HomeCar CultureCommentaryWill Coys sale show impact of Brexit on the collector car hobby?

Will Coys sale show impact of Brexit on the collector car hobby?

-

Churchill's 1939 Daimler DB18 was built on chassis that survived factory bombing | Coys photos
Churchill’s 1939 Daimler DB18 was built on chassis that survived factory bombing | Coys photos

We may get a chance to see the impact of Brexit on the collector car marketplace — if any — when Coys stages a 140-car auction Saturday at Britain’s Blenheim Palace in conjunction with the concours d’elegance at the palace that was the birthplace of Winston Churchill.

Among the cars crossing the block soon after the turmoil created when British voted to leave the European Union will be a 1939 Daimler DB18 drophead coupe that Churchill used as part of his election campaigns in 1944 and 1949.

“Coys auction at Blenheim Palace is one of the most well-established classic car sales in the British auction calendar,” Chris Routledge, chief executive of Coys, said in a news release. “This year we return to the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill with a combination of more than 140 classic and sports cars, including a car used by none other than Churchill himself, two Minis with unparalleled history and much more.

“We will also auction a very special lot donated by the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, which we will auction to raise funds for The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.”

That lot is an opportunity for six people to visit a British warship while it is in port.

Famed auto journalist owned this Mini
Famed auto journalist owned this Mini

Cars topping the auction docket include:

  • Churchill’s 1939 Daimler DB18 drophead coupe, one of three chassis that survived the attack on the Daimler factory during the London Blitz in 1940. The car recently underwent an extensive restoration.
  • The ex-Tony Rowland and Sydney Dowse 1973 Rolls-Royce Corniche; Dowse’s escape from Stalag Luft III was made famous in Steve McQueen’s The Great Escape movie.
  • The 1959 “John Bolster” Morris Mini Minor raced at the Goodwood Members Meeting in 1960 originally owned by Bolster, technical editor of Autosport magazine.
  • The Mini 1275GT Clubman driven by Richard Longman to victories in 21 of 24 races and the 1978 and 1979 British touring car championships.
  • A 1921 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost London-to-Edinburgh style tourer.
  • A 1924 Bentley 3/4.5-liter with several modern upgrades.
  • A “Jaguar Legend” grouping ranging from a 1953 XK120 SE drophead coupe restoration project to a 1963 E-type roadster.
    15 Ferraris, including a 1972 Dino 246GT, 1982 512 BBi and 1989 Testarossa.
Larry Edsall
Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

Recent Posts

spot_img