Hammer to fall on rare vintage cars

A few years ago, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) bought one of the biggest car collections in the UK. Most of the vehicles were British, many being Jaguar and Land Rover products. Now JLR has decided to start disposing of the models that are not essential to its heritage collection. The first 100 of them will go under the hammer at an auction in Bicester, UK, in March.

Hosted by Bicester Heritage’s official auction partner Brightwells, the Affordable Classics event sees a vast array of rare and low-mileage models go up for grabs from Britain’s most revered classic marques — including Austin, Ford, Morris, Rover and Triumph.

The former RAF Bicester turned-historic-motoring community will host the auction, which will also include a collection of fantastic children’s pedal cars, boats, caravans and large-scale model aircraft.

Four wheels will be the main attraction however, and the action will include a one-of-a-kind Reliant Scimitar prototype with Ferguson four-wheel drive. For those with performance in mind, a Vauxhall 2300 HS Chevette or the rare Metro Turbo or Maestro Turbo might also fit the bill.

The range of obscure estate cars will be sure to catch the eye too, including a 1960 Vauxhall Velox by Martin Walter, two Victors from 1964 and 1972, a Rover P6 3500 estate, two low-mileage Citroen CX Familiales, a low-mileage Polski Fiat 125P and no fewer than three Ford Zodiac estates by Abbot.

Away from UK classics, there will be a selection of Mercedes-Benz models, including an extremely rare 1993 320CE manual with astonishingly just 18,000 miles on the clock. On top of this, there’s a stunning prewar "barn find" Peugeot 203 and a 403 Commerciale.

"We are absolutely delighted to have been asked by Jaguar Land Rover Classic to auction off of part of its significant Classic Collection," Matthew Parkin, head of Brightwells Classic Cars, said. "Focusing solely on non-Jaguar Land Rover products, the diversity of the lots on offer is extraordinary, offering everything from a Riva-style Speedboat to the unique Scimitar Ferguson prototype — all at no reserve.

"The assembly of vehicles on offer was clearly carefully curated, with rare or particularly low-mileage examples of cult classics selected. It’s safe to say it’s going to be a lot of fun."

Auction is set to take place on Wednesday 21st March 2018.

This article was originally published by the Business Day.
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