REVIEW: SWVA, 61 RINGWOOD ROAD, POOLE, DORSET, BH14 0RG JANUARY 26

The season-opener at SWVA’s Poole site saw some 54 classics going under the hammer in a catalogue which included an eclectic selection of vehicles from a humdrum but admittedly rare Mk3 Vauxhall Cavalier GLi and a Rover Metro at one end of the spectrum, to a Porsche 911 Turbo in wide-body spec and a Jaguar XK150 at the upper end.

The sale had a few enticing projects, too: a pair of non-runner MGB Roadster projects (one ’65 and one ’67) plus an Aston Martin V8. It was this which proved the runaway star of the show as bidding took it to a final sale price of £44,000 plus premium – exactly double the lower pre-sale estimate.

Between these two extremes, bidders had a diverse choice including an Austin 7 saloon at a wallet-friendly £5000, a Humber Hawk and a tempting Rover SD1 in the sought-after Vanden Plas EFi spec which beat its estimate handsomely to make £5450 plus premium.

SWVA’s next sale is on April 27 at the usual Parkstone venue.

The pair of down-at-heel MGB roadsters had come from the same deceased estate. The ’67 car sold for £1700 and the ’65 for £2850. Although complete they were both sold as non-runner projects.

It may lack glamour but the Rover Metro is fast becoming an endangered species. This 19,000-mile slice of forgotten Rover history was consigned with no reserve and sold for £1050.

Classic Mini values are rising steadily these days, even the Rover-era cars, which made this 1991 Sidewalk look like good value at £1900.

Being an original Italian-made 126 made this Fiat a rarity; so many in the UK are the later Polish-made 126p. Imported in 2015, this 1975 example had been extensively rebuilt mechanically by a Uk specialist. Running the original air-cooled 954cc twin, it was knocked down for £2000

Another once-common car now on the endangered list is the Mk3 Cavalier. We had to forcibly prevent our MD from buying this GLi himself, but it eventually went for £525.

Another tempting ’90s survivor was this Mercedes 190E with the useful 2.6-litre motor. In decent condition it was showing 168,000 miles but did back this up with a solid history and sold for £800.

Just three owners have travelled less than 53,000 miles in this Humber Hawk since 1966. With bills in the history folder showing much expenditure, it’s said to be an impressively original example and made £6200 against an estimate of £3500-£4000.

You can’t fail to have fun with an Austin Seven and this charming saloon had been stood in a barn for years, so although up and running was advised to need recommissioning. Complete with a history file from the first owner in 1932, it sold for £5000 against an estimate of £3200-£3500.

Scimitar GTEs continue to be vastly under-valued and this was no exception. A 1973 example with the 3-litre Ford V6 and manual overdrive, it was estimated at £2000-£2750 but was sold for £3700.

First-generation MR2s are pretty thin on the ground, which made this an attractive alternative to an MX-5 or GTI for your £1500. Just put the Category D status to the back of your mind…

Now here’s a car which offers a champagne lifestyle on a beer budget… but they won’t stay that way for long. Recently recommissioned and newly MoT’d after four years in a barn, this Mercedes SL sported the more powerful 230bhp twin-cam 300-24 spec and was sold for £3300.

You don’t often get a chance to buy a sub-50,000-mile Rover SD1 and this one is in the desirable Vanden Plas Efi automatic spec. In great condition, this one was estimated at £3000-£3900 but made £5450.

This restored 1976 Land Rover bust its £5900-£6500 estimate to make £7600.

We know from personal experience how much cash a Morris Traveller restoration can soak up, which made this very presentable example good value at £6000.

Not for the faint-hearted admittedly, this Aston Martin V8 had been stored in a garage for 20 years and although running was going to need more than a bucket and sponge to bring it back to life. The sale price of £44,000 reflected the market’s love of Astons though, doubling the lower estimate of £22,000.