WORDS: ELLIOTT HUGHES | PHOTOS: GOODING AND CO.
Gooding and Co is holding two major collector car auctions over the coming weeks as the official auction partner for both the Pebble Beach Concours on August 18-19, 2023 and the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace on September 1, 2023.
It goes without saying that there’s a gamut of temptations on offer at both, so we’ve picked five of our favourites for you to peruse as Monterey Car Week nears its conclusion.
If you ever wondered how provenance can affect a car’s value, then look no further than this: the MG TC in which the legendary Phil Hill won his first race. With a pre-auction estimate of $250,000-$350,000 (£196,000-£275,000), Hill’s car is projected to sell for at least five times more than a similar example offered in concours condition.
Hill purchased the car new in 1947 from International Motors in Hollywood, where he worked at the time as a mechanic. He then used his expertise to fit a supercharger – and put it to good use, winning his very first race at Carrell Speedway in 1949.
The car returned to the UK in 2009, and was restored to its original specifications by marque-expert XPAG Engineering. The TC comes with a wealth of memorabilia, including restoration photos and correspondence, a chassis-number stamping, a published interview on Hill’s racing roots, full-weather gear, tools, an owner’s manual, and a copy of Inside Track by Phil Hill.
1960 PORSCHE RS60 (PEBBLE BEACH)
Boasting an estimate of $5.5m–$6.5m (£4.3m–£5.1m), the ultra-rare Porsche RS60 is one of Gooding’s headline lots at Pebble Beach in 2023. Chassis 718-060, one of only 17 examples, has an illustrious competition history, having won 12 class victories in US sports car racing between 1960 and 1963.
Offered with matching numbers, the car is remarkably original thanks in part to the fact that it never suffered a major crash during its racing career. After it retired from competition, it spent 30 years in the hands of a Denver-based collector, before being passed on to Heritage Classics of West Hollywood in 1999. Shortly after that it was sympathetically restored by its next owner.
2012 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 110 SVX CONCEPT ‘SPECTRE’ (HAMPTON COURT)
And now for something completely different: one of ten Defender SVX Concepts built for the 2015 James Bond movie Spectre. The purposeful off-roader was co-created for the film by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations department and Bowler Motors, and it is thought to be one of seven cars that survived filming.
Upgrades include Bilstein suspension, an integrated roll cage, 37in Maxxis Trepador tyres on beadlock wheels, and a boosted 185bhp turbodiesel engine. The 4×4 is presented with a mere 3890km on the odometer, and is accompanied by full JLR documentation as well as a filming schedule and framed photographs of the movie set. The price to live out your 007 fantasies? Between £175,000-£225,000 ($223,000–$287,000).
1992 LAMBORGHINI LE3512 V12 F1 ENGINE (HAMPTON COURT)
It’s likely that Lot 35 of the London Auction will become the ultimate addition to a lucky bidder’s games room, but we’re rather hoping it’s recommissioned for the craziest engine swap imaginable.
Either way, Lamborghini’s LE3512 V12 is a remarkable nugget of Formula 1 history, having powered the likes of Larousse, Lotus, Ligier and Minardi over 49 Grands Prix between 1989 and 1993. The Mauro Forghieri-designed V12 produces a staggering 700bhp at 13,800rpm, although unreliability meant it achieved mixed success in motor racing’s top flight. (£50,000–£80,000/$63,700–$101,900).
1954 FERRARI 250 EUROPA (HAMPTON COURT)
Acquired brand new in 1954 by Hollywood director Clarence Leon Brown, this graceful V12 Ferrari is the penultimate example of 22 produced. Brown took delivery in Europe, and immediately entered the Europa in the Cannes Concours d’Elegance where it was immortalised in that year’s Ferrari Yearbook before being exported to the US.
It has since made appearances at Pebble Beach, the Austrian Ennstal-Classic Rally and Cavallino Classic. It is offered in beautifully original and unrestored condition, and boasts full Ferrari Classiche certification. Gooding estimates it will fetch between £1.2m–£1.5m ($1.6m–$1.9m) when it crosses the auction block at Hampton Court.
