After a well-earned summer break, WB & Sons returns to auction action on Saturday, September 9 with a bumper sale featuring over 170 lots

Words: Jeff Ruggles

There’s brilliant variety among the lots set for WB & Sons’ next sale, with entries ranging from traditional British saloons through to motorsport-bred heroes.

When it comes to the latter, how about a 1991 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth Rouse Sport 304R? This upgraded 260bhp variant of the 4×4 Sapphire was designed and tested by British touring car legend Andy Rouse and made available through 18 select Ford RS dealers. With only 76 304Rs made they are rare cars, but incredibly WB have two in the same colour, one with leather trim and one with cloth. The former is guided at £45,000-£55,000, the latter at £55,000-£65,000.

But if that’s not enough, there’s another car with a Cosworth connection – this time a 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16. That’s special enough in itself, but this example was one of two purchased by the Team Lotus Formula One team, and there’s a very real chance it could’ve been Aryton Senna’s regular steed. It’s guided at an attractive £18,000-£24,000.

Continuing the Lotus theme is a 1998 Esprit V8 GT and a 1990 Esprit Turbo SE, plus a highly sought-after 2000 Elise S1 Type 49 – one of just 92 special edition cars produced to commemorate the Lotus Type 49 of the 1960s and featuring the iconic red over white paintwork with a gold stripe.

Fans of 1980s cars are also very well catered for. A 1985 Volkswagen Scirocco GTS with just one owner from new looks to be a stunning example and is expected to sell for £6000-£8000, while a 1980 Vauxhall Cavalier GLS Sports Hatch shows just 23,485 miles and is estimated at £4000-£6000. You’ll also find another child of the 1980s in the shape of a Peugeot 309 GTI, albeit a 1991 example in this case, and a rather unusual one in that it has been imported from Japan and features an automatic gearbox.

Older vehicles that caught our eye include a 1964 Singer Gazelle in special order monotone black that was originally destined for Bermuda but never left the UK, plus a stunning 1970 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, a 1971 Ford Escort with a Zetec engine conversion, a 1961 Ford Consul in wonderful condition, various Minis and much more besides. See wbandsons.com for the full catalogue.

  • A rather bold example of the sought-after BMW Z3M Coupe, this 2000 car is presented in rare Dakar Yellow and comes with a host of AC Schnitzer parts. It was a Category D insurance write-off early in its life, but comes with a huge history file and is estimated at an attractive £20,000-£25,000.
  • Owned by the current vendor since 1985, this 1980 Vauxhall Cavalier GLS Sports Hatch covered just over 100 miles in his ownership before being stored in 1986. Now recommissioned but still showing plenty of patina, it has covered a mere 26,485 miles and is guided at £4000-£6000.
  • With just 76 built, the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth Rouse Sport 304R is a rare beast indeed, but remarkably, WB & Sons had two in the same auction and both in the same colour. This example has the rarer cloth trim and has been subject to a nut-and-bolt restoration. It’s guided at £55,000-£65,000.
  • A Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth is another rare car in its own right, but this 1985 example is one of two high specification cars originally owned by Team Lotus, where it was believed to have been used by Ayrton Senna. It comes with a massive history file and is estimated at £18,000-£24,000.
  • This Peugeot 309 GTI is unusual in a couple of ways. Not only was it supplied new in Japan in 1991 before being imported to the UK in March 2023, but it also features automatic transmission. It shows the equivalent of just 31,000 miles and is expected to command £8000-£12,000.
  • Believed to have been among 115 examples originally destined for government use in Bermuda, this 1964 Singer Gazelle automatic was specially ordered in monotone black but never left the UK. In great condition and very original, it’s guided at £7000-£9000.
  • One of six Triumphs in the sale is this lovely Speke-built TR7 fixed-head coupe dating from 1976. Originally registered in East Anglia and showing just 37,000 miles, it boasts an immaculate interior and is expected to change hands for £10,000-£14,000.