The Goodwood Festival of Speed once again plays host to Bonhams’ leading UK sale, with the Tom Scott selection of Mercedes-Benz models forming a big part of the 74-lot auction.
The sale takes place on Friday July 12, 2024, and features a diverse selection of cars, from pre-war to modern hypercars, with competition machinery thrown in. The auction’s highest-value lot by pre-sale estimate is a 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari wearing just 1430 miles; it carries an estimate of between £2.8m and £3.4m.
However, it is the Mercedes-Benz collection of Tom Scott that’s of most interest. It contains the above 1962 300 SL Roadster (est: £1m-£1.2m), a 1955 300 SL Gullwing (est: £950k-£1.1m), a 1971 280 SE 3.8 Cabriolet (est: £180k-£260k), a 1924 10/40/65HP Sports (est: £80k-£140k), a 1928 36/220 S-type Four-Seated Sports Tourer (est: £1.6m-£2.5m) and a 300 Sc Cabriolet (est: £350k-£450k), plus a 1937 Morgan 4/4 Sports (est: £35k-£45k).
The 36/220 S-type Four-Seated Sports Tourer, pictured above, comes from 33 years of single ownership, and is believed to be the only surviving example of this type of body. Chassis 35985 was originally sold to the UK for Mr Harcourt-Smith of London and Cairo. The second owner was John Fitzroy, the 9th Duke of Grafton, who used it for trialling during his Cambridge University years.
Following the Duke’s passing, it was owned by Robert Arbuthnot, a keen racing driver of the time. In 1945, the car passed to Edward L Mayer, who kept it until 1960. It then moved to the collection of CW Peter Hampton, who adapted the car to his needs following shrapnel injuries from World War Two. During Hampton’s ownership, the S-type would be used by Matchbox as the basis for its Models of Yesteryear Mercedes S-type, and driven by Motorsport magazine’s Bill Boddy in 1975. Tom Scott acquired the car in 1991; in the Bonhams sale, it’s estimated at between £1.6m and £2.5m.
One of just 49 300 Sc cabriolets built, this 1955 example’s early life is unknown. However, its first notable owner was the late John Calley, the former president of Warner Brothers. The next owner bought the car directly from Calley 37 years ago, during the Mercedes-Benz’s restoration in Los Angeles. Tom Scott purchased the car in 2007 after 400 miles were put on the engine, which had been refreshed by specialist Jerry Hjeltness. The 300 Sc was then put on static display, but it has recently been recommissioned by Jim Stokes Workshops – although it is noted that further work may be required. It’s estimated at between £350k and £450k.
This 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Corto Spider was built by Peter Shaw in the 1990s, with an engine and gearbox developed and assembled by Alfa Romeo specialist Jim Stokes. It was then sold to the John Ridings Lee collection in the US, which took it to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2013. He also took it to the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in 2017. After Ridings Lee’s passing in 2021, the 8C was imported back to Europe. It’s estimated at between £350k and £500k.
This 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Volante is one of only 140 Mk1 DB6 Volantes on the long-wheelbase platform. The previous owner kept the car for 30 years, and during that time had it serviced by specialist RS Williams, which also converted the car from automatic to a ZF five-speed manual set-up in 2007. The engine was rebuilt at the same time, and it has covered 3000 miles since. The Dawn Blue paint is described as being original, although the interior colour has changed from its original grey to cream; it was last serviced by Mulsanne Motors in 2021, and two new fuel tanks were fitted in 2022. It’s estimated at between £380k and £450k.
This 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary is one of 67 right-hand-drive cars built, and it was originally delivered to the UK via Portman Lamborghini of Marylebone, London. Finished in Rosso Savaglia with a Crema interior, it’s had four owners in just over 30 years, and wears 17,601km. It has a factory-fitted sports exhaust and an upgraded air-conditioning unit, as well as a ‘new-design’ steering wheel. It’s estimated at between £350k and £450k.
This 1952 Frazer Nash Mille Miglia Sports Roadster is one of just 11 built, and is the last 100-series built. It is also the last Mk1 Mille Miglia built, and starred on the firm’s 1952 Turin Motor Show stand. It was then sold to J Stuart ‘Duke’ Donaldson on the US’s East Coast. It would later call Hawaii home, with another couple of owners. By 1975 it had been in long-term storage following an accident, at which point the current keeper purchased it. Disassembly for restoration began in 1978, but by the time the vendor had moved to California in 1985, the work hadn’t been started; indeed, it wouldn’t until 1999.
