Daytona and Iso Grifo top dual Silverstone auctions

By Marc McLaren

| 21 May 2018

Daytona and Iso Grifo top dual Silverstone auctions

A 1972 Ferrari 'Daytona' and 1966 Iso Grifo were the standout lots at Silverstone Auctions' two May sales, making £540,000 and £270,000 respectively.

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’ was by some distance the biggest sale across both auctions – no surprise given that it's a rare RHD version of one of the most iconic of all Prancing Horses, and with a low mileage too.

Rare Iso Grifo GL 350 topped Saturday’s sale, making £270,000

The Iso Grifo GL 350, meanwhile, would have been a highly sought-after vehicle even if not for its former owner – motorsport legend Mike Hailwood. As it is, it went for £50,000 more than its pre-sale estimate.

In all, a hefty £5.3m of classics – including some of the 'future' variety – were sold across the two events: A Sale of Ferraris in association with the Ferrari Owners' Club GB, and the Silverstone May Sale 2018.

The Ferrari auction was a particular success, with 74% of the cars selling, while just under 60% of the following day's lots found a buyer – still a decent total.

This 330 GT Series 1 went for £146k

First up was the Ferrari sale on Friday (18 May). And while a couple of big-ticket vehicles didn’t make their reserve price – notably a 365 GT4 BB and a 512 BBi – plenty did sell.

A 2000 Ferrari 550 World Speed Record commemoration edition – one of just 10 RHD models – went for £146,250, with a 1964 330 GT Series 1 making the exact same figure. A 1978 512 BB was another success, selling for £140,625 – more than £30,000 over its lower estimate.

Stories Autobianchi 500 Furgo – a snip at £11,025

At the lower end of the scale there were a few notable bargains. A couple of no reserve vehicles from a deceased estate were particular steals, with a 1981 308 GTSi going for just £27,000 and a 1980 model for £37,250.

Last, but definitely not least, was a fantastic 1968 Autobianchi Fiat 120 Z Furgoncino 500 – commonly known as a ‘500 Furgo'.

No, it's not a Ferrari, but it made £11,025 all the same, helped no doubt by the fact that it bears the autograph of John Surtees CBE.

Top: Escort Mk1 Mexico set a world record; below: 911s were in big demand; RS500 made £112k

Saturday's sale suffered slightly from the dual draw of the Royal wedding and FA Cup Final, but still saw plenty of beautiful cars change hands. There was even a world record price set, as a 1973 Ford Escort Mk1 Mexico made £50,625.

Another Ford narrowly missed out on achieving the same feat, with an extremely low-mileage Sierra RS500 Cosworth selling for £112,500; the world record for the RS500 is £122,400.

Somewhat surprisingly, the very first RS500, used as a pre-production test model by Ford and confirmed as Chassis No.1, failed to sell. It's now available for £97,290, which could be seen as a bit of a bargain given the figure paid for the other RS500. Then again, the fact that the words 'Ford Sierra' and '£100k' are even remotely connected will probably seem ridiculous to some people.

A trio of Porsches made big money, with a 1973 911 S 2.4 selling for £166,500 and a 1972 model going for £101,250, while a 1980 911 (930) Turbo fetched £129,375. Then again, it's no surprise that 911s continue to be hugely in demand.

Lovely 230SL sold for £92,813

Other big winners included a 1967 Jaguar E-Type 4.2 Roadster Series 1.5, which went for more than £30,000 over its pre-sale estimate at £105,750, and a gorgeous 1966 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL – sold for £92,813.

Even a 1985 Renault 5 Turbo 2 ‘Type 8221’, a project car in need of restoration, was a success, selling for more than double its estimate at £55,125.

Among the headline lots that didn't sell were a 1997 Lamborghini Diablo SV in Metallic Green – that's available now for £149,500 – a pair of '40s/'50s Lancias and a 2006 Ford GT.

2006 Ford GT failed to sell

Silverstone Auctions' managing director Nick Whale said, “We’re incredibly pleased with the results of our two sales this weekend.

"With much of the nation’s focus on events at Windsor and Wembley, coupled with the fact that our Sale of Ferraris was our first ever, it was always going to be tough going.

"However, to have achieved sales of over £1 million more than at our May Sale last year really is a great achievement and shows that demand for best of breed classics remains incredibly strong.”

All the big sellers at the 2018 Monaco auctions

Ex-Stirling Moss E-type heads to auction

Buyer's Guide: Porsche 911 1964-'73