This year’s eagerly-anticipated International Autojumble at Beaulieu took place over the sun-bathed weekend of 14th and 15th September. Kim Henson was there and here’s what he found…
(All words by, and copyright, Kim Henson; photographs by, and copyright, Kim Henson and Chris Adamson, as individually credited. Grateful thanks to Chris for the use of his images).
To me there is something particularly atmospheric and special about the ‘Beaulieu’ Autojumbles, drawing me back year after year, and I know that this is the case with so many other classic vehicle enthusiasts too.
Of course for many it is the wide variety of classic components on offer that is the main reason for attending, and/or the opportunity to buy (or sell) a complete vehicie in the Automart arena, the Dealermart area, or through the Bonhams’ auction sale. That said, it is also a ‘social’ event where classic vehicle enthusiasts meet, chat, discuss their vehicles and generally put the classic world to rights.
Before moving on to the specifics of my own visit this year, I will mention some of the highlights of the show…
Custom car ‘king’ Andy Saunders was in attendance with his beautifully customised 1937 Cord 812 Westchester sedan, named ‘Tetanus’, pictured below:
Andy was willing to chat with enthusiasts about this amazing car, that he created, also his recently-published tour de force book, ‘The Automotive Alchemist’. In his own distinctive writing style, this comprehensive volume details Andy’s lifetime passion for cars and creating his world-renowned custom specials.
‘Tetanus’ really has to be seen ‘in the metal’ to fully appreciate the vision and top notch workmanship that has been put into this vehicle.
On display next to ‘Tetanus’ was ‘Angelina Icon’. This vehicle was bought, built and beautifully painted by Maxime Xaviers, and based on a ‘perpendicular’ Ford Popular.
A miniature version (called ‘Angelina Baby’!) of this superb car was displayed alongside the full-size vehicle! These wonderful creations attracted much interest; photographs below…
Molly Bridge, presenter of ‘Bridge Classic Cars’, popular on social media for her vintage style and classic car knowledge, attended too.
Once again ‘Practical Classics’ magazine was the Autojumble’s Media Partner, with their editorial team members on hand to chat with visitors.
While visiting their stand, on a personal level I was greatly saddened to hear of the passing of Theo Gillam, a stalwart of the PC team, a true classic enthusiast and a great ambassador for others. His enthusiasm, sense of humour and zest for life will be sadly missed. I always enjoyed my conversations with him at the Beaulieu Autojumbles (he loved these events), and I found his boundless optimism about his various challenging vehicle projects was always inspirational and encouraging to me, with my own cars.
The photograph below shows the PC stand, with Theo’s 1950 Barker-bodied Lanchester LD10 on display (and for sale).
A variety of one make/model classic car organisations added interest to the show, among them (in alphabetical order) were: Austin A30/A35 Owners’ Club, Austin Ten Drivers’ Club, Bean Car Club, BSA Front Wheel Drive Club, De Dion Bouton Club, Just Volvo (classic spares and club membership), Lagonda Club Ltd, MG Octagon Car Club, Morgan Sports Car Club, Morris Minor Owners Club, Morris Register, Rover Sports Register, Singer Motor Club, Singer Owners’ Club, Standard Motor Club, Sunbeam Talbot Alpine Register, Volvo Enthusiasts’ Club, Wolseley Hornet Special Club and Wolseley Register.
I spent some time on a few of these club stands, noting the genuine interest taken by passing enthusiasts, and witnessing several people signing-up to membership.
On the Saturday (14th) Bonhams held their classic vehicle auction, while those in search of a project or complete ‘pristine’ classic were able to scan those on sale in the Automart area, or to visit the Dealermart section. Later in this feature I am including photographs of, and notes about, some of the cars offered for sale.
Sunday 15th saw the return of the popular ‘Trunk Traders’ event, in which sellers offer their various automotive wares from the boots of their vehicles.
For those seeking a break from looking around the Autojumble, all the usual Beaulieu attractions were available to them (covered by their entry ticket), including the National Motor Museum, World of Top Gear Exhibition, Palace House and its surrounding grounds and gardens, the 13th Century Beaulieu Abbey and the ‘Little Beaulieu’ adventure playground.
The photographs below give a general flavour of the event, which again seemed to have a happy ‘buzz’, helped by the sunny weather!
To start with, one of my first automotive encounters of the day brought me face to face with a diminutive car that has always fascinated me; the Nobel 200. This example, dating from 1962, was for sale at £7,250 o.n.o, and a huge amount of the hard restoration work had already been done on the vehicle. It has a comfortable-looking interior and is powered by the same two stroke single cylinder engine as used in the Messerschmitt KR200. I was delighted to see this little car, the first example I had viewed close-up since 1969!
