Photo credit: Anglia Car Auctions
The British auction of ACA in June gives us the opportunity to present one or two “head-to-head” contenders for the right car to go on vacation with. What’s more, with an average selling price of £7,279 (€8,464), you could easily give yourself treat without breaking the bank.
209 cars sold out of 236 on offer, equivalent to 88.56%. Of these, 55 came without reserve (23.30% of the total). The pre-auction estimate of £1,329,200 (€1,545,750) was exceeded with a grand total of £1,521,414 (€1,769,279) (114.4%).
Let’s begin with cars suitable for the Beach: the first series Mazda MX-5 is one of the most popular roadsters of all, a sort of modern-day Lotus Elan. ACA offered one of the limited series Monaco Editions from 1996, with its 1.6 litre engine, an attractive combination of British Racing Green with black interior and numerous jobs needed to be carried out. But what do you expect for £860 (€1,115)?
Alternatively, a Jimini Moke, a 1977 kit car using Mini mechanicals. A replica of the original Mini Moke. 998cc engine and the same colour scheme (green with black interior), what could possibly top this at the beach? The estimate was £5,000-£7,000 but, thanks to the summer, the selling price was a “stratospheric” (for want of a better word) £11,448 (€13,315).
Off-road in the mountains: a healthy and reinvigorating saunter up the mountains, perhaps on board a beautiful 4×4. The British have exactly what you’re looking for with a Land Rover 109” Hi-Capacity. Registered in 1982. Parked since February 2019 since the MoT expired and in need of a little work to get it back on the road. But at £4,104 (€4,772), there’s plenty of room for manoeuvre.
In alternative, you might be tempted by a 1990 Toyota Land Cruiser, one of those that, when you have to do the impossible, succeeds. Estimated at £4,000-£6,000, it ended up changing hands for £7,020 (€8,163). Stainless ladder and aluminium roof rack included, of course!
On-road in the mountains: ACA also had the answer for those who love special mountain stages and time trials. Painted in silver, a 1998 Peugeot 106 GTI. 120 hp 1.6 engine and limited slip differential, weighing less than a tonne, is a sure recipe for fun. Sold for £6,048 (€7,033) compared to its £3,000-£4,000 estimate. That sounds about right.
Even better, a 1989 Skoda Rapid, the one that at the time was nicknamed the “poor man’s Porsche”. In this particular case, that’s an understatement because it was equipped with a 3.5 V8 engine from Rover producing more than 160 hp. Offered without reserve, it could have been yours for £1,860 (€2,163).
Adventure: in this case, the first series Range Rover is a must, the one that appeared to have been designed with just a pencil and a ruler. At auction was a 1993 3.9 Vogue SE with 83,000 miles in the clock, in a very elegant champagne colour. Unreserved, it changed hands for £3,996 (€4,647).
Way more expensive was the iconic 1950 Chevrolet 3100 Stepside pickup Truck, sold for £20,736 (€24,114). Under the classic skin, however, this jewel mounted a 5.7 V8 derived from a Corvette and a series of adjustments that made it the fastest way to go… to the market. The difference with the Range Rover was remarkable in terms of price but more than justified.
Holidays in company: If you plan on taking a number of friends with you on holiday, a Ford Transit seats 15. Granted it was an old school bus that hadn’t been used for a good many years but it had plenty of charm.
Alternatively, a 1989 Bedford Danbury, a truly historic caravan in a beautiful sky blue. With its 970cc engine, it’s ideal for taking holidays at a relaxed pace! The Transit changed hands for £3,024 (€3,516) while the Bedford went for a little more: £4,428 (€5,149).
The Restorer’s holiday: a 1963 Morris Mini MkI with quite a bit of work to do. The estimate was £4,000-£5,000 but it sold for £3,888 (€4,521), thus allowing a small margin to get things rolling.
With a slightly higher budget you could have taken home a 1973 Alfa Romeo 2000 GT Veloce. This too was in need of a thorough restoration but with a little perseverance you could have some serious fun without spending a serious fortune. Although the estimate was £7,000-£9,000, when bidders discovered the car was running, they pushed the price all the way up to £12,096 (€14,066).
And if after all this travelling you had to stop for a minor breakdown, at auction there was also a 1972 Morris Minor Van in roadside assistance livery ready to tow you home at £10,584 (€12,308). The Morris, not the towing.
