950s.
This one wears coachwork by H J Mulliner and was refurbished in 2014-2015, having come out of long-term ownership. How long term? The same lucky owner cherished it from 1971 until 2014.
1939 Frazer Nash-BMW 328 Roadster
Estimate: £650-850k ($840-1.1m)
It might be 80 years old, but this Frazer Nash-BMW 328 Roadster has been raced extensively in the last three decades, in the hands of Alastair Pugh, Captain and Patron of the Frazer Nash Car Club, who owned it from 1988 until earlier this year.
Much loved and used just as it should be, it’s expected to fetch £650-850,000 this weekend.
1935 Auburn 851 Supercharged Boat-tail Speedster
Estimate: £650-750k ($840-970k)
Here’s another car with a famous former owner: Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton, who bought this car for her husband, Prince Alexis Mdivani.
Sadly, their marriage ended soon after and the Auburn was put into storage.
Its next owner bestowed this unique coachwork crafted by Bohman & Schwartz on it and, due to his work in Hollywood and the car being on contract with Pacific Auto Rentals of Hollywood, many a silver screen starlet has ridden in it.
1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7-Litre ‘Lightweight’ Coupé
Estimate: £750-850k ($970k-1.1m)
This car’s celebrity owner, however, is one you’ll doubtless have heard of – and with this Porsche’s retina-scorching paintjob, you might not be surprised to learn that it’s Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay.
This one-of-200 911 has a suitably superstar £750-850,000 pre-sale estimate.
It’s also covered a mere 1000km since Jay Kay acquired it way back in April 2008. Here’s hoping this car’s next lucky owner actually uses it.
1974 Ferrari Dino 246GT Spider
Estimate: £380-460k ($490-600k)
Another head-turning sports car crossing the block at Bonhams’ sale this Saturday is this rare Dino 246GT Spider.
Why is it rare? Well, it’s one of just five UK-delivered, factory-built ‘Chairs & Flairs’ versions – which means it has the optional ‘Daytona’ seats and flared wheelarches.
It’s previously enjoyed a bare-metal restoration by a Ferrari Classiche-approved specialist and is said to drive “superbly”.
1965 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Saloon
Estimate: £300-500k ($390-650k)
Want to make an entrance at a party this festive season? Chuck a mate a chauffeur’s cap and rock up to your next engagement in this – that should do it!
While W100s have never lacked presence, though, being the darlings of the world’s rich and famous, they don’t come cheap.
Still, for the £300-500,000 this Mercedes-Benz is expected to achieve, you get a car that was restored four years ago and has just over 16,000 miles on its odometer, meaning there’s plenty more life in it yet.
1994 Aston Martin Virage Volante
Estimate: £225-275k ($290-360k)
We’re not quite done with celebrity cars – this Aston Martin Virage Volante was owned from new right up until 2007/2008 by HRH the Prince of Wales.
Accordingly, it was fitted with bespoke items such as a second rear-view mirror, leather-trimmed container in the centre armrest for the polo ponies’ sugar cubes and a police radio (the latter has since been removed).
This car was later displayed at Aston Martin’s Gaydon headquarters and will cross the block this coming weekend with a guide price of £225-275,000.
1933 Bentley 3½-Litre Cabriolet
Estimate: £130-160k ($170-210k)
How about another classic with not only drop-dead gorgeous looks, but apparently unique ones, too?
With its dashing two-tone paintwork and Barker & Co coachwork, this 1933 Bentley 3½-Litre Cabriolet was always likely to catch our eye.
It’s not been restored since the ’60s and has been with its current custodian since 1983, usually chauffeur-driven – indeed, it’s covered around a mere 500 miles in the past 36 years!
1976 Ferrari 512BB Coupé
Estimate: £180-240k ($230-310k)
An ex-Maranello Concessionaires demonstrator and press car, this is the very first right-hand-drive 512BB produced and starred on the front cover of the 9 April 1977 issue of our sister magazine, Autocar.
It has spent more than half its life in a collection and comes to sale in reportedly outstanding condition, inside and out. We’re off to check the piggybank…
1989 Aston Martin Lagonda Series 4 Saloon
Estimate: £70-120k ($91-160k)
Let’s finish as we started, with an Aston Martin – but this time one with a (relatively) more attainable guide price.
This Lagonda offers classic ’80s-wedge style and room for the family, plus a pretty potent V8 engine. It’s a rare beast, too, with a mere 106 Series 4 cars having been produced, of which only 34 were right-hand drive.
You could even consider it something of a bargain: it had more than £149,000 spent on it in 2012/13 alone.
Bonhams’ Bond Street sale takes place on Saturday 7 December. Click here to view the full lot list.