Bonhams classic car auction at Olympia, London on Monday saw healthy bidding on a range of unique classics and high performance vehicles. Strong prices were achieved for cars as diverse as a Swedish supercar – the 2004 Koenigsegg – which sold for £172,000 ($482,990 NZ) and a 1913 Adler Kleinwagen Tourer which doubled the pre-sale estimate, fetching £24,150 ($67,815 NZ). Top price in the sale was £342,500 ($961,000 NZ) for a 1931 Bentley 8-litre Sedanca de Ville with coachwork by H J Mulliner.
The sale realised £2.9-million with 68% of all lots selling, reflecting sound selective bidding across the wide spectrum of cars on offer. James Knight, International Head of Bonhams Motoring Department and auctioneer at Monday’s sale said, “We had some excellent results throughout the sale demonstrating that while bidders are becoming more selective about what they buy, they are prepared to pay healthy — and on some occasions record – prices for the right car. Whatever the age or marque, if it ticks the all-important boxes of provenance, originality and condition, the interest remains strong.”
Camera crews jostled to shoot footage of the ex-James Bond 1976 Lotus Esprit, star of the movie ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’, which sold for £111,500 ($312,800 NZ) to a private US collector from Atlanta, Georgia, bidding by telephone. Speaking after the sale, he said he was delighted to have secured the car, describing himself as a Lotus car and James Bond aficionado.
