HomeMediaLamborghini Countaches lead Silverstone UK auction

Lamborghini Countaches lead Silverstone UK auction

-

A 1983 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S topped Silverstone’s auction at more than $400,000 |Silverstone Auctions photos

A pair of millennial-favorite Lamborghini Countaches from the 1980s were the top sellers at Silverstone Auctions’s May Sale on Friday at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, UK.

Silverstone’s sale reached a total of £3.2million ($4.64 million at the current exchange rate) with 70 percent sold out of the 68 cars offered.

The highest result was for a 1983 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S that sold for £281,250 ($407,377) including premium (all results include auction fees). A 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary edition followed at £241,875 ($350,344).

A 1962 Mercedes-Benz 190SL sold way over estimate in fevered bidding

Other top sales of Italian thoroughbreds included a 1962 Maserati Sebring Series I, thought to be one of only 10 made, sold for £196,875 ($285,164) and a 1987 Ferraris Testarossa, well maintained with just 12,425 miles from new, for £120,375 ($174,357).

Aston Martins continued their high demand with the sale of a 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 owned by the vendor for 40 years for £151,875 ($219,983), and a 1986 Aston Martin V8 Volante sold for £137,250 ($198,800).

Mercedes-Benz SL models showed their strength, with eight telephone bidders joining competition in the room and online for a 1962 Mercedes-Benz 190SL that eventually was sold after a lengthy bidding war for £101,813 ($147,471), more than £30,000 ($43,453) over its lower estimate. A 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda, a UK-supplied right-hand-drive example, sold for £60,750 ($87,993), more than £15,000 ($21,727) over its lower estimate.

A very special Subaru also made waves at auction, Silverstone said in a news release.

“With Japanese performance cars beginning to make headway in the classic market, a 1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STi sold for £73,125 ($105,917),” Silverstone said. “Not just any Impreza, the car is one of just 400 cars built and was supplied new to boxer Prince Naseem. With just 2,500 miles covered and unique details, the car was in high demand from collectors and sold for more than £13,000 ($18,830) over its lower estimate.”

Silverstone Auctions’ next sale takes place at the Classic Race Aarhus in Denmark on Saturday and Sunday, with nearly 100 cars going under the hammer at the prestigious motorsport festival.

The top-10 sales for Silverstone’s May Sale are (in U.S. dollars):

1983 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S, $407,377
1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, $350,344
1962 Maserati Sebring Series I, $287,717
1955 Aston Martin DB2/4, $219,983
2004 Porsche 911(996) GT3 RS, $217,020
1986 Aston Martin V8 Volante, $198,800
1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 MFI Coupe, $185,855
1987 Ferrari Testarossa, $175,918
1962 Mercedes-Benz 190SL, $147,471
2015 Bowler EXR ‘S’, $143,036

(All results include auction fees)

For full results from the Silverstone sale, visit the auction website.

Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.

Recent Posts

spot_img