An elegant antique French touring car, a 1904 Peugeot Type 67A 10/12hp Twin-Cylinder Swing-Seat Tonneau, led the Bonhams Golden Age of Motoring Sale, held at New Bond Street two days before the iconic London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.
The Peugeot, which was eligible for this past Sunday’s drive for pre-1905 vehicles, sold for a robust £264,500 ($358,761), far more than its pre-auction estimated value.
Overall, the auction posted £1.823 million ($2,472,670) in sales with 126 vehicles selling for an 88 percent sell-through rate. All results reported include auction fees.
The auction featured a number of early vehicles, whose sale included entry into the popular London to Brighton Run, which marks the repeal in 1905 of onerous British traffic laws.
The Peugeot was the subject of a “six-way bidding war,” according to Bonhams, earning a round of applause from the packed-house audience.
“With many members of the Veteran Car Club in attendance, it was perhaps no surprise that examples from the dawn of motoring performed particularly well, selling above estimate,” Bonhams said in a news release.
The other five pre-1905 offered by Bonhams also did well, either beating their estimated values or selling at top of the range:
A 1903 Wolseley 10hp twin-cylinder four-seat rear-entrance tonneau was sold for £161,000 ($218,000) to a German enthusiast, who then drove it to Brighton on Sunday.
A 1904 Brennan 14/18hp Twin Cylinder five-seater rear entrance tonneau, one of just four pre-1905 survivors of the American marque, sold for £115,000 ($156,000).
A 1904 Crestmobile Model D 8½ hp four-seater rear-entrance tonneau went for £66,700 ($90,470).
A 1902 Warwick 6hp Stanhope four-seater, possibly the only surviving 6hp Warwick, made £63,250 ($85,790).
“This is an excellent result, and proves the continued enthusiasm for these very special motor cars,” the release quoted Tim Schofield, who heads Bonhams Motor Cars UK. “We were delighted to have so many friends from the Veteran Car Club attending the sale and were particularly pleased to see the Wolseley taking part in Sunday’s London to Brighton Run with its new owner.”
Other top-selling vehicles at the Bonhams auction were:
A 1939 Brough Superior SS100, one of seven examples of the pre-war superbike and which were originally delivered to Sheffield Police, sold for £253,000 ($343,160), the second most valuable lot of the sale.
A 1928 Bentley 3-Litre Blue Label Tourer sold for £241,500 ($327,564). The highly original example was offered for public sale for the first time in 60 years, Bonhams said.
Two paintings by Terence Cuneo headed results for automobilia at the Bonhams auction. Danger! Passage à Niveau, a humorous depiction of a 1904 Sunbeam in a near miss with a locomotive at a level crossing, beat its top estimate of £12,000 to achieve £45,000 ($61,000).
The other Cuneo artwork, Sunbeams at the London to Brighton Run, doubled its estimate, selling for £16,500 ($22,380). Proceeds from the sale of the two artworks benefited the West Midlands Police Heritage Project.
The top-10 sales for the Bonhams auction were:
• 1904 Peugeot Type 67A 10/12hp twin-cylinder swing-seat tonneau, sold for £264,500 ($358,761)
• 1939 Brough Superior SS100 motorcycle, sold for £253,000 ($343,160)
• 1928 Bentley 3-Litre Blue Label Tourer, sold for £241,500 ($327,564)
• 1908 Rainier Model D 40/50 hp Seven-passenger touring car, sold for £167,900 ($227,735)
• 1903 Wolseley 10hp twin-cylinder four-seat rear-entrance tonneau, sold for £161,000 ($218,000)
• 1904 Brennan 14/18hp Twin Cylinder five-seater rear entrance tonneau, sold for £115,000 ($156,000)
• 1938 Bentley 4¼-Liter Sedanca Coupe, sold for £87,400 ($118,547)
• 1934 Lagonda M145 4½-Liter two-seater tourer, sold for £69,000 ($93,590)
• 1904 Crestmobile Model D 8½ hp four-seater rear-entrance tonneau, sold for £66,700 ($90,470)
• 1902 Warwick 6hp Stanhope four-seater, sold for £63,250 ($85,790)
(All results include auctio9n fees)
The Bonhams UK motor car team holds its final live auction of the year on December 4 at the company’s Bond Street headquarters. For information, visit the Bonhams website.