Bonhams Auction vehicles for sale
My colleague, fellow motoring writer, friend and classic enthusiast Chris Adamson was attracted to several of the fascinating cars for sale within the Bonhams marquee; there were many others on offer too.
Examples that Chris highlighted were the following:
On the left in this shot (above) is a 1934 Lagonda M35R 3.5 Litre T9 Tourer, said to be one of an estimated 65 examples built, originally bodied as a saloon and with replica T9 Tourer coachwork. It carried a pre-auction estimate of £65,000 to £75,000 and sold for £69,000 including premium.
On the right in Chris’s photograph above is a 1926 Sunbeam 3.0 Litre Super Sports Tourer, being sold from family ownership that dates back to 1945, and with Post-War competition history plus a vast file of records relating to the car. It is one of 42 survivors of just 315 built. Its pre-auction estimate was between £130,000 and £160,000, but sold for £115,000 including premium.
The blue car on the left in Chris’s photograph above is a 1912 Overland Model 59 30hp Tourer. It is said to be an original right-hand drive model, imported from the U.S.A. in 2008, and having had an engine rebuild in 2005. The pre-auction estimate was £15,000 to £20,000, and it found a new home for £14,375 including premium.
The car on the right in the photograph is a 1920 Buick K-45 Tourer, owned by the same family between 1920 and 1981, and said to have been extensively restored in the U.S.A. It’s a five/six seater and features a 4.0 litre six cylinder engine. Its pre-auction estimate was £19,000 to £23,000 but it attracted a winning bid of £16,100 including premium.
The Bonhams catalogue tells us that this 1931 Auburn 8-98 Aero Sports (pictured above) was built by an engineer and enthusiast, and features a 9.8 litre WW1 Sturtevant aero engine. It carried an estimate of between £100,000 and £120,000 but didn’t sell at the auction.
With striking coachwork by Dietrich, the 1929 Packard Series 645 Deluxe Eight Sport Phaeton pictured above is said to have been restored in the 1980s and well-maintained since, and has been a multiple concours award-winner in the U.S.A. Its pre-auction estimate at Beaulieu was £100,000 to £140,000 and it sold for £103,500 including premium.
More cars for sale in the Bonhams Auction
In the arena outside the marquee, and also offered for sale by Bonhams, my attention was drawn to the following examples… In each case the information is included after the photograph.
I very much liked the look of this 1935 Talbot 75 Sports Saloon (above), with coachwork by Darracq. The car is said to have been in the ownership of one family from 1936 to 2009, and had an engine rebuild by Formhalls in 2012. It carried a pre-auction estimate of £25,000 to £30,000 and was sold for £19,550 including premium.
With an estimate of £28,000 to £36,000, this attractive Austin Mini Cooper S, with a 1293cc Steve Harris Engineering engine plus a straight-cut gearbox, looked the business, and is said to have been upgraded for historic road rallying. However it didn’t sell at the auction.
I have always thought that the 1930s Lancia Aprilia Pillarless models were especially attractive saloons of their time, as well as being innovative in so many ways. This 1937 example was sold by Bonhams for £14,950 including premium, against a pre-auction estimate of between £15,000 and £20,000. To me the car looked superb. It is said to have been in original ownership until 1995, extensively restored in 2002 by John Savage, and dry storage preserved since 2005 when it last changed hands. It had been prepared for historic rallying (but never used in this role).
This 1958 Ford Consul Mark II Convertible caught my eye; I came very close to buying one of these some years ago (but sadly it needed too much work for me to tackle). Offered from long-term dry storage, and not registered in the U.K, this attractive early Consul drophead is said to have been driven recently but requires recommissioning. It was up for auction without reserve and sold for £10,350 including premium.
Cars for sale in the Automart area
Chris Adamson found the following cars of interest and for sale in the Automart area:
This 1957 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible (pictured above) features a 1275cc engine, an alternator and working trafficators servo-assisted brakes. It carried a price ticket of £7,950.
Pictured above, this handsome 1938 MG VA Tourer is local to the New Forest, but has a fascinating history, including a life in the United States and being re-imported to Britain. It has an extensive history file and much restoration work has been carried out through the car’s lifetime. The car is said to be in excellent condition and drives very well. The asking price? £39,995.
