Billed as a ‘Super Auction’, Iconic Auctioneers brought a bigger-than-ever sale to the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show at Birmingham’s NEC on November 7-9

Filling nearly the entirety of Hall 2, Iconic Auctioneers’ latest auction featured 650 classic car, motorcycle and automobilia entries, with Iconic Sale taking place on the Saturday of the show to cater for the higher-end collectors’ and competition cars (covered here), and the Classic Sale on Sunday to cater more for the enthusiasts’ market (we’ll cover this in a separate review).

With bids in the room, online and on the phone, buyers battled to secure several interesting classics, with a trend for lower- and under-estimate sales helping some to secure some relative bargains. In true Iconic style, however, there was no shortage of high-flying headliners setting live auction world records. Rallying icons of the 1980s performed particularly well, with a replica Audi Quattro SWB changing hands for £157,500, a 1985 Renault 5 Turbo 2 achieving £88,875 and a remarkable Ford RS200 S selling for an estimate-beating £382,500 to applause in the room – a live auction world record.

Further iconic Fords included the 2000 Focus Mk1 WRC (ex‑Sainz/Moya & McRae/Grist), which sold mid-estimate for £393,750, plus an unrestored 1977 Escort Mk2 RS1800 that sold for an astonishing £261,000. Another record result was achieved by a 5565-mile Capri 280 Brooklands, which was offered with a guide between £35,000-£45,000 but sold for £63,000, with a 1964 Consul Cortina Mk1 1500 Super that had been rebuilt to concours standards setting another record at £24,750.

In addition, another RS Escort, time a sympathetically restored Mk1 RS1600 was once a press car, sold for £64,166. Another press Escort, this time a 1980 XR3 believed to be the only launch car in original condition was sold for £21,937, and a third former press car, not a Ford this time but a 1977 Vauxhall Chevette HS, sold for £32,625.

YouTube star and Evo magazine founder Harry Metcalfe had a great day out with three cars and multiple bikes included in the sale. His 1978 Jaguar XJC, manual-converted and upgraded by Tom Lenthal, garnered plenty of interest and sold considerably over estimate for a record-breaking £157,500, while his Lamborghini Espada also went for an guide-beating £132,750

Other highlights included a 1959 Morris Mini Minor De-Luxe sold above guide for £33,750, plus a 1963 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8 FHC offered directly by Rowan Atkinson. Offered with no reserve, it sold for £78,750.

Also offered without reserve was 1961 Volkswagen Type 2 Double Door Deluxe, which sold for a massive £92,950 and saw all proceeds going to the Great Ormond Street Hospital. There was also time for a Range Rover Vogue SE 3.6 TDV8 supplied new to HM Queen Elizabeth II. Offered with a £50,000-£60,000 guide, it sold for £66,375.

For the full list of results, see the Iconic Auctioneers website.

  • Preceded earlier in the sale by an exquisitely restored example of the same model which failed to change hands, this unrestored 1977 Ford Escort RS1800 had just 34,811 miles under its wheels. An undoubted sale star, it sold for a whopping £261,000
  • Subject of a fun bidding war over the phones but eventually sold to a buyer in France, this beautifully presented 1971 Range Rover Suffix A showed just 58,400 miles, but needed light recommissioning. It sold just under its guide for £33,187
  • A fully restored 'Avon Limited Edition' originally built from leftover stocks, this 1983 Talbot Sunbeam Lotus was restored using a new old stock shell that had been modified to the correct Avon spec in period by Skip Brown Cars. Featured on the Bangers and Cash TV show, the car sold above guide for £37,688
  • Ordered new in 2002 by actor Hugh Grant, this 2002 Aston Martin Vanquish’s power and Bond connection didn’t seem to have much bearing on its eventual sale price. Presented in great condition and with low miles, the luxurious V12 Aston looked like fantastic value at £39,375
  • Another real star of the sale was this manual-converted, tastefully modified 1978 Jaguar XJ-C offered direct from Evo magazine founder and YouTuber Harry Metcalfe. It was estimated at £60,000-£80,000 but drew much applause when it sold for £157,500
  • An incredibly clean example of a desirable limited edition, this 1985 Peugeot 205 Lacoste sure to do well with just 26,389 miles from new and a stellar maintenance record. Offered without reserve, the diminutive Peugeot sold for an impressive £11,700
  • Billed as perhaps the finest road-going SWB Quattro replica around, this Tornado Red rally car for the road started life as a standard 1985 Audi Coupe but was meticulously converted using several Sport Quattro components. It beat its £120,000 upper estimate to sell for £157,500
  • Proving that great-condition, low-mileage performance Volkswagens are still hanging on to their values, this 38,609-mile Corrado VR6 was presented in remarkably original condition. The 1995 example was estimated at £20,000-£25,000, but went on to reach £27,000