Photo credit: ACA Anglia Car Auctions
Finally an auction that doesn’t make your wallet tremble: the two-day ACA event was held at the beginning of November in the headquarters of the Auction House in King’s Lynn, with the second day dedicated to the most expensive cars (so to speak, since the top lot didn’t reach £60,000!).
First, some numbers: 239 cars offered, 68 (28.45%) of which came without reserve, for a pre-sale estimate of £1,722,850 (€1,966,495). At the end of the second day, takings from the 213 cars sold were £1,771,218 (€2,021,705) or 102.81% of the total estimate. This confirms that even at these price levels (the average price per car was £8,315 or €9,490) the market is very lively indeed.
The most expensive cars on sale were two Jaguar E-Types, a Series 1.5 Roadster with a 4.2-litre engine from 1968, which sold for £59,400 (€67,875), and a 1971 series three roadster with the famous 5.3 V12 engine, which changed hands for £58,860 (€66,930).
But if we go fishing for deals on the first day of the event there was a lot of fun to be had: for example, TVR is not the first brand that comes to mind when you think about British sports cars but it’s perfect for those with a passion for this sort of thing. The 2000 TVR Griffith on offer was excellent in every way: a relatively low mileage (45,000 miles) and just three owners from new added some peace of mind to this Wheeler-era beauty. The price? Estimated at £17,000-£19,000 but, because of the indisputable quality, it changed hands just above the maximum estimate at £19,170 (€21,905).
Looking even further at some semi-obscure brands, a Jensen was also a viable alternative. ACA offered one of the most common models from this marque: a third series Interceptor from 1974, with its 7.2 litre American engine and Touring coachwork. The car, a US version, had received a complete restoration that lasted two years at a cost of £35,000. Estimated at £32,000-£38,000, it was sold for £33,480 (€38,260). Practically the cost of the restoration!
Speaking of great deals, I had never really considered the Rover P6: in 1964 it was the first model to win the Car of the Year award. A 3,500cc V8 engine producing over 160 hp, the example on offer was from 1975 and had been stored for some time but it was in working order and running properly. The £3,132 (€3,580) paid for it left more than enough for a decent restoration.
It’s quite rare to see an AM107, a car more commonly referred to as a Maserati Quattroporte. This 1968 model was a first series example with the 4.2-litre engine – derived from the famous 450S – but in need of a full restoration. Sold for £11,124 (€12,712) this was just the beginning of the journey but, to be like the Aga Khan (who had two), Prince Rainier of Monaco, Marcello Mastroianni and Leonid Brezhnev (who bought his in secret), you have to invest a little time and money!
A relatively low price but, in reality, a record for the 1990 BMW 325i Touring. The most powerful version at the time, it was super-equipped with BBS-style alloy wheels, leather interior and a sunroof. Only two owners and in beautiful condition, with just 75,000 miles on the clock, guaranteed by over 40 services at an official BMW dealership. Sold for £14,040 (€16,045) which was more than justified: to put this into perspective, a much more common 318i Touring in normal condition changed hands for £3,456.
My favourite car of the event was the Volvo 760 GLE Station Wagon. At the end of the 1970s it was one of the best cars out there and synonymous with safety and solidity. The 2.8-litre V6 petrol engine was the famous PRV version producing a very high 155 hp. You could organize a football match in the cargo area and with just 47,000 miles to its credit, in many ways the car is still being run-in (we know of some examples that have exceeded one million kilometres). The hammer price? £6,588 (€7,528), above its estimate…
To be honest, my favourite car was a 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet, sold for £35,100 (€40,110) but at ACA even this figure seems high!
