Silverstone Classic Sale 2011
After a promising ’74 season, James Hunt took the Hesketh team to its first Grand Prix victory at the Dutch Grand Prix in 1975.
Jumping into the pits first for a set of slicks, Hunt slid out onto a drying track and pushed, finding himself in the lead after the top teams had pitted. He stayed there, fighting off the likes of the 1975 World-Champion-to-be, Niki Lauda, and taking the win. The car he used to create this little piece of history is going to be at the 2011 Silverstone Classic, albeit already sold by private treaty.
Not that the Silverstone Classic Sale will be lacking in magnificent machinery to take home. Silverstone Auctions will be holding the event during the 2011 Silverstone Classic on the 23rd of July, and putting a breathtaking collection of historic racing and sports cars and memorabilia under the hammer.
Like a Group B monster – the 1986 MG Metro 6R4. This car, like many truly awesome things, comes from a wild era of 80s racing – Group B. Sadly it was one which proved too wild, and, after a series of fatalities, was scrapped in 1986 – meaning that this particular car was never put to its true purpose, and never rallied or raced. With only 4000 miles on the clock and a full restoration recently completed, it is a magnificent, rare, and original machine.
Another monster from ’86 is the Argo JM19 racer, providing an excellent seat for Group C racing. Then there’s the beautiful 1965 Ford Shelby GT 350H Mustang Fastback, two Chevrons in the form of a 1971 B21 and 2008 B16 Continuation, a 1971 Ford Capri Perana, and a 1965 Ford Lotus Cortina MK.I.
There’s also the whole 2011 Silverstone Classic to enjoy. This year’s Silverstone Classic is touted to feature over 800 rare, exotic and storied racing cars, and a collection of classic cars 7000 strong. They will be celebrating 50 years of the E-Type Jaguar, 50 years of the Mini Cooper, 75 years of the Spitfire and 60 years of Ferrari’s first World Championship race win.
Images via Silverstone Auctions
Here’s the official info from Silverstone Classic:
The Silverstone Classic auction – Saturday 23 July
The Silverstone Classic auction will be held in Hall One of The Wing building at 5pm on Saturday 23 July. Viewing is open to catalogue holders from 9.00am until 5.00pm on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 July. Catalogues are on sale at www.silverstoneauctions.com or for £10.00 at the Hall One entrance.
A joint venture between Midlands entrepreneur Nick Whale and Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone Auctions is now official partner for this traditional feature of the Classic weekend.
“We’re delighted to host the Silverstone Classic sale and to announce an exceptional collection of over 70 very important road and race cars, as well as automobilia with which we kick off at 5pm”, says managing director Nick Whale.
Race and rally!
The Silverstone Classic weekend can’t fail to enthuse current and would-be racers. From the Formula One car that gave James Hunt and Hesketh Racing its first win in 1975 to a barn-find Mini, Silverstone Auctions presents road cars, rally and racers for all.
To compete ‘out of the box’, a never-raced, ex-promotional MG Metro 6R4 is a rare opportunity to buy an original condition Group B rally car, ready to go, with an estimate of between £65,000 and £75,000. A superbly prepared 1962 Morris Mini Cooper Mk I 997 cc is an affordable and competitive classic rally entrant, with the sum of its parts alone exceeding the top estimate of £15,000 to £20,000.
Always exciting at auction are two ‘no reserve’ entries: a delightful 1947 MG TC and a barn-find 1964 Mini, which was specified into a racer, went once to Mallory Park in 1969 and was stored thereafter by an owner convinced that racing was not for him!
A Chevron B 16 Continuation is the perfect combination of raw performance and good looks. With full FIA HTP papers it has the same ‘wow’ factor today as in its original Le Mans outing in 1969 and estimated to achieve over £100,000. Expected to reach similar money is a 1972 Chevron B21 with an interesting history. A 1978 Chevron B38 is the ideal Historic Formula 3 entry.
Four Frazer Nash models include a 1935 Frazer Nash-BMW 319/2 Sports. An Appendix ‘K’ FIA 1965 Ford Mustang Notchback’s track record includes a Goodwood Revival win and fastest lap at the 2008 Spa six-hour race: also with a Spa U2TC six-hour meeting under its belt is a 1965 Lotus Cortina FIA Appendix K race car with more than £60,000 lavished on it and expected to achieve £33,000 to £38,000.
A wonderful Group C JM19-C former IMSA Lights car is the ex-Bobby Brown, number 65 car sporting Buick and Delco livery from races in the USA. A 1965 Marcos 1800 GT is supplied with FIA and MSA papers as a GTS11 entrant.
A beautiful 1958 AC Ace Bristol, registration 50 FPF, won three races at Silverstone in 1958 and 1959, featuring on the April 1959 Autosport front cover and in the acclaimed ‘Ace Bristol – The Racing History’ book. Estimated between £180,000 to £220,000 .
Automobilia for everyone
An eclectic collection of automobilia is detailed at www.silverstoneauctions.com. From race posters to signed helmets, photos, badges and plaques, the collection features a 2004 original by Northampton artist Richard Rowan. With investment potential, ‘Michael Schumacher first home in an F1 Grand Prix’ is painted in oil on glass but remarkably from the reverse side. Estimated to reach between £2,000 and £3,000.
Rocking and Racing with Silverstone Auctions
A yellow Ferrari 575M Maranello originally owned by legendary rock guitarist Eric Clapton and subsequently by Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans, is coming under the hammer on 23 July, estimated at between £58,000 and £66,000.
For an earlier model, the 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GT was one of the last to leave the factory and the subject of a bare metal restoration. With just 58,000 miles from new, HFV 2N is expected to achieve £90,000 to £110,000.
From an Aston Martin DB4, DB6 and a Volante, to a pair of Bentley Continentals and everything in between to a 1970 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior Zagato, Silverstone Auctions offers a truly eclectic sale event.
Jaguars feature in Classic sale
In the Jaguar E-Type’s anniversary year, Jaguar models feature in the Silverstone Classic auction, including two rare outside bonnet lock E-Types, estimated between £120,000 and £150,000. A1962 E-Type 3.8 FHC, first registered to Frank Raymond Wilton ‘Lofty’ England still carries the works registration number 6515 VC. Further E-Type models include a 1972 E-Type Roadster and E-Type Series 2 2+2.
One of the youngest remaining Jaguar XK 150 models is estimated between £70,000 and £80,000. A ‘grey with red’ 1960 Mk II has low mileage and is fully renovated: expected to achieve between £18,000 and £22,000. A 1967 Jaguar D-Type Evocation Replica in period British racing green is fully restored to road specification with a highly tuned 4.2 litre engine. Estimate £42,000 to £48,000.
Formula One at Silverstone Auctions
James Hunt’s ‘other car’, an Austin A35 Van Countryman conversion, joins the Hesketh chassis 308/2: the Formula One car that took Hunt to his first GP win, and gave Hesketh Racing their only victory, at the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix.
In storage since its current owner acquired it in 1993, when it still had James Hunt’s last cigarette butts in the ashtray and a sprinkling of Trill from taking his beloved budgerigars to shows, the A35 was Hunt’s daily transport at the time of his death. Expected to achieve between £10,000 and £14,000, for those with deeper pockets and perhaps more driving experience, Hesketh chassis 308/2 is expected to achieve between £400,000 and £475,000.
Register for catalogues and entry
To register for catalogues and entry to any of our forthcoming sale events, please visit www.silverstoneauctions.com.
