Automotive

Silverstone's "barn finds" auction tops £1 million

Silverstone's "barn finds" auction tops £1 million
A 1939 Lagonda V12 Hooper two door saloon was sold for an undisclosed six-figure sum prior to the auction
A 1939 Lagonda V12 Hooper two door saloon was sold for an undisclosed six-figure sum prior to the auction
View 26 Images
A 1939 Lagonda V12 Hooper two door saloon was sold for an undisclosed six-figure sum prior to the auction
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A 1939 Lagonda V12 Hooper two door saloon was sold for an undisclosed six-figure sum prior to the auction
The 1939 Lagonda V12 Hooper two door saloon was sold with the original log books, showing a mileage of approximately 40,000 from new
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The 1939 Lagonda V12 Hooper two door saloon was sold with the original log books, showing a mileage of approximately 40,000 from new
The 1939 Lagonda V12 Hooper two door saloon was sold with its original numberplates
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The 1939 Lagonda V12 Hooper two door saloon was sold with its original numberplates
The 1939 Lagonda V12 Hooper two door saloon ran on a 5509cc 'Rapide' 4 Carburettor engine
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The 1939 Lagonda V12 Hooper two door saloon ran on a 5509cc 'Rapide' 4 Carburettor engine
A 1958 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe was sold for £62,100 (US$62,100) at the auction on April 12
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A 1958 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe was sold for £62,100 (US$62,100) at the auction on April 12
The 1958 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe was the last incarnation of Jaguar's XK sports series
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The 1958 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe was the last incarnation of Jaguar's XK sports series
The 1958 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe was purchased by an Italian collector in the 1980's and stored in Sicily for the last 20 years
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The 1958 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe was purchased by an Italian collector in the 1980's and stored in Sicily for the last 20 years
The 1962 Facel Vega HK500 topped the sales at the April 12 auction, attracting a price of £64,400 (US$107,700)
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The 1962 Facel Vega HK500 topped the sales at the April 12 auction, attracting a price of £64,400 (US$107,700)
The Facel Vega HK500 offered at the April 12 auction is unusual in that it featured a righthand drive configuration mated to manual gearbox
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The Facel Vega HK500 offered at the April 12 auction is unusual in that it featured a righthand drive configuration mated to manual gearbox
1969 Aston Martin DBS Vantage was sold at the April 12 auction for £51,175 (US$85,575)
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1969 Aston Martin DBS Vantage was sold at the April 12 auction for £51,175 (US$85,575)
The 1969 Aston Martin DBS Vantage runs on a four-litre DB6 engine
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The 1969 Aston Martin DBS Vantage runs on a four-litre DB6 engine
This particular Aston Martin DBS Vantage is a rare manual and one of just 70 RHD Vantage specification cars built
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This particular Aston Martin DBS Vantage is a rare manual and one of just 70 RHD Vantage specification cars built
A 1970 Aston Martin DBS V8 Series I was sold for £49,450 (US$82,691)
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A 1970 Aston Martin DBS V8 Series I was sold for £49,450 (US$82,691)
The tan leather interior of the 1970 Aston Martin DBS V8 Series I was largely intact when the car was sold on April 12
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The tan leather interior of the 1970 Aston Martin DBS V8 Series I was largely intact when the car was sold on April 12
The 5,340cc V8 engine powered the 1970 Aston Martin DBS V8 Series I and saw it reach speeds in excess of 160 mph (257 km/h)
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The 5,340cc V8 engine powered the 1970 Aston Martin DBS V8 Series I and saw it reach speeds in excess of 160 mph (257 km/h)
The 1981 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series III Saloon was sold for US$25,960
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The 1981 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series III Saloon was sold for US$25,960
This 1981 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series III Saloon was featured in the British television series "Minder"
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This 1981 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series III Saloon was featured in the British television series "Minder"
The 1969 Morris Milk Float was sold for £2,300 (US$3,845)
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The 1969 Morris Milk Float was sold for £2,300 (US$3,845)
This particular 1969 Morris Milk Float was featured in the opening shots of the 1980's British soap opera "Eastenders"
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This particular 1969 Morris Milk Float was featured in the opening shots of the 1980's British soap opera "Eastenders"
The 1983 Fiat X19 Bertone sold for £17,940 (US$29,989)
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The 1983 Fiat X19 Bertone sold for £17,940 (US$29,989)
The Fiat X19 Bertone has covered 2,370 miles (3,814 kms) since registration in 1983
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The Fiat X19 Bertone has covered 2,370 miles (3,814 kms) since registration in 1983
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View gallery - 26 images

An auction of rare "barn finds" has yielded classic car merchant Silverstone Auctions £1 million in total sales at its inaugural Practical Classics Restorations Show. The figure denotes a sales rate of 85 percent, an all-time record for Silverstone Auctions, with a total of 87 cars showcased at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre in the UK on Saturday.

Topping the sales was a 1962 Facel Vega HK500. Noteworthy for its unusual right hand drive configuration, the HK500 was snapped up for £64,400 (US$107,692.82). Other vehicles attracting similarly high bids were a 1969 Aston Martin DBS Vantage, which sold for £51,175 (US$85,575) and a A 1970 Aston Martin DBS V8 Series I, which sold for £49,450 (US$82,691).

The 1962 Facel Vega HK500 topped the sales at the April 12 auction, attracting a price of £64,400 (US$107,700)
The 1962 Facel Vega HK500 topped the sales at the April 12 auction, attracting a price of £64,400 (US$107,700)

“This was a fantastic sale and we look forward to seeing many of the restoration projects brought back to their former glory very soon,” said Nick Whale, Managing Director of Silverstone Auctions.

While many of the vehicles generated interest as examples of rare automotive engineering, the appeal of others can be attributed to their place in television history. A 1969 Morris Milk Float featured in the opening shots of the 1980's soap opera Eastenders went for £2,300 (US$3,845), while a 1981 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series III Saloon driven by characters in the British series Minder, was sold for £15,525 (US$25,960).

The 1958 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe was purchased by an Italian collector in the 1980's and stored in Sicily for the last 20 years
The 1958 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe was purchased by an Italian collector in the 1980's and stored in Sicily for the last 20 years

Perhaps the most unlikely of the barn finds was a 1958 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe. Purchased by an Italian collector in the 1980's, the car was exported to Sicily and kept in storage for around 20 years. It was then re-discovered, repatriated back to the UK and sold for £62,100 (US$104,900) at auction.

Click through to the gallery to see these cars along with other notable sales from the event.

Source: Silverstone Auctions

View gallery - 26 images
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