Ambition stings a bidder and his drive to success

An auction bidder determined to own a car he said he had always wanted yet never driven was stung to success against stiff competition.

The prize was a 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray convertible showing only 22,349 miles and with comprehensive history and a selection of desirable extras and spares. It took pride of place in the marquee at the Dorset Vintage and Classic auction held at Henstridge Airfield on October 24^th.

With bidding starting at £30,000 it stalled at £41,000, a provisional sale. The determined bidder quickly negotiated a deal at £45,100, returning to a round of applause as the sale was revealed.

Similar speedy negotiations also secured the sale of a 1967 Austin A110 Mk II Westminster automatic saloon for £7,040 while strongly determined bidding between two potential owners saw the hammer fall on a 1971 Sunbeam Alpine Fastback, one of the last models to carry the Sunbeam marque name, at £8,250.

A piece of motoring history, a 1938 Rover P2 10 Two Door Coupe first registered in Coventry to a director of the Rover company, sold for £16,500. It was a rare version of the last small Rover to be built and again drew stiff competition from bidders.

The third Packard Super 8 Touring Limousine, this time from 1936, to be offered by DVCA in recent sales sold for £6,600 to a telephone bidder. All three cars came from the same owner, who will now be offering a vast collection of spares at the next DVCA sale on March 19^th, again at Henstridge Airfield between Shaftesbury and Sherborne.

MGs were also popular, with a 1954 MG TF 1500 achieving £28,820, virtually 19 times the £1,540 paid for a 1973 MG B GT in daily use but now a rolling restoration project. A 1962 MG A 1600 Roadster sold for £16,940 and a 1950 MG TD Midget for £21,460. Auction bidders have long been consumed by passion for British sports cars, so a 1966 Triumph TR4A that was a late addition to the catalogue found a new owner ready to pay £13,200.

Among other cars that enthusiasts have always loved was a 1963 Riley 1.5 Series III, which sold for £5,650 while a flagship of British motoring, a splendid Bentley Brooklands registered on the last day of 1993, was bought for £8,360.

Mercedes-Benz SL cars have a keen following, so a 1985 Mercedes-Benz 280SL with Hardtop was well bought at £11,000. A big bargain was the 1992 Mercedes-Benz 300E Auto Saloon driven away for £1,540.

Motorcycle bidders seldom give each other an easy ride, a 1982 Honda CB650 SC Nighthawk starting the auction under way and selling for £1,375 while the next lot, a 1957 Francis-Barnett Falcon 74, achieved £2,310.

“There was some very determined bidding and some frantic post-sale negotiating for cars that almost crossed the line and then sold successfully straight after,” says DVCA’s Brian.

“Even though the weather rained on our parade, the crowd was keen. It bodes well for our next sale on Thursday March 19^th, when a good collection of lots and the adjoining tea room will surely warm buyers’ hearts!”

More modern cars that have growing esteem among enthusiasts include the Alfa Romeo GTV T-Spark Lusso, a 2002 example finding a new owner for £2,420. The thrill of surefooted winter motoring will be enjoyed by the bidder who snapped up a 2004 Audi TT 3.2 Quattro for £2,035.