Silverstone Auctions returned to the NEC Classic Motor Show recording a staggering £9.2m worth of collective car, motorcycle and automobilia sales.
The three-day auction commenced on Friday with a dedicated motorcycle sale, the first ever Silverstone Auctions has done at the NEC Classic Motor Show. With one hundred impressive motorcycle examples offered up for sale, over 81% of lots sold, achieving over half-a-million pounds. An assortment of adventure bikes, café racers, scooters and sidecars all featured, but several rare and historically significant lots caught the bidder’s attention. The standouts being an immaculate 1939 Brough Superior SS80 with Alpine Petrol Tube Side car, selling for £61,875 and a 1946 Indian Model 346, which sold for £24,750.
Saturday and Sunday’s car auctions garnered the interest of thousands, with people watching the sale in the room, via the Silverstone Auctions website and from other bidding channels. Significantly, over 1500 bidders registered for the event, with some placing bids from as far as Australia, the United States and the Cayman Islands.
The car sale began on Saturday with a special charity lot, a 1979 VW Type 2 Camper Van, which was meticulously restored over three years. The project was coordinated by Practical Classics Magazine and Lancaster Insurance Services. The vehicle was purchased for a generous £15,750, with all proceeds going to their charity partner Prostate Cancer UK.
The atmosphere throughout both days of the car auction was sensational. Sales were relentless throughout the weekend, with many lots achieving or exceeding the stated estimates. Offered early on the Saturday was the Williams F1 ‘Red 5’ FW14 Display Car, thought to be the only surviving genuine factory build display car in existence. Sold at ‘No Reserve’, the car achieved an impressive £154,125. Later, a white 1987 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, with just 5,545 miles on the clock, sold for an astounding £103,500.
Our own Mike Brewer was delighted to see all five of his vehicles sell, with the 1972 Citroen SM 2.7 purchased in the room for £41,062. The bidding concluded with a round of applause and a handshake from Brewer himself. The Mike Brewer Collection sold for a total of £230,000.
The star cars of the show though were undoubtably the stunning 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC, selling for an astonishing £540,000 and the 1937 SS100 Jaguar 21⁄2-Litre Roadster, sold on the Sunday for £281,250. The latter vehicle is regarded as one of the most sought-after pre-war sports cars in existence.
Automobilia sales across the weekend also generated £180,000 worth of sales, with a dozens of collectables, pictures, watches and number plates crossing the block – many achieving well over the top estimates.
Commenting on the auction weekend, Nick Whale, Silverstone Auctions’ Managing Director said:”I am delighted with how the weekend went. There was a fantastic atmosphere in the room; a real buzz, something we really missed last year. I am happy we could sell so many fantastic vehicles on behalf of our venders; no doubt the buyers are just as thrilled with their purchases. We are already looking forward to a busy, successful year in 2022.”
Silverstone Auctions will return next year, with the first event taking place in late February.
*All sold prices included within this article are inclusive of the final hammer price and buyer’s premium of 12.5% for cars and bikes, and 20% for automobilia.
