Historics never fails to impress with the variety, quality and breadth of its auctions – and its May 3 sale was no exception

the 165-lot sale proving a success. With summer approaching, convertibles were in strong demand, including a 1969 MGC roadster repatriated from America and converted to right-hand drive in 1989, earning a £16,016 sale price. A stunning 1971 Triumph TR6 ‘CP’ that benefitted from over £20,000 worth of restoration changed hands for £19,448, while a more prestigious British roadster, the 1974 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 V12, sold for £51,480.

An eye-catching 1986 Bentley Continental Convertible fetched £57,200, while four generations of Mercedes SL vied for bidder attention – a 1962 190SL (one of just 562 right-hand drive cars) described as ‘near concours condition’ sold for £120,120, a beautifully-restored 1971 230SL ‘Pagoda’ sported the 280 engine and made £68,640, a 1988 R107 420SL in the lesser-seen hue of Pajett Red earned £23,452, and a 2006 R230 SL350 presented well despite its 112,000 miles and sold for £10,010. There were drop-top bargains too – a 2008 Daihatsu Copen sold for £2059, while just £572 bought a 1997 Ford Escort Mk6 Ghia Cabriolet.

Luxury cars proved popular too, a very smart 1985 Jaguar XJ6 Series 3 Sovereign selling without reserve for £5720. Those preferring a two-door Jaguar competed over the 1987 XJ-S V12 coupe, whose low 50,000 miles and excellent condition saw it sell for £11,440. Crewe-built luxury was plentiful: a 1997 Bentley Turbo R with 73,000 miles sold for £10,582, while a 2001 Arnage R successor went without reserve for £11,440. A 1969 Rolls-Royce Corniche FHC (one of 369) looked flawless following light restoration in 2016 and made £18,304, while a 2000 Silver Seraph found a new home for the same figure.

There were some daily-use friendly classics selling well too, from a charming 1965 Morris Minor 1000 that looked superb following restoration in 2012 and sold for £6578, to a rare 1992 Subaru SVX that sold for £3432 and a 1994 Lotus Elan M100 Final Edition, which made £5468.

For the full list of results, head to historics.co.uk

  • With Mercedes W123 values rising, its BMW E28 rival is catching up – this 28,000-mile 1987 518i looked very smart and had just one previous owner, earning it a £9724 sale price
  • Cosmetically standard and seemingly very tidy, this 1939 Ford V8 DeLuxe sported a rebuilt ‘small block’ Chevrolet engine producing circa-375bhp. Subject to a ‘no expense spared’ restoration, it sold for an impressive £34,320
  • This charming 1979 Citroën Mehari was imported by the vendor in 2020 and is thought to have been restored given its exemplary condition, which saw it sell for £14,300
  • Described as ‘time warp condition’, this 1990 Mercedes C126 420SEC had just 39,000 miles and three former keepers to its name. Surely one of the tidiest, most original SECs on the market, it sold for £22,308
  • Stunning in metallic dark brown with a custom tan-over-brown interior, this 1994 Rover Mini Cooper was subject to a £14,000 restoration a decade ago, the outstanding quality of the work seeing it fetch a £22,880 sale price
  • Like the BMW, this stunning 1991 Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9 had just one previous owner and sported a fresh respray in its original Laser Green – its new owner saw fit to pay £18,590 for the ‘80s icon
  • Previous featured in Cold War spy thriller, The Ipcress File, this 1957 Austin FX3 Taxi presented well following a restoration in 2010. It sold for £7779
  • Not the Rolls-Royce Corniche but its lesser-seen sister car, this 1986 Bentley Continental Convertible was in fantastic condition and had over £30,000 spent on it by the vendor since 2018 – justifiably, it sold for £57,200