I was also drawn to some of the cars on offer in the Automart area; here are two examples:
Pictured above, this rare 1958 Morris Isis saloon (powered by BMC’s six cylinder 2.6 litre ‘C’ Series engine) has had just two owners from new and it is said that the car has covered just 49,000 miles from new. To me it appeared to be in excellent all-round condition and was priced at £13,500.
Undeniably my favourite of ALL the cars seen for sale at Beaulieu this year (and I have to declare an interest as I am an enthusiast of old Austins, among many other classics!) was this 1954 Austin A40 Somerset Coupé (photograph above). I could not fault the appearance of this A40, presented in truly beautiful condition. This rare four seater convertible Austin (incorporating a clever bodywork/hood set-up by Carbodies of Coventry – the system was shared by Rootes and Ford for their dropheads of the time) was for sale at £19,500 or near offer and there was much interest in the vehicle (yes I loved it; for context here my own 1954 A40 drophead is on the road but is nowhere near pristine condition!).
My visit
I have been attending the Beaulieu Autojumbles since 1978 and have enjoyed every one held since then. However, in recent years I have changed my own approach to taking in the show. I used to try to see ‘everything’ on offer during the course of the weekend, but this tends to be a frantic occupation as, quite simply, there is so much to see (even though, admittedly, the Autojumble is smaller overall than it used to be in pre-Covid days).
That method of tackling the show is somewhat akin to visiting a large country when on holiday and attempting to see ‘all of it’; that’s quite a challenge! Therefore these days I prefer to dip into various areas around the Autojumble, taking in ‘must visit’ stands (usually in search of specific components on my ‘wanted’ list for my various projects), and enjoying the show with a bit more focus.
Of course my meanderings through the stalls still result in the chance discovery of fascinating and often rare items for sale, and I enjoy bumping into automotive friends along the way, many of whom I see just once or twice a year (usually at Beaulieu!).
Among the scarce components that I spotted this year, stand-out items included a front grille, in nice condition, for an American Ford Falcon, a comprehensive manual written for the owners of Ford 8hp and 10hp models from the 1930s to the 1950s, a complete and fully rebuilt BMC ‘A’ Series 948cc engine, ready to install, ‘new old stock’ wings for two different Pre-War British family car models, and a host of other original/genuine body panels for a variety of cars of the 1950s to 1970s. These all represent great finds for those in need of such items!
Unusually for me this year, I didn’t attend with a long list of ‘wanted’ components, but did come away with such essential items as two sets of screen wiper blades, two fan belts and two specific rubber grommets, for my various classics.
Oh, and if you hadn’t already gathered this, my visit this year to this wonderful event was very much enjoyed by me (and my wife also always likes attending and helps me find ‘car things’ too!).
I will leave you with a further selection of photographs by Chris showing a few stands that stood out for him at this year’s show…
Update from Beaulieu, Tuesday 17th September 2024
Beaulieu tells us…
In total, some 23,500 visitors attended this year’s International Autojumble.
Year on year, the Best Stand Award is awarded to the stallholders whose stand captures the essence of the show. This year’s winners were father-daughter duo Alan and Sara. Alan has been attending the International Autojumble as an exhibitor for 53 years.
Sara said: “If you’re thinking about exhibiting, I fully recommend it, it’s so much fun. You never know what you’re going to find, who you’re going to meet or what you’ll end up talking to them about.”
Alan and Sara were presented their award by Lord and Lady Montagu and Matt from Practical Classics. Lolly Lee, who provides the trophy for the Best Stand Award, does so in honour of her late father and avid autojumbler, Terry Lee. This was an appropriate tribute, especially with the award being shared by a father and daughter.
Matt said: “We were just so blown away at how you’d curated the stand, there’s not an inch left to spare! You’ve got a variety of things, everything from a clarinet to a carburetor and even the 1000hp Sunbeam on the stand, so we thought it epitomised the spirit of Beaulieu!”
A display that (somehow) Kim missed… Cyclekarts Great Britain Club showcased a small selection of cyclekarts, from a Bugatti T37A #50 to a Frazer Nash Norris Special, on the Saturday of the show.
Coming events at Beaulieu:
Simply BMW will be taking place on 22nd September, swiftly followed by Simply British on 29th September and Simply Smart will be rounding up Beaulieu’s 2024 events season on 10th November. Visit beaulieu.co.uk/events/ for more information and to see their full list of events.
Next Year:
The dates of next year’s Beaulieu Spring and International Autojumbles have provisionally been set for 17th/18th May and 6th/7th September, respectively. For the latest information please keep an eye on the Beaulieu website: https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/