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Blighty’s out in force at Rétromobile week
There are simpler ways to get your fix of British motoring exotica than hopping on the Eurostar. Classic & Sports Car magazine / website, for example.
If you really must go to Paris, though, you’re in for a treat this week: a century-spanning stable of British classics is going under the hammer as part of Bonhams’ Rétromobile-week auction.
From lesser-spotted Astons to 100-year-old Rollers, there’s more than £3.5m worth of vintage metal up for grabs (if you’ve got the readies).
Don’t know where to start? We’ve rounded up the 15 best British lots for you to peruse.
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1. 1962 Jaguar E-type "Series 1" 3.8-Litre Roadster
Price estimate: £120,000 to £160,000
Jaguar’s E-type remains the quintessential British sports car, and the Series 1 iteration was arguably its purest form in both looks and performance.
Equipped with a 3.8-litre engine from the XK6, this Series 1 might lack the power of its younger 4.2-litre sibling but, recently refurbished and mechanically overhauled, it’s a stunning example all the same.
One of 7,828 Series 1s built, the Carmen Red Roadster is notable for its matching numbers engine and, more importantly, the period radio – which is still in working order. Nice touch.
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2. 1962 Lotus Elite Series 2 Coupé
Price estimate: £97,000 to £130,000
Built with an innovative glassfibre monocoque, the Elite was a seriously nippy sports coupé.
Despite carrying a diminutive 1.2-litre 75bhp engine, its aerodynamic profile and lightweight build meant it could achieve speeds in excess of 110mph – even if it got a bit wobbly at 4,000rpm.
This particular Elite is a Series 2 model, which carried improved rear suspension and a Bristol body. With just six owners in its logbook, it’s been subject to several overhauls over the years – including a comprehensive effort in 2016 which saw the rare ZF synchromesh gearbox fitted.
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3. 1936 Alta 2-Litre Sports
Price estimate: £220,000 to £260,000
Designed and built by one Geoffrey Taylor, Alta competition cars were by no means lowly shed builds: Alta machines took part in five World Championship events between 1950 and 1952, and the manufacturer went on to supply engines to several constructors.
One of an estimated 19 Sports models made, this 1936 ‘64S’ example is made rarer, still, by dint of being the only left-hand drive iteration to carry a supercharged 2.0-litre engine.
Originally dispatched to Germany, this Alta was twice restored, before spending almost a decade participating in period races.
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4. 1958 Jaguar XK150 S 3.4-Litre Roadster
Price estimate: £130,000 to £180,000
Far more stately than the E-type which would immediately follow it, Jaguar’s XK150 was nevertheless every bit the sports car.
Built between 1957 and 1961, it carried the same 3.4-litre engine as both the XK140 and XK120 before it, but enjoyed some subtle body refinements (including a single-piece windscreen) and, more importantly, effective disc brakes.
This left-hand drive example is the higher performance XK150 S, which could kick out 250bhp (versus the standard version’s 190) – enough to see it reach 60mph in 7.3 seconds.
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5. 1934 Aston Martin 1.5-Litre Mark II 2/4 Seater Sport
Price estimate: £200,000 to £250,000
Equipped with a 1.5-litre engine that could deliver 73bhp, Aston Martin’s revised Mark II 2/4 Seater Sport was unveiled in 1934 as a successor to the 2/4-seater Le Mans sports car.
Also available in a long-wheelbase setup, only 61 of the short-wheelbase Sport models made it into being before production stopped in 1935.
This Bertelli-bodied example spent its early life in the UK, before moving to the USA – where it would compete in several period events, under the stewardship of a family who owned the Aston for more than 25 years.
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6. 1926 Bentley 3-Litre “Red Label” Speed Model Tourer
Price estimate: £570,000 to £750,000
Unveiled at the Olympia Motor Expo in 1919 without a working motor, Bentley’s first machine soon put its 3-litre engine to good use winning races: from the 1922 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy to an outright win at Le Mans in 1924.
Such success spawned a road-going version, the “Red Label” Speed machine – which utilised a higher compression ratio to increase horsepower by 10 and take its top speed to 90mph.
One of just 513 Speed models made, this recently restored 1927 example is notable for its rare aluminium panelling and highly original engine block.
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7. 1962 Bentley S2 Continental Convertible
Price estimate: £200,000 to £240,000
More powerful than its S-Type predecessor, Bentley’s S2 was substantially upgraded with the addition of a 6.2-litre aluminium V8, which simultaneously managed to shave 14kg off the kerb-weight and deliver 25% more power.
All-but-identical to the standard S2 in terms of drivetrain, the Continental version delivered luxury through the option of bespoke coachbuilding.
Bodied by Park Ward, this 1962 example is one of just 124 to carry the Koren-designed convertible shell – a stunning straight-lines interpretation of the S2.
