EX-BMW PRESS CAR E38 M5 AND STUNNING E-TYPE LEAD ENTRIES FOR BARONS’ SUMMER CLASSIC SALE

EX-BMW PRESS CAR E38 M5 AND STUNNING E-TYPE LEAD ENTRIES FOR BARONS’ SUMMER CLASSIC SALE

Barons is bringing a really fine selection of classic and collectors’ cars to Sandown Park for its Summer Classic sale at the Surrey racecourse on July 16.

The entry list is headed by a very rare 1986 BMW E28 M5. This particular machine served as a BMW press car and was subsequently owned by a BMW Diagnostic Technician, and has a meticulously-maintained history file showing all the BMW OEM parts used both in its maintenance and in the incredibly detailed restoration carried out by the technician owner, for whom this was a real labour of love. It is one of only two RHD cars to leave the factory with both special individual paint and interior options and is the only one in this blue/black metallic colour combination. The interior is equally beautifully presented; when new, BMW Motorsport Gmbh trimmed all the door cards, centre console and dash in red leather and the roof lining in red suede. As part of its restoration, the interior was stripped, every leather part reconnolised and then painstakingly put back together. This remarkably impressive part of BMW’s history carries a guide price of £39,000-£46,000.

Sitting alongside the M5 at the head of the entry list is a stunning dark blue 1968 Jaguar E-type Series 1.5 2+2. It has led a very sheltered life, covering just 40,000 miles in 51 years, with only four owners from new. Offered complete with the registration number ‘536 BOY’, it has a guide price of £38,000-£45,000. 

An elegant piece of classic British motoring comes in the form of the sleek 1962 Bentley S2, in a sophisticated sage green over smoke green livery. This lovely motor car is in excellent condition and drives superbly (£26,000 - £30,000). And classic American automotive history is represented by the splendid 1930 Nash Ambassador 8 4-door sedan, in striking red and white livery. This head-turning automobile has a guide price of £25,000-£30,000.

The festival season is well and truly upon us, and the 1972 VW Type 2 Campervan on offer at Sandown Park is the perfect festival or holiday companion. In the last two years, it has been restored from a very sorry state to a very high standard by a VW specialist, retaining as many original parts as possible, including the engine, which has been retuned. The interior has been fully restored, with seats and trims reupholstered in white leather and new kitchen cabinetry and appliances installed. This lovely little campervan is just waiting to be snapped up and taken on adventures and has a guide price of £22,000-£27,000.

The 1975 Ford Granada Ghia Coupé going under the hammer on July 16 has been the subject of a 15-year nut-and-bolt restoration, with absolutely every component either reconditioned or replaced. This rare machine has only been driven on dry roads since the restoration was completed. Guide price: £9,000-£12,000.

Another immaculate motor car is the 1970 Rover 3.5-litre P5B. This handsome vehicle has been lovingly maintained throughout its life and has a comprehensive history file going back to when it was new, confirming the recorded mileage of 68,000. Guide price: £13,000-£16,000.

The 1973 Alfa Romeo GT Junior 1600 is perfect for road use and track days. It is fitted with an Alfa Romeo 2.0 litre Twin Spark engine and an Alfaholics fast road suspension set-up. In need of some cosmetic TLC, it has covered just 66,000 miles and has a guide price of £14,000-£18,000.

The charming 1961 Morris Mini Van in the sale is being sold by its only-ever owner and comes complete with documents including the order form for the van and the factory warranty. Amazingly it still has the original front and rear sub-frames and factory foam-filled sills. Guide price: £4,000-£6,000.

Early Volvo estates have a growing fanbase in the classic world, being both charismatic and hugely practical. The sale features a 1970 145 DL restoration project; with good examples now changing hands for more than £13,000 this is a great opportunity at a guide price of £1,000-£2,000.

Finally, the sale features two powerful Honda motorcycle combinations, both in very good condition and all being offered at realistic reserves. The 1982 Goldwing with Watsonian Sidecar has a guide price of £1,500-£3,000, while the1988 CB1000F combination is listed at £1,000-£2,000. Only being sold due to the recent passing of their owner, they are joined in a sale by a third Honda motorcycle from the same estate, a very good 1989 example of the VFR 750F, complete with original matching bright red panniers (£500-£1,500).

For more information, or to consign a vehicle to the sale, please visit www.barons-auctions.com.

