A unique Ferrari F40-based creation is to lead Iconic Auctioneers’ Silverstone Festival sale, which takes place on Friday, August 23 and Saturday, August 24, 2024. The sale, split into two for competition machinery and road cars, also sees possibly the most famous road-going Ford Escort RS Cosworth there is, courtesy of its first owner – Jeremy Clarkson – going under the hammer, among a host of fast Fords.
Iconic Auctioneers, formerly Silverstone Auctions, is no stranger to fast Ford success, breaking records repeatedly for the Escort RS Turbo S1 and the Sierra RS500 Cosworth. However, as we write this less than a month away from the auction, it’s noticeable that there are fewer road car lots announced than we would normally expect to see at this point, perhaps reflecting a chilly UK market. Are owners choosing to keep the cars longer, hoping for better days later in the year?
Nevertheless, there’s plenty to get stuck into – especially for those in the market for a 1980s/’90s/’00s performance car, although there’s also some rare-breed action from Italy and the UK from the 1950s and 1960s that will prompt plenty of interest. We’ve picked out ten lots that we think are worth a look – what do you have your eye on?
While there are many exotics in Iconic’s catalogue, it’s this pre-production 1992 Ford Escort RS Cosworth that’s likely to be the big talking point of the auction. A catalytic converter-delete car, one of three built at a cost of £250k each, it was offered to Jeremy Clarkson as a long-term test car for Top Gear magazine. After 12 months the car was offered as a prize, but it returned to Clarkson for Clarkson’s Car Years in 2000, where he took it for an emotional drive across the Buttertubs Pass in North Yorkshire, which you can view here. In more recent times it’s had a full brake and suspension overhaul, as well as new headlining. It’s estimated at between £65k and £75k – but could it go for much more?
Other Ford highlights include an ex-Henry Ford II and uniquely automatic 1977 Escort RS2000 (£50k-60k), a one-off factory-built yellow 1995 Escort RS Cosworth (£100k-£140k), a 1987 Sierra RS500 Cosworth (£80k-£100k), a delivery-miles 2003 Focus RS Mk1 (£60k-£70k) and a trio of delivery-miles Focus RS Mk2s ranging from £40k-£60k, including an RS500 special edition.
This may look like an F40 – it even began life as one – but it’s actually the 1992 Simpson-Ferrari V12 GTR. Built by Simpson Motorsport in 2001 for Stefano Sebastiani from a post-crash test F40 chassis bought directly from Ferrari. It’s powered by an F133 550 Maranello engine, mated to a Hewland gearbox and clothed in a lighter F40 GTE-specification body. The car was upgraded further in 2005, with the addition of a six-speed sequential Hewland ‘box. It was raced in Europe, including at the Vallelunga Six Hours with Mauro Baldi, Richard Jones and Fabio Montani behind the wheel. After three years the car was stored, right up to 2023, and it has been brought back to life. It’s estimated at between £500k and £600k.
This 2001 Lamborghini Diablo VT 6.0 SE is the ninth built of 42 built to see out the last of the model before the Murciélago was introduced. Offered in either Oro Elios (as seen here) or Marrone Eklipsis, it featured a magnesium intake manifold, a short-ratio gearbox and a bespoke interior treatment. Originally delivered to Hong Kong, this right-hand-drive car remained as part of a large collection before coming to the UK. Serviced by Lamborghini Tunbridge Wells in late 2023, it’s covered 564 miles from new. It’s estimated at between £400k and £500k.
Iconic also has a UK-supplied 2004 Lamborghini Murciélago manual up for grabs, with an estimate of between £100k and £120k.
This is the 2021 Jaguar E-type Series 3 Bespoke Tera V12 – a restomod that imagines what an E-type could have become if Jaguar’s V12 had been developed for competition in the 1960s. Created by Coventry-based Building The Legend, it was inspired by the one remaining V12 quad-cam engine that powered the original XJ-13. The Tera model is available in 6.1- or 6.8-litre form, with between 350bhp and 650bhp; this particular car was based on a Series III E-type FHC. It was converted to right-hand drive and fitted with bespoke steel bodywork over a stiffened monocoque with re-engineered independent rear suspension. It also features upgraded brakes and Connolly leather interior. It’s fitted with a 450bhp version of the 6.1-litre engine, and is estimated at between £200k and £240k.
Other Jaguar highlights include a 1965 E-type S1 4.2 (£48k-£58k), a 1971 S2 4.2 (£30k-£40k) and a 1972 S3 V12 Roadster (£35k-£45k).