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8. 1988 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante “X-Pack” Cabriolet
Price estimate: £280,000 to £330,000
More muscle car than stylish sports machine, Aston Martin’s first proper supercar was nevertheless a force to be reckoned with – and never more so than in its ‘X-Pack’ Volante guise.
This upgrade added Cosworth pistons and Nimrod cylinder heads to extract 432bhp from the existing 5.4-litre V8 engine, outgunning, among other things, Ferrari’s 288 GTO.
Fitted with flared wheel arches and bigger spoilers, the Vantage Volante of the late '80s looked every bit the hulking American drop-top, yet this particular example went to Rome, where it remained (being regularly and meticulously serviced by a local garage) until 2017.
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9. 1926 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Roadster “Playboy”
Price estimate: £300,000 to £350,000
Keeping a playboy in your garage isn’t always advisable, but this Silver Ghost is no common bunny: an unofficial aftermarket option, only 15 chassis ever carried the Brewster-designed Playboy shell – including this one.
Originally fitted with a saloon body when it was finished in 1926, it gained its updated coachwork – widely regarded as the most stylish of the period – in 1932 on a return trip to the factory.
Built for the US market (hence the left-hand drive setup), it eventually found its way to the UK, where it was refurbished, including an engine overhaul.
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10. 1915 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost “London-Edinburgh” Limousine
Price estimate: £400,000 to £480,000
An earlier example of Rolls-Royce’s famed Silver Ghost, by 1915 the range had already gained iconic status – being described in 1909 by Autocar as the “best car in the world”.
While the marketing department might have been grateful for the quote, it was not an undeserved moniker: the improved “London-Edinburgh” model was the result of a successful 400-mile top-gear test between the two cities.
Built in 1915 to go to Russia, this example was in fact commandeered by the War Office for military service in 1917, before going on to live in the USA and Germany.
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11. 1965 Jaguar E-type Series 1 4.2-Litre Roadster
Price estimate: £110,000 to £130,000
An updated version of the 3.8-litre E-type, the 4.2-litre Roadster gained an all-syncromesh gearbox and improved brakes, while retaining that iconic Series 1 tub.
On-paper performance didn’t differ greatly from the 3.8-litre model, but it offered a better throttle response, as well as a friendlier driving experience.
This left-hand drive example left the factory in 1965, a year after the bigger engine first launched. Its early history remains largely a mystery but by 2004 it was in Italy undergoing a thorough restoration, and is today a stunning matching-numbers example.
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12. 1935 Bentley 3½-Litre “Continental Open Tourer”
Price estimate: £160,000 to £190,000
Bentley’s first model after the marque’s acquisition by Rolls-Royce, the 3.5-litre was the inaugural ‘Derby Bentley’ – built at the Rolls-Royce factory.
While it gained something in refinement from its new owner, Bentley remained nevertheless a sporting brand, which held true with the 3.5-litre’s tuned Rolls-Royce straight-six engine: with a higher compression ratio, it was capable of delivering 110bhp.
Bodied by Vanden Plas (which had also delivered bodies for Bentley’s Le Mans machines), the ‘Continental Open Tourer’ design blended the versatility of a drop-top with the lightweight performance of a tourer to great effect.
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13. 1953 Aston Martin DB2 Coupé
Price estimate: £190,000 to £230,000
Fitted with Lagonda’s 2.6-litre straight-six engine, the DB2 took a shortened tube frame chassis from its predecessor, added a Feeley-designed fastback shell and ran with it – achieving speeds in excess of 115mph.
Being coachbuilt in the traditional manner, DB2s varied from car to car – though it was a 1960s modification by the second owner that saw this particular coupé acquire an enlarged Pininfarina-style air intake to solve the DB2’s overheating problem.
It also gained a bonnet scoop, recessed headlamps and chromed strips, making it a uniquely bespoke example.
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14. 1954 Aston Martin DB 2/4 “Mark I” 3-Litre Coupé
Price estimate: £110,000 to £160,000
Based on the DB2, the DB2/4 took its sporting prowess into family territory in 2+2 guise – making for one seriously hot hatch.
Initially equipped with the DB2 Vantage’s 2.6-litre straight-six, after 1953 the DB2/4 carried a 2.9-litre engine that delivered 140bhp, and could achieve a top speed of 120mph.
One of just 565 Mark I models made, this particular DB2/4 spent its entire life in France, including 43 years in storage, before being thoroughly restored between 2007 and 2013.
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15. 1954 Aston Martin DB 2/4 3-Litre Drophead Coupé
Price estimate: £270,000 to £350,000
Eschewing the family-friendly flexibility of those two rear seats, 102 examples of the DB2/4 also shipped in drophead coupé guise.
This particular vehicle roared into life in 1954, making its way to France in left-hand drive setup – before later being converted to right-hand-drive as part of a comprehensive restoration in 1991.
It was also during that refurbishment that the original 2.6-litre block was switched out for a more powerful 3.0-litre unit from the period. Subsequent work (including a 2010 engine rebuild) has ensured this rare DB2/4 remains a pristine example.