British greats lead the way at Bond Street sale

By Greg MacLeman

| 8 Dec 2015

A veritable feast of classics crossed the block at Bonhams’ Bond Street auction on 6 December, with a host of British-built beauties tempting the big bidders. Top money was paid for a 1937 Lagonda 4 1/2 Litre LG45 Rapide Tourer.

Fevered bidding pushed the final price to £785,500, no doubt thanks to its outstanding provenance and colourful history. The car was bought new by George Dodd, who took the recommendation from his son, Barclay, a one-time test driver for Aston Martin. It eventually passed to ‘ton-up Barclay’, who gained a reputation for exploiting the Rapide’s prodigious power on the roads of East Sussex, where he became well-known to the local constabulary.

The Tourer was used regularly until Barclay reached his 90s, and also made appearances on film and television, appearing in Nanny McPhee and The Big Bang and an episode of Miss Marple.

The car was marked by its originality, having remained with the Dodd family since new in 1937. However, some modifications were made, such as the fitting of telescopic shock absorbers and separate switches for the twin fuel pumps.

Not far behind the Lagonda at £667,900 was a 1929 Bentley 4 1/2 Litre Tourer bodied by Vanden Plas. Noteworthy for its original mechanical condition, the Bentley had spent a number of years on display in museums, including the Mechanique Ancienne Association de la Locomotion in Uzes, and the Musee National de l’Automobile in Mulhouse.

It eventually found its way to auction in the UK, where it was bought by Gordon Willey in 1996 and continued its cosseted existence, most recently being stored with P&A Wood.

Rounding off the top three lots was Donald Healey’s 1953 Austin-Healey 100S Coupé, which recently played a starring role in Classic & Sports Car (December 2015). The Coupé was the personal transport of Donald Healey and, after being included in the Special Test Car development program, acquired Dunlop disc brakes and 100S mechanicals.

It was also driven by Stirling Moss during a recce of the Mille Miglia course, an association befitting the car’s £639,900 auction result.

You would need just £30,000 less to have walked away with the keys for a 2005 Ferrari 575 Superamerica convertible. The ultimate expression of the 550 Maranello boasted a number of desirable features, including the ‘Handling GTC’ package, which included carbon-ceramic disc brakes, 19-inch wheels, stiffer suspension, quicker steering and a full titanium exhaust.

By way of further ticking all the boxes, it’s fitted with a rare six-speed manual transmission and even boasts ‘one lady owner from new’, who bought the car following a trip to Maranello.