Classics galore sold at the recent SWVA classic sale in Poole…
Chris Adamson (just about) kept his hand on his wallet as the cars came through, and reports on the day…
Against a packaged catalogue that included 11 Jaguars, three Porsches, a handful of Triumph TRs and a Ford Mustang it was a 1973 MGB GT V8 that stole the show as the top-selling item at this month’s South Western Vehicle Auctions classic sale in Poole.
The last item in the auction, the untouched damask red V8 had been expected to sell for under £20,000 (which seemed on the low side even before the auction began) and it quickly climbed to reach £34,020 (with fees) before the hammer fell, which had many MG Owners’ Club members shaking their heads.
While everyone agreed it was an extremely well presented, clean and unmolested example the price was almost £10,000 more than most had expected – this may be a sign that MG values are on the increase.
Elsewhere in the busy sale a 1970 MGB GT cost its new owner a healthy £6,264 having been entered with no reserve, while a ‘restoration needed’ 1974 GT went for £2,700 and a 1972 example in slightly better condition disappointed at £3,240 against a £3,500 reserve.
The biggest surprise of the day (one greeted by a round of applause) was an immaculate 1959 Austin Westminster Vanden Plas that climbed from an opening bid of £8,000 to rocket to an unprecedented £27,500 (£29,700 with fees), thought to be some sort of record for the model. (The Vanden Plas version of the Westminster was a sumptously-equipped and beautifully-furnished range-topping model that is especially rare and seen as highly desirable today).
Exactly the same price was bid for a 1977 Porsche Carrera but this was shy of its £36,000 reserve and didn’t sell, while a 1966 Ford Mustang in desirable red with white stripes did go to a new home for £22,140 despite falling short of its original estimate and a low mileage 1960 Triumph TR3A fetched bang on its estimate at £24,030.
Joining the V8 and Westminster as a high climber was a 1989 Ford Sierra XR 4×4 that had a guide price of £8,900 to £9,900 and eventually sold for £13,716.