Rumours of the demise of the everyman classic car market were proven rather premature when Manor Park Classics set two new records at its latest sale, not for priceless V12 exotica, but for a Rover SD1 and a Ford Escort XR3i.
Naturally, both the cars snapped up in Runcorn, Cheshire on 13 April were rather special examples. The Rover was a ‘near-perfect’ 1985 3500 Vanden Plas EFi with 83,000 miles on the clock. Carrying an estimate of £15,000-18,000, it rapidly bid to £20,125, believed to be a record for the model at a public auction.
While the Rover was in great condition but ready to hit the road with no regrets, the Ford was a true timewarp. The 1988 Escort XR3i had just 2919 miles on the clock, came with a large history file and even wore its original Bristol Street Motors window sticker. A hard car to value, but the £25,000-27,000 estimate was pretty accurate as the car sold for £27,887.
Other notable results included a leggy (210,000 miles) 1991 BMW 325i Sport that more than doubled its lower estimate at £20,125 while an exceotional 1967 Alfa Romeo Spider 1600 Duetto (£43,700) and a partially restored 1968 Lotus Elan SE (£19.838). Further proof that ‘footballer Bentleys’ have shaken off that stigma came when a W12-powered 2006 Bentley Continental GTC shot over estimate to make £24,725.
Surprise entries included some vintage Americana, including a glorious 1927 Lincoln Model L Limousine, powered by a 5.9-litre V8 but needing recommissioning and registering for the UK. It made 16,100.
The sales came on the third anniversary of Manor Park Classics’s first auction and sales director James Gregory said: ‘It’s a measure of how far MPC has come since our first sale. Not only did we have the largest number of lots – almost all of which were displayed inside our sale halls – but thanks to a well-chosen selection of vehicles, we not only achieved a sales rate of 78% (with more sales pending), but also two auction records.’
Manor Park Classics’s next auction is on Saturday 25 May.
