Market Intelligence
Nice party grandma
Bonhams defied the odds and successfully held an auction of vintage cars without a physical event, widening the range of vehicles to include cars up until 1939. The sale, dedicated to the “Golden Age of Motoring 1886-1939”, sold 19 out of 34 cars (55.9%) for a total of £3,281,000 out of £4,911,000 (66.8%). The top lot was the Fowler 10HP B6 Showman “The Lion” model, which sold for £911,000, followed by a 1901 Panhard & Levassor Type A2 7hp Twin-Cylinder Rear Entrance Tonneau sold for £322,000. Other notable sales include a 1938 Lagonda V12 Drophead Coupé sold for £132,250, a 1929 Bugatti Type 40 Grand Sport Tourer sold for £310,500, and an Alta 1.5 Supercharged sold for £90,850.
The news, dating back to the beginning of this year, was one of the more juicy stories: after more than a decade, Bonhams would leave the patronage of London-Brighton to its rival RM. For RM, however, it was an unfortunate decision: no event because of Covid-19 and no auction. Bonhams took the opportunity by the horns and organized a sale that widened the range of vehicles on offer slightly, so whereas before experts only allowed cars up until 1904 (the veteran car entry cut-off date for the London-Brighton) this year they went up until 1939, thus giving rise to a sale dedicated to the “Golden Age of Motoring 1886-1939”.
The result? Far from obvious. In a period of social, economic and health uncertainties, successfully selling 19 lots out of the 34 cars on offer (55.9%) that are no longer as fashionable as they were a few decades ago without any event that could attract visitors, but more importantly selling more than two-thirds at their estimates (£3,281,000 out of £4,911,000 or 66.8%), allowed Bonhams deliver a much better result than far better-known auctions have managed of late.
1932 Fowler 10HP B6 Showman'S Road Locomotive 'The Lion’ sold for £911,000
