A keenly awaited auction lot that failed to shift at Bonhams' Goodwood Revival sale on 16 September has got a new owner after some frenzied post-event negotiations.
Even though bidding on the ex-Sir Robert Ropner ‘Semi-Lightweight’ E-type Jaguar stalled at £1.35million when it went under the hammer, Bonhams today announced that it had sold post-sale to an unidentified buyer for an undisclosed sum. They did assure us that the car will remain in the UK, however.
Because of the way they are calculated, that sale – along with 10 other post-auction deals – will be included in Bonhams' results for Goodwood, bringing the sale total to an impressive £6.5million-plus.
James Knight, International Managing Director of Motor Cars at Bonhams, said: "The Goodwood Revival auction was very satisfying for us on the day, but now even more so with the successful sale of the star car. The Semi-Lightweight has been acquired by an enthusiastic British collector and will continue to be used and enjoyed as much as it has been for the past 47 years."
Some background on the E-type from Bonhams:
The Ropner Semi-Lightweight could trace its lineage to the now legendary batch of 12 Grand Touring competition cars known as the ‘Lightweight’ E-Types.