Barons' British Heritage and other classics sale at Sandown Park on Tuesday (18 September) looked to have some potential bargains for enthusiasts.
An ex-USA 1969 Jaguar E-type S2 Roadster with "sensible upgrades" – and which was pictured in the October 2011 issue of C&SC – made £32,500 on the hammer, which seems a very reasonable price in the current climate.
As was one of the last Daimler V8-250s, which made an under-guide £3200 plus premium. The fully road-legal 1968 car was said to drive very well.
Although the lots were primarily British classics, the two top sellers weren't.
Top of the heap was a German, a Mercedes-Benz 190SL (main image) that was bid to £42,000, while second place was secured by the £38,000 hammer price for a 1939 Hotchkiss 686 Riviera drophead coupé.
The primrose E-type mentioned above was best of the Brits, just ahead of a 1969 Ford Escort Twin Cam, built to period spec to compete in the RAC Rally of Great Britain, which accrued £26k (plus premium) against an estimate of £31-34,000.
There was a £10,000 drop to the next lots, which also looked good value: a delightful 1948 Rover P2 12 Tourer at £17,700 and, just £200 behind, a 1950 Bentley MkVI.
Quite apart from the Twin Cam, the strong prices for run-of-the-mill Escorts with rally potential continued in Surrey with a 1974 four-door MkI 1300 making £8200 plus premium and a 1971 four-door 1300L auto (below) making just under £5k.
The magic is clearly yet to rub off on last-generation Escorts: a 1995 RS2000 sold for £1300.
