WORDS: ELLIOTT HUGHES | PHOTOGRAPHY: MATT HOWELL
Gooding and Co has revealed some of the most exciting lots to be offered at its London auction on September 3, 2022. Gooding’s sale is being held in its capacity as the official auction partner of the Concours of Elegance, which returns to Hampton Court Palace on September 2-4. Some of the offerings will be previewed at the London Concours in late June.
“This stellar array of cars featuring some of the finest examples of beloved models from Ferrari, Aston Martin, Bugatti and England’s own Frazer-Nash embody the very essence of the collecting world,” says Gooding and Co founder and president David Gooding. “In recent years, our successful presence at the Concours of Elegance has paved the path for what will certainly be a remarkable sale this September, bringing together some of Europe’s most earnest collectors at our exclusive marquee on the Palace grounds.”
The car being offered with the highest estimate of £6m-£7m is a 1960 Ferrari 250GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione. First unveiled at the Paris Auto Salon in October 1959, the car was designed by the legendary trio of Mauro Forghieri, Giotto Bizzarrini and Carlo Chiti.
Designed for competition, the 250GT was fitted with innovative features for the time such as all-round disc brakes and a lightweight alloy bodywork by Scaglietti. The car offered, chassis 2021GT, is steeped in motor sport provenance including appearances at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
On September 3 the 250GT will cross the block after 20 years of single ownership and fresh from an extensive restoration conducted by Ferrari Classiche and UK-based specialist Lanzante Limited.
A stunning 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Supersport Cabriolet is another car that will be high in demand among discerning collectors, and that is reflected in a strong pre-auction estimate of £3.7m-£4.7m. Devised by Jean Bugatti, son of the marque’s founder Ettore, the Type 55 amazed onlookers upon its 1931 debut in Paris, for its ability to reach speeds of more than 110mph.
The Type 55 was created with a selection of bodies including coupé, cabriolet and roadster designs. Chassis 55230 bears cabriolet bodywork crafted by renowned French coachbuilder Gangloff, and is one of just 38 Type 55s that were ever built. Incredibly, it is also believed to have retained matching numbers and original bodywork despite being hidden away in France during World War Two and hastily shipped over to the US in the early 1960s.
A 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage Convertible is the next most valuable lot, and is estimated to cross the block for between £1.2m-£1.7m. Reaching global stardom thanks to Goldfinger, the DB5 is widely regarded as one of the most iconic sports cars of all time – and is also rare, with just 1059 built in total.
Of those 1059, just 65 were made to Vantage specifications and only 123 were convertibles, which makes DB5C/1906/R offered by Gooding very rare indeed. First owned by English actress Beryl Reid, the car has had just a “handful of custodians” since new and has been painstakingly restored by Aston Martin Heritage in Newport Pagnell.
Another British sports car that is sure to be in demand is a 1952 Frazer-Nash Le Mans Replica. Regarded as one of the most capable British racing cars of the post-war era, the Le Mans Replica was named after the Frazer-Nash prototype that took third in the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1949.
Chassis 421/100/159 is one of just 34 factory-built cars, and is blessed with a rich competition history after first being presented at the Earl’s Court Motor Show in 1951. Notable races include the 1953 Goodwood Nine Hours, and today it is eligible to compete in the Goodwood Revival, Mille Miglia, Colorado Grand, Le Mans Classic and Monaco Historique. The Frazer-Nash is expected to fetch £700,000-£900,000.
Gooding and Co has confirmed that a number of these consignments including the 1960 Ferrari 250GT SWB Competizione and 1932 Bugatti Type 55 will be on display at the London Concours on June 28-30 in the Artillery Gardens of the Honourable Artillery Company’s headquarters in The City.
