Brightwells’ eclectic auction track record looks set to continue in earnest with its next sale on May 8

Porsche fans will find something for every budget in the May Brightwells sale, with the headliner being a real rarity in the shape of an early 356A Cabriolet. A 1956 example, it’s a Reutter-built car imported from Denmark and although currently running a VW engine, it’s accompanied by a correct Porsche motor on a pallet. It needs a full restoration but there’s no shortage of classic Porsche expertise in the UK and it looks to be complete.

The hefty estimate of £100,000–120,000 reflects its rarity, but at the other end of the scale, a Guards Red Boxster S from 2001 can be found in the accompanying Online Garage sale at just £3000–4000. Positioned somewhere between these two extremes are an appealing Porsche 924 from 1983 looking great on 924 Turbo wheels at £2500–3500, plus a 993-generation 911 Cabriolet. Sitting on Cup alloys, the six-speed manual is estimated at £45,000-£50,000.

Meanwhile, a world away from Stuttgart’s finest is the humble appeal of a ’54 Morris Minor sold with no reserve, pairing the split windscreen and the A-Series engine – usefully uprated in this case to the 1098cc unit.

More traditional British fare comes with a larger price tag; a Mk2 Jaguar 3.8 manual is estimated at £25,000–28,000, while a Morgan Plus 4 that looks like a contemporary of the Minor but is actually a 2006 model running the Ford Duratec engine, is estimated at £24,000–28,000. More affordable is a ’67 Austin-Healey Sprite rebuilt into a Heritage shell a decade ago and sporting a telescopic damper upgrade. Needing some cosmetics, it’s estimated at £4200-£5200 or roughly half the £8000–10,000 estimate of the Italian equivalent, an unusually solid and original 1978 example of the Fiat X1/9.

It’s back to Stuttgart for the 1970 Mercedes W108 saloon, this being a 280SE which has spent most of its life under the South African sun and for its estimated £11,000–13,000 looks like a much better bet than trying to restore a British example. Registration and bidding for the Classic Cars sale opens on Saturday, May 4 from 10am and closes on Wednesday, May 8 from 2.01pm.

Bidding for the Online Garage sale begins on Wednesday, May 8 from 10am and ends on Thursday, May 9 from 12.01pm.

  • A South African import, this Mercedes 280SE hasn’t seen much use on British roads since coming here in 2021 and is guided at £11,000 –13,000.
  • A 2006 example of the Plus 4, this Morgan combines traditional looks with modern Ford Duratec power for an estimated £24,000 –28,000.
  • The Series 2 Morris Minor combined the split-screen styling with the A-Series engine, but the 803cc original in this no reserve ’54 car has been upgraded to the more useable 1098cc version.
  • One for the heavyweight Porsche collectors, this 1956 Reutter-built 356A Cabriolet restoration project commands a £100,000 –120,000 estimate.
  • Don’t be fooled by the Turbo alloys; this is the regular 2.0-litre Porsche 924. In in need of cosmetic improvement, it’s guided at an attractive £2500 –3500.
  • The last of the air-cooled Porsche 911s, the 993 generation is particularly sought-after. This manual 41,500-mile 1994 Cabriolet is estimated at £45,000 –50,000.
  • Unusual in Guards Red, this Mk1 Boxster is the 3.2S model and comes with the desirable six-speed manual for an estimated £3000 –4000.