A pair of early Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts and a rare Ferrari Daytona Spider helped Bonhams rake in a strong £4.62m at its Goodwood Revival auction on 16 September, despite the sale house’s failure to shift its star lots.
Bidding on the ex-Sir Robert Ropner ‘Semi-Lightweight’ 1964 Jaguar E-type (below) and a 1958 Lister-Jaguar 'Knobbly' – as campaigned by US race privateer Briggs Cunningham's team – stalled at £1.35m and £760,000 respectively at the Chichester circuit auction.
Also stopping short of its reserve was another saleroom attraction: the 1931 Avions Voisin C14 ‘Chatre’ (below), which remained unsold after the final bid on the Art Deco beauty was still £50,000 short of its £250-300,000 estimate.
But there was decidedly more interest in the early Rolls-Royces at the annual fixture: a 1908 Silver Ghost – one of a mere four survivors from that year – sold for £485,500 after a protracted bidding battle and a 1911 former Indian royalty ceremonial car made £419,500.