Undertaken in Arizona, the body and chassis restoration was completed in 2004, and the car was then shipped to Leitch Motorsport & Restoration in Invercargill, New Zealand in 2004 for a mechanical rebuild in preparation for the Frazer Nash Club’s tour of the country in 2005. It was returned to its original colour combination of Bristol Maroon with a grey leather interior. It was driven regularly in New Zealand, before coming back to the UK in 2021. Since its return it has been looked after by Blakeney Motorsport; it is estimated at between £400k and £450k.
This 1950 Aston Martin 3.0-litre DB2 Team Car was prepared for the 1950 Le Mans 24 Hours for Jack Fairman and Eric Thompson to drive. However, it never made the start, as Fairman rolled the car on a French road on the way to the circuit. Unable to be repaired for the start of the race, it was returned to the Aston Martin factory and rebuilt for Thompson to drive it in the Daily Express One-Hour Production Car Race at the BRDC International Trophy at Silverstone in late August.
Despite getting through three gearboxes over the weekend, he brought the DB2 home fourth behind the three sister Works cars. It was then entered into the RAC Tourist Trophy at Dundrod, with George Abecassis behind the wheel. He finished fifth, and would drive the car again at the Shelsley Walsh hillclimb, setting a time of 47.73 seconds. In November the DB2 was driven by Stirling Moss and Lance Macklin on the MCC Daily Express 1000-Mile Rally.
It was then used by The Autocar magazine on September 17, 1950, for a road test, and then by Autosport in March 1951. Rob Walker bought the car at around this time, and ran it at the British Empire Trophy race at Douglas, Isle of Man, sharing driving duties with Abecassis. It would then see action at the Speed Trials at Ramsgate and on Madeira Drive, Brighton. It would also compete at Goodwood and in the RAC TT, with Eric Thompson driving at the latter and Tony Rolt at the former. Thompson and Walker would compete with the car until 1955, with Roy Salvadori and Peter Collins joining the roster of drivers during this time.
In 1955 it was sold to Woking Motors; 11 years and several owners later it was passed to Nigel Mann, who loaned it to the Le Mans museum. In 1979, former driver Eric Thomson bought the car and used it in several Historic race meetings across the globe over the next 19 years. It was sold to the Leyba family in 1998, and then sold to the current owner in 2010. Since then it has continued participation in Historic racing, including a victory at the Goodwood Revival in 2018. It is estimated at between £800k and £1.2m.
This 1995 Porsche 993 GT2 was originally sold to Japan, one of 17 sent there. Among 172 road-car versions built, the original order was for a racing variant, but when the dealer told the original owner a street version was available, the order was made. Since then it’s seen care and maintenance from UK and Australian Porsche specialists. It was imported to the UK in 2020, and is estimated at between £1.1m and £1.5m.
Believed to be the most original surviving Group A Ford Sierra RS Cosworth rally car, D705 SVW was first registered on November 25, 1986. It still retains its Works-specification alloy/steel roll cage. The car was driven by Stig Blomqvist on the Portuguese round of the World Rally Championship in 1988, finishing fifth, and the Rally 1000 Miglia in Italy, finishing second. In 1989 Erwin Doctor used the car in rallies across the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, picking up two wins and three podiums. It’s estimated at between £165k and £195k.
This 1978 Porsche 911 Type 930 3.3-litre Turbo is one of six Martini special editions built, featuring blueprinted engines and Dr Fuhrmann orthopaedic seats designed by Porsche’s technical director. This example is unique among the six, as it is the only one not finished in white. It was originally owned by Mr Al Sharif Omar Almandily c/o The Hilton Hotel, London, who demanded a black interior and exterior, and paid an extra £79,000 for the privilege. It has been in the owner’s collection for the past 31 years, and has covered 28,000 miles. It’s estimated at between £240k and £280k.
We’ve previously reported on the Crown Edition versions of the Mercedes-McLaren SLR selling for way above estimate at Bonhams auctions, and we wouldn’t bet against it happening again here, with this 2008 example. The ninth of ten Crown Editions built, it features 722-specification parts such as the upgraded engine, carbonfibre body additions, stiffer dampers and 19in lightweight alloy wheels. It has been kept on static display for much of its life, but has recently been refreshed by the Stratton Motor Company, and wears just 60km on its odometer. It is estimated at between £200k and £300k.
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