SWVA CLASSIC AUCTION, 27TH OCTOBER 2017
Whether it was the gorgeously sunny autumn weather, or traders were simply stocking up before winter, there was a busy and positive feel to South West Vehicle Auction’s October sale. A fabulous array of classic cars of all persuasions were on offer; 78 lots in total with an impressive 94% sell through. With a handful of exceptions, bidding was strong from the hall, over the phone and online.
Jaguars seemed to be reaching and exceeding their estimates rather easily. An XJ-S 3.6-litre coupe with manual gearbox reached a strong final bid of £8800, which felt quite peaky for what was in essence a fairly low spec example. On the flipside, the 1969 E-type 2+2 fhc exceeded its guide price but still appeared to be good value at £31,500.
There were two rubber-bumpered MG Midgets going through the auction, both only reached provisional bids of £2300 and £2200 respectively. Funny how these later MGs of the Abingdon era just don’t excite like the chrome versions; yet they make excellent classics. If they do finally find a home, someone will get a real classics bargain.
The main highlight from the bread and butter stuff was a Volvo 343GL. Registered in 1982 it had just 4420 warranted miles and fetched a bullish £3800. A 1970 Fiat 500, left-hand drive and imported to the UK in 1977 sold for a top of estimate price of £4800. It looked very tidy. Its British rival, the Mini was well represented with a handful up for grabs. It still amazes us just how strong Mini prices have become, and the last of the line Cooper Sport example at the auction was no exception, which sold for £14,500, around double the estimate.
Something more traditional was the glorious 1935 Humber Snipe. It looked resplendent so its £15,900 final price seemed pretty reasonable for such a fabulous slice of pre-war motoring history.
Overall, SWVA have to be satisfied with this sale. The team down there seem to really know how to turn cars around. The auctioneer’s pace of selling slowed when it was clear the audience needed time to appreciate what they were bidding on, yet it was swift and decisive when a fair price had been achieved. SWVA’s next auction is Friday 26th January, and we’ll definitely be there!
This 1972 MGB roadster fetched a reasonable £6100 plus premium
Minis continue to demand strong money. This last of the line example from 2000, a Cooper Sport, fetched a whopping £14500 plus premium
This 2.6 Rover SD1 may have been immaculate but even we were surprised by its final price of £6k
Jaguars proved popular as ever. This 4.0 facelift XJS reached £5300, while a fairly humdrum spec 3.6 manual XJ-S sold for a strong £8800
The much maligned Daimler SP250: this superb example, beautifully restored and supported by acres of paperwork, fetched £41,000
Best of the bread and butter stuff maybe? This ultra-low mileage Volvo 343GL sold for £3800 plus premium
Retro stuff proving popular. This neat and tidy E21 BMW 316 made the top of its estimate of £5500
This honest looking example of the Ford Zephyr Mk3 from 1964 certainly drew some attention. It exceeded its estimate, selling at what appears to be a reasonable £3700
Some Italian exotica in the form of this rare, original UK RHD Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider Veloce. It beat its guide price by quite some margin, hitting a final hammer price of £7500