A (SILVER) GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS

A (SILVER) GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS

Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

Whether you’re a long-time classic car owner looking to add to your collection, are about to take your first steps into the joy of classic car ownership or are planning to delight someone by presenting them with their own piece of four-wheeled history for Christmas, Sandown Park race course is the place to be on Tuesday, December 11th, when a diverse selection of classic and collectors’ cars go under the hammer at Barons’ Christmas Classic Sale. With everything from starter classics and stately 1920s and 30s limousines to sleek sports cars and a fine array of future-classics, the sale entries have a wide appeal.

Christmas is a popular time for ghost stories, and Barons will have a very special Silver Ghost at Sandown Park. The 1921 RHD Rolls-Royce is one of just two built in the American Springfield factory that was equipped with artillery wooden wheels. This wonderfully-original Willoughby-bodied Pickwick Town Car has covered less than 26,000 miles in its 97-year history. It spent over 45 years in a museum in the USA and has covered just over 5,000 miles since 1989. Guide price: £125,000-£150,000.

Always fancied owning your own ‘Panda’ car?  You have two to choose from! The 1968 Morris Minor is the real deal - an ex-Scotland Yard vehicle that served with the Met until 1977. ‘Bobby’ has undergone a bare shell restoration and is just yearning to go out on patrol with a new owner.  The 1963 Morris Mini Police Van is a more theatrical version - unlike the Morris Minor it’s not been on the Force, but it has played a Police vehicle on TV, featuring in ITV’s hugely popular ‘Heartbeat’ series.  ‘Bobby’ has a guide price of £4,000-£6,000, while the little TV star Mini has a guide price of £8,000-£10,000.

Early cars in the sale also include a trio of 1930s Vauxhalls - a 1933 Cadet (£12,000-£15,000), and two BXL Grosvenor limousines; a 1936 example (£14,000-£17,000) that is one of one nine Grosvenor Westminster Limousines ever built and a BXL from 1939 that still features its WW2 Army number under the bonnet (£13,000-£17,000).

Joining the Silver Ghost and the three Vauxhalls in the ‘venerable’ section of the sale is a splendid 1928 Nash Open Tourer. This handsome machine was built in the USA for the Australian market so is RHD. It could be a memorable addition to any wedding. Estimate: £23,000-£27,000.  

Barons’ Christmas Classic features two very rare Austin Princess Vanden Plas Limousines, which are also ideal for weddings.  The 1954 example (£9,000-£12,000) managed to escape the fate that befell so many of its fellows, that of being converted to a taxi, while the 1960 version is an even more rare Landaulet limousine (£11,000-£14,000).  Another very fine wedding car is the 1952 Humber Pullman. It is believed that only eight examples still exist, and this good-looking machine has a guide price of £12,000-£15,000.

The sale also includes two Range Rover Classic restoration projects, which are each offered at no reserve, an early four-door 1983 example and a 1992 example is a rare manual petrol version, of the type that saw military use, particularly with the Special Forces.

Sports and GT cars also feature strongly on the December 11 line-up, including a very rare and very original 1974 Audi 100S Coupé sports fastback which has recently been imported from South Africa (£9,000-£12,000).  Another rarity is the stunning and incredibly low-mileage 1982 Alfa Romeo GTV6 (£15,000-£17,000). This has been the subject of a full glass and interior out respray and a sympathetic recommissioning to keep the car as original as possible and has covered less than 23,000 miles since 1982. And the 2007 Aston Martin DB9 is a glamorous future classic that, at £28,000-£32,000, should provide many years of stylish and powerful motoring for the lucky buyer.

BMW fans have several to choose from, including a 1973 2002 Baur Convertible ‘barn-find’. This lovely little car is hoping for her own Christmas present - a new owner who will enjoy restoring her and taking her out and about.  Estimate £5,000-£6,000. There’s also a great selection of Mercedes to pick from, including a truly magnificent 1968 250SE with just 48,000 miles on the clock (£15,000-£17,500).

There’s plenty to choose from in the sub-£3,000 range, too - a great ‘shopping mall’ for would-be first-time classic or ‘future-classic’ owners.  Lots include the low-mileage 1974 MGB GT (£2,000-£3,000), 1997 Jaguar XJ Executive (£1,500-£3,000), 1997 Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 Kompressor roadster (£1,500-£2,250) and the 1995 MG FG 1.8i, one of the first 4,500 off the line at Abingdon (£900-£1,200).

For further information please visit www.barons-auctions.com.