This 1994 Ferrari 512 TR is one of 38 UK-supplied, ABS-equipped models built. It’s covered 41,850 miles from new and has had an engine-out service in the past six months, and aesthetic improvements worth £5400. The Ferrari Classiche-certified car is estimated at between £150k and £180k.
Other 1990s performance cars include a one-of 295 RHD UK-supplied Audi UR-Quattro 20v RRs (£60k-£70k), a 1993 Lotus Carlton (£60k-£70k), a 1999 Lotus Sport Elise SVO (£35k-£40k) and a rare manual 1996 Porsche 993 Carrera 4 Cabriolet (£75k-£85k).
This 1986 MG Metro 6R4 saw competition three times in 1986, with Malcolm Wilson and Nigel Harris taking it to fourth on the San Remo Rally, 17th on the Lombard RAC Rally and fifth in the Bettega Memorial Rally. Stored for many years, it was restored in 2004, keeping its battle scars from competition but bringing its mechanicals to good order. It was displayed at the 2006 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and more recently has been fitted with new fuel tanks. It’s estimated at between £375k and £475k.
Other competition car highlights include John Cleland’s 1995 British Touring Car Championship-winning Vauxhall Cavalier (£100k-£120k), an ex-Elio de Angelis 1977 Chevron B38 (£40k-£50k) and a 1988 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth Group A racing car (£100k-£120k).
This 1963 Maserati 3500GTI Vignale Spyder is the penultimate right-hand-drive car built, and formed part of the Tom Walduck collection between 1986 and 2003. Its next owner entrusted the car to specialist McGrath Maserati for recommissioning, which included a new wiring loom, fixing the Lucas injection and refreshment of the suspension and brakes. After ten years of light use it returned to McGrath for full restoration of the mechanicals and trim, while the paint was redone in Blue Scuro by Prestige Restorations in Surrey. Although it doesn’t have its original engine – no details were available as to why – it has been refreshed again by McGrath recently, and is estimated at between £500k and £600k.
Other Italian classics include 1969 Lancia Fulvia Sport Zagato (£25k-£30k) and a VRM-restored 1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce Passo Corto 750F (£80k-£100k).
This 1988 Aston Martin V8 Vantage X-Pack Manual (V580) is one of 137 examples built. First sold to John Mills of Stratford-upon-Avon, it soon passed to the vendor in 1990. It’s been serviced by Newport Pagnell Works, Stratstone Aston and Aston Martin Workshops of Beamish. It’s had paint correction in 2013, and a speedometer change way back in 1988 – although the car reads 24,177 miles, it’s actually closer to 44,000 miles. It’s estimated at between £220k and £250k.
Other British 1980/’90s classics include one of 194 1987 Bentley Continentals (startlingly rare compared to more than 5000 Rolls-Royce Corniches of a similar type) estimated at £160k-£180k, two Bentley Continental Rs Widebodys (£65k-£75k and £80k-£100k), a 1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo X180 fresh from a body-off restoration (£25k-£30k) and a delivery-miles 1993 Morgan Plus 8 (£50k-£60k).
This 1964 Morgan Plus 4 Plus, one of 26 examples built, is being offered to market for the first time in 26 years; its previous owner held stewardship between 1969 and 1998. It’s estimated at between £80k and £100k, and is believed to be one of eight to remain in UK ownership.
Other 1950s/’60s British classics include a 1963 Daimler Dart SP250 C-Spec (£30k-£35k), a 159 TVR Grantura MkII development car (£30k-£40k) and a 1969 Aston Martin DBS manual (one of 68 Series 1s built), estimated at £60k-£70k.
This 1972 Porsche 911E (Oel Klappe) is an example of the one-year-only side-oil-fill 911E. This UK-supplied car has been with the vendor, a bodyshop owner, since 2003. At some point its engine was replaced, believed to be very early in its life. It’s offered after a period in storage and would require recommissioning; it’s estimated at between £60k and £70k.
Other Porsche highlights include an Autofarm-restored 1968 911S Targa LHD (£80k-£100k), a 1985 930 Turbo 3.3 (£90k-£105k), one of 75 UK-supplied 924 Carrera GTs (£40-£50k) and a Porsche Centre-restored 1987 928 S4 (£30k-£40k).
Further details
The competition car sale takes place on Friday, August 23. More details are available here.
The road car sale takes place on Saturday, August 24. More details are available here.
