Classic car auctions to visit this autumn

Buying at auction can be an excellent way to get hold of a classic car and, further down this article, we'll run through a few of the fine-looking classic car auctions coming up throughout autumn 2021. Some of their standout cars have already been confirmed, so we've run our eye over those for you as well – and there are some wonderful vehicles up for grabs.

First, though, we thought we'd recap on the key dos and don'ts for successful buying at auction. You can find more auction expertise elsewhere on our blog where we also dispel a few popular myths about classic car auctions while we’re at it.

As soon as the hammer comes down, get yourself some specialist car insurance, so your car is protected from the moment your ownership starts.

Without further ado, here are a few basic tips for ensuring a good classic car auction experience.

1. Do a trial run

Auctions are fascinating and exciting places to visit. They can also be places where you find yourself suddenly parting with a lot of cash. All those beautiful classic cars lined up in front of you – it can be very tempting to leap in with both feet and start bidding. However, this can end up being a very expensive day out.

We'd recommend attending one or two classic car auctions first on a purely casual basis. Go along in spectator mode; get a feel for the auctions and for how everything works. Keep an ear out for some of the very particular auction jargon. A 'non-runner', for example, is a car that can't be driven, so will be purely for visual and aesthetic enjoyment. And the ‘hammer price’ is the amount that the car fetches in the auction itself – but typically not the final amount that the buyer will pay, as buyer fees are then added on top.

Get a feel for this very particular world and, once you do come to attend an auction in full buyer mode, you'll feel more at home and confident – and an expensive mistake will be far less likely.

2. Know your limit

This is an obvious piece of advice that we'd give to someone about to attend any sort of auction: be very clear what your spending limit is and stick rigidly to it.

You will have imposed a limit on yourself for one or more very good reasons. For one thing, it will be quite simply what you can afford to spend. And, when calculating your budget limit for your new classic car acquisition, don't forget to factor in the various other expenses you're likely to incur – such as any further restoration and maintenance work and, of course, some specialist classic car insurance.

Another reason for imposing an upper limit may be that you've done your research (something we'd also very much recommend!) and you've worked out that this threshold is the upper limit of what you should pay for the marque, model, year and condition that you're after.

The reality will be that, once you're in that auction room and that car you've set your heart on goes under the hammer, you're likely to experience a surge of excitement. And this could lead you into an unwise decision. You may decide, on an impulse, to spend more on that E-Type or Escort XR3i than it's worth – and more than you'll ever make back on it should you come to sell it on.

So: be clear on your upper limit, and stick to it, no matter how much the excitement gets to you.

3. Make a thorough inspection

Once you've honed in on one or more vehicles that you're interested in, you should arrange to carry out a detailed inspection.

There should be a fair amount of information about the car, and its condition, on the auction website and/or catalogue. However, nothing can substitute for actually looking at the vehicle in the metal. If you have any mechanics or car experts among your friends, ask them to come along. If the owner or vendor is present, ask them to walk you around the car and point out any recent work, current issues, and so on.

And have a thorough look at whatever paperwork they can supply about the car's recent history – MOTs, servicing, and repair work. Any information on the vehicle's current classic car insurance policy will also be informative for you. The better informed you are about the state of the vehicle you're interested in, the better your chance of making a wise purchase.

Find more tips on buying a classic at auction here.

Upcoming classic car auctions this autumn

5th November 2021
The Golden Age of Motoring Sale (1886-1939)
Auction: 5th November 2021, 5pm (cars) / 2pm (automobilia), Bonhams, New Bond Street, London.

Viewing: 4-5th November, all day.
Highlights: Bonhams' flagship saleroom hosts its annual Golden Age of Motoring Sale, showcasing a selection of rare veteran, vintage, and post-vintage vehicles in immaculate condition. Early consignments to this year’s sale include a 1903 Wolseley 10HP Twin-Cylinder Four-Seat Rear-Entrance Tonneau, carrying an estimate of £120,000-£150,000. A powerful veteran, ‘Clementine’ has participated in the London to Brighton run at least 15 times and is offered from long-term ownership.

Elsewhere, a 1904 Brennan 14/18HP Twin-Cylinder Five-Seater Rear-Entrance Tonneau (estimate: £80,000-£100,000) has already been entered for this year's London to Brighton Run (7th November, just two days after the auction), so the successful bidder can literally buy and drive! Built by the Brennan Manufacturing Company of Syracuse, New York, the Brennan was imported into the UK in a ‘distressed condition’ in 1900. The new (current) owner gave it a comprehensive restoration, including the building of a new ash-framed five-seater body.

The sale will also offer a plethora of spares, automobilia and art relating to motor cars and motoring of the period.

6th November 2021
RM Sotheby's
Auction: 6th November, 4pm, Waterloo Place, St James', London, SW1Y 4BE

Viewing: 5th and 6th November, from 10am, address above.

Highlights: An RM Sotheby's car auction is a fine place to find for something out of the ordinary. Big sales from previous years have included a 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S that fetched £1,248,125; a 2003 Ferrari Enzo, sold for a cool £1,973,750; and, in 2016, a 1960 Aston Martin DB4GT that went for £2,408,000 – a world record price for a factory-bodied model at auction.

Cars already registered for this year's sale include a beautiful, jet-black AC Ace from 1960, in immaculate condition with red leather interior. A lightweight, nimble two-door roadster that drew inspiration from the Ferrari Barchetta, the Ace got its engine from Bristol Cars – a two-litre straight-six that put out 120 bhp for a top speed leapt of 116 mph (187 km/h).

