Just when you think WB & Sons can’t pull any more magic out of its auction hat, along comes its next sale on October 29 with another superb line-up of classics

Words: Jeff Ruggles

Desirable rarities, traditional classics and one-offs are all set to feature at WB & Sons’ next sale on October 29. This time there’s a real sporting bias, however, with a host of hot hatches and powerful variants to get pulses racing.

How about a Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9 from 1992? It’s thought to be unique in yellow and carries a guide price of £14,000-£18,000. Also guaranteed to attract attention is a 1988 Vauxhall Nova GTE that’s covered only 35,000 miles and is guided at £14,000-£16,000. And from the post-2000 era of hyper hatches comes an Alfa Romeo 147 GTa, 3.2-litre Busso V6 and all; the beautiful red example is guided at £12,000-£15,000, but if you prefer a saloon there are two examples of the equivalent 156 GTa.

A couple of contemporary fast Subarus are also included, with a desirable 1999 Impreza WRX Type RA Limited estimated at £12,000-£16,000, joined by a 280bhp twin-turbo load lugger in the shape of a 2001 Legacy GTB ‘E-tune’, guided at an alluring £7000-£9000. Adding a much luxurious slant is a Jaguar S-Type R from 2002, with a pair of Bentley Arnages offering yet more prestige.

Rewinding back to the ’80s once more, an immaculate 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i is estimated at £14,000-£16,000, and you’ll also find a couple of Capris – one a 1986 2.0 Laser that could command as much as £15,000. Meanwhile, a very tidy 1985 VW Golf Cabriolet might offer a cut-price route to GTI ownership, while for those after a rotary twist there’s a superb example of an early Mazda RX-7 from the same year.

For those preferring two seats, an MGF and a later TF are joined by a smart M100 Lotus Elan SE from 1991, a Mk1 Audi TT and a 2000 Porsche Boxter S, while earlier cars include two Fiat X1/9s, a 1974 Alfa Spider, a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine and a 1964 Austin-Healey 3000. As for traditional tin-top classics, there’s a 1954 Austin A40 Somerset, a 1968 Morris Minor and a VW Beetle from the same year, while a Maestro City X and Mk1 Vauxhall Astra 1300 are both potential Festival of the Unexceptional contenders. Full the full catalogue, see wbandsons.com

  • One of the more traditional classics in the sale is this lovely 1954 Austin A40 Somerset. Very smart in grey with a leather interior showing just the right amount of patina, it’s estimated at £4000-£6000.
  • Perhaps one for brave souls only, this 1964 Citroën DS has been imported from sunny California, so is likely to be more solid than it first appears. It’s far from a weekend project, but at an estimated £3000-£4000 it could be a worthwhile one.
  • A rare pre-war example in right-hand drive, this 1937 Fiat 500 ‘Topolino’ is a UK car, sold new to a buyer in Dundee. It’s in very good condition with plenty of history, and is expected to command £8000-£12,000.
  • A one-owner car with 42,000 miles and lots of paperwork, this humble 1988 Maestro City X 1.3 isn’t immaculate but is an impressive survivor. It carries a guide price of £1000-£3000.
  • UK-supplied from new and until recently displayed in a Mazda main dealer’s classic collection, this 1985 RX-7 has covered 73,000 miles and looks to be in exceptional condition. It’s estimated at £18,000-£22,000.
  • In immaculate condition with a documented history and 35,000 miles from new, this 1988 Vauxhall Nova GTE is something of a unicorn. It’s guided at £14,000-£16,000.
  • The Renault Juvaquatre was a pre-war design that remained in production in estate-bodied Dauphinoise guise until 1960. This 1957 example is in excellent condition and was driven to the auction house. It’s guided at £4000-£6000.
  • A very clean example in excellent condition, this 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i looks the part in white and comes with its original pepperpot wheels in the boot. It’s guided at £14,000-£16,000.
  • This 1999 Subaru Impreza WRX is a desirable Type RA Limited variant produced for the Japanese market. Imported a few years ago, it shows the equivalent of 95,000 miles and is expected to sell for £12,000-£16,000.