Other gems include a 1961 E-Type Roadster, with the 3.8-litre engine – and, for real rarity value, an Ascari FGT, a supercar concept produced by the Banbury-based road and racing car manufacturer that ceased trading in 2010. Designed by Lee Noble of Noble Automotive fame, the FGT has six-litre, mid-mounted and fuel-injected V8 engine. There's also a truly gorgeous 1964 Porsche 356 Carrera (the predecessor to the iconic 911) in sky blue.

6-7th November 2021
Anglia Car Auctions
Auction: Anglia Car Auctions, The Cattlemarket, Beveridge Way, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 4NB.

Highlights: We love the look of this fabulous 1961 Bentley S1, finished by vintage coachbuilders Hooper. Most of the Bentley S-Series (and their Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud twins) were built to a standard factory body – but the use of a separate chassis also made them perfect platforms for the more exclusive coachbuilders to show off their wares. We learn that no more than 39 cars were built to this pattern, making this car an extreme rarity as well as jaw-droppingly beautiful.

Other attractive entries include this gold Citroen CX 25 Prestige from 1986. The 'Prestige' name denotes that the car has been given an extra 10 inches in length for it to work as a chauffeur-driven limousine – a role that also gives it a raised roofline, finished in vinyl to mark its luxury status. Owned by a Citroën specialist for 24 years, the car has picked up a host of trophies and certificates, which accompany it on sale.

And we can't resist the look of the beautiful, Jensen Interceptor III Auto in beautiful Brienz Blue. Still, to our eyes, one of the most elegant cars ever made, this hand-built British grand tourer evokes early 1970s glamour like few others.

Anglia holds five classic sales a year (in January, April, June, August and November): you can find the 2022 dates on the calendar page of their website.

13-14th November 2021
NEC Classic Motor Show Car Sale 2021 (sponsored by Lancaster Classic Car Insurance)
Auction: 13-14th November, from 11am, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.

Viewing: 12th November from 10am, address above.
Highlights: Silverstone Auctions return with a large and beautiful selection of classics for auction as part of the NEC Classic Motor Show. As for highlights: really, where do we begin?

For example, how about a Ferrari in saloon form? The eye-catching 365 GT4 has always been one of the Prancing Horse's more unusual and exotic offerings – we love the looks, plus the sheer wow factor of a booted, grand tourer Ferrari.

So we're delighted to see this beautiful 1974 example, with just 25,000 miles and one family owner from new. Just 94 365 GT4s made it to the UK: this one is in great condition and has a comprehensive history, including original service book, tool kit and keys.

For something truly unusual, meanwhile (not to mention a significant footnote in 20th Century British TV culture), we love this 1965 Mini Moke all-terrain vehicle, as used in the iconic late '60s TV thriller The Prisoner.

HLT 709C is one of only two surviving Mokes from the show. Four Mokes were converted by coachbuilders Wood & Pickett for use in the film: after filming finished in 1967, nothing was seen nor heard of this one until 2011 when it turned up in a barn in Holland – the archetypal 'barn find'. It has now been extensively restored.

17th November 2021
H&H Classic Auction

Auction: 17th November, 1pm, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, CB22 4QR.

Viewing: 16th November, 12pm to 6pm / 17th November from 9am.

Named after its 1993 founders Simon Hope and Mark Hamilton, H&H Classics claims to have more years of continuous trading under its belt than any other UK auctioneer. Based in Cheshire, they hold regular auctions at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton, Derbyshire, and elsewhere around the country. They've managed some world-record prices for competition cars such as a 1996 Subaru Impreza WRC; they've also successfully handled some ex-Royal motors such as the Queen’s Daimler, Prince Philip’s Lagonda and Princess Anne’s Bentley.

At the time of writing, one lot has so far been confirmed for their next auction on 17th November: a beautiful 1975 Mercedes 450 SL in white, with just 60,600 miles on the clock. Keep checking back on the link above for more consignments as they come in.

25th November 2021
Dorset Vintage and Classic Auctions: Early Winter Auction

Auction: The Old Gas Works, Station Road, Stalbridge, Dorset, DT10 2RH
The West Country's leading specialist auction house for vintage and classic cars, motorcycles, historic commercials and more, Dorset Vintage and Classic Auctions hold regular auctions from their base near Wincanton.

Their forthcoming Early Winter Auction includes a selection of early 20th Century gems including a dark green 1914 Talbot 15hp Four Seat Tourer, which goes on sale with an estimate of £15,000-£20,000. Introduced in 1911, the Talbot 15hp featured a 3563cc, four-cylinder, side-valve engine. That large engine contributed to the car's success in hillclimbs and speed trials of the era.

Elsewhere, a beautiful sky blue 1921 Sunbeam 16hp Four Seat Tourer, with a cream cabriolet top, has an estimate of £16,000 to £26,000. Featuring a 2.1-litre engine, this car was noted at the time for its reliability. You'll also find a Sunbeam from a decade later: a 1931 18.2hp Two Door Drop Head Coupe finished in a beautiful cream and black two-tone paint job.

Viewings are by appointment only. Call for more information on timings.

Classic car insurance from Lancaster

We hope that your visit to a classic car auction is productive. And, when you do acquire the car you've been hoping for, we'll be delighted to provide you with some specialist classic motor cover.

Contact us today to get a quote.