by gaukcars.com | Oct 1, 2024 | Blog
An extremely rare 1979 Holden Torana GTR XU1-Bathurst will be amongst the star lots of the Classic Car Auctions sale to be held at the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show in March 2022.
Believed to be possibly the only Holden Torana GTR XU1-Bathurst car in the Northern Hemisphere, the car is one of only 150 built in the period to achieve homologation for racing. Peter Brook took his first of 9 Bathurst wins in a similar 1972 car. The engine number for each of the 150 specials was recorded in the service manual by Holden, so that technicians would be able to service the vehicle in accordance with specific requirements for this model. All of the original books are present with the car, which is offered in the original “Strike Me Pink” livery.
The car is UK registered and has been owned by the vendor for 29 years. Last started in 1985, and in need of restoration, this is likely to be the only one of its kind offered for sale in Europe, or perhaps even the entire Northern Hemisphere. The car is offered with a guide price of between £45,000 – £55,000. The last example sold at auction, as a fully restored vehicle, topped £160,000 and significant interest is expected in this rare car.
The Holden will feature in an extensive catalogue that marks the return of Classic Car Auctions to the March show for the first time in three years. The leading auction house for Everyman classics, Classic Car Auctions is a division of the UK’s market leader for specialist and classic cars, Silverstone Auctions. Over the past two years Classic Car Auctions have sold over £15,000,000 of client vehicles and the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show will be the largest of the companies four sales scheduled for 2022. Consignments are currently open for the show, and Classic Car Auctions offers a free valuation service via the website. Bidding on the March event auction is available in person at the event or by phone, commission and online bidding for those unable to attend.
For further information, or to consign a vehicle please visit classiccarauctions.co.uk
by gaukcars.com | Oct 1, 2024 | Blog
- £310.8m of classic and collector cars sold at auction in 2021
- £15.5m paid for 1995 McLaren F1 at Pebble Beach
- Ex-Lewis Hamilton F1 car sells at British Grand Prix for £4.7m
- 1998 Subaru Impreza STi 22b breaks records at £240,000
- Wrecked Jaguar sells for almost £100,000
- 1988 Escort Ghia with royal connections achieves over £52,000
- Online bidder pays over £1m for a Ferrari F40
Last year, Hagerty tracked more than 12,500 UK and European auction results, over double those observed in 2020.
The numbers were huge: a total of £310.8 million in classic and collector vehicles sold, including 14 for over £1m, a significant increase from 10 last year.
Some of this increase was undoubtedly due to the expansion of Hagerty’s valuation operations, now called Automotive Intelligence, that tracks auctions, insured values and other data sources all around the world. But the increase is also a result of continued confidence in the market after the brief pause in early 2020. The specialist vehicle market seems to be moving onwards at a rate almost entirely unconnected to the pandemic.
Throughout this year of increased sales, it is inevitable that certain vehicles stand out. These are sometimes the most valuable, the rarest or those that indicate an emerging trend in the market, but others are notable just because they are really interesting cars. Here is Hagerty’s selection of 2021’s most influential global classic vehicle sales.
Most valuable: 1995 McLaren F1, £15.5m
Starting with the biggest sale of 2021 – the 1995 McLaren F1 sold by Gooding & Company at Pebble Beach in August. The final result was $20,465,000 (£15.5m) just shy of the Hagerty Price Guide condition 1 ‘concours’ value. Hagerty is aware of other, private sales that have been higher, but this was a world record price for the F1 at public auction.
Formula One royalty: 2010 McLaren MP4-25, £4.73m
The first of Lewis Hamilton’s F1 race and Grand Prix-winning cars ever offered to the public, it won the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix. This car is undoubtedly a piece of motoring heritage, as it was raced by Hamilton against the other dominant F1 legend of the modern era, Michael Schumacher. Sold by RM Sotheby’s at a special, single-lot auction at the British Grand Prix, it sold for £4.73m, just short of its top estimate.
Turning Japanese: 1998 Subaru Impreza STi 22B, $317,555 (£240,000)
As Hagerty has written about a great deal this year, Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) car values have been flying high in America. Some, like this 1998 Subaru STi 22B, don’t yet even qualify for the country’s 25-year import rule (only vehicles aged 25 or older may be imported to the US without having to meet the national vehicle regulations), but that doesn’t put buyers, off as seen back in April when it sold for a record-breaking $317,555 (£240,000) via Bring A Trailer.
The model hasn’t yet achieved the same level of value here in the UK: back in May, one of just 16 UK-spec 22Bs was sold by Silverstone Auctions for £171,000, more than expected but still a long way short of the Bring A Trailer record. Then, in November at the NEC sale, Silverstone tried again – this time with a 15,500-mile from new example that was estimated at an eye-watering £230,000 to £280,000. Bidding reached £200,000 and it did not sell.
Wrecked exotic: 1960 Jaguar XK150 S Drophead, £90,000
There are some auction results that are surprising, even to the seasoned observer who thinks they have seen everything. This car, offered by Bonhams MPH in May, was crashed by its previous owner in 1996. And it wasn’t just a small shunt: spinning off the road into a tree, the car took a huge impact to the front and sustained damage all along the right-hand side. The driver’s chest broke the steering wheel and his hair was still embedded in the windscreen! And yet, someone saw the potential for restoring this car back to its glory days and paid a very robust £90,000, just shy of our current £102,000 Price Guide value for an ‘Excellent’ example.
Group B stuns again: 1988 Audi Sport Quattro, €2.017M
An undoubted highlight of the Artcurial Paris sales of February 2021, exceeding its expectations by the largest amount and selling for €700,000 over its €1M to €1.3M pre-sale estimate. Hagerty has tracked the values of all Ur Quattros increasing significantly over the past 18 months. However, the value achieved – three times the top Hagerty Price Guide figure of £408,000 for the standard Sport Quattro – set a new level.
The Ugly Duckling: 1993 Jaguar XJ220, £460,000
An exceptional XJ220 with just 385 miles on the clock in factory Monza Red and a clean bill of health from marque specialists Don Law Racing, its sale may mark a watershed for the model.
A highlight of the Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale, it was the first time an XJ220 had exceeded our (then) top Hagerty Price Guide value of £445,000 and is a record for a public auction sale. It was quickly followed up by RM Sotheby’s sale of a similarly impressive example in their London sale in November which exceeded its pre-sale top estimate selling for £432,500. It’s notable that ten of the highest 11 values of the model at auction have been since 2019.
One royal owner: 1981 Ford Escort 1.6 Ghia, £52,640
Hagerty has tracked examples of the third-generation Ford Escort selling for more than £50,000 but they have been low-mileage examples of sporting models such as the RS Turbo and RS1600i. So, what made a slightly tired, 83,000-mile, 1.6 Ghia example, offered by Reeman Dansie, so sought-after? In May 1981 it was given as an engagement present by Prince Charles to the then-Lady Diana Spencer. This sale, in a specialist royal auction, fetched around ten times what Hagerty expects a very good example to reach without its amazing history.
Online landmark: Ferrari F40, £1,000,500
The Market’s July sale of ‘F40 BLU’, a 1989 Ferrari F40, for £1,000,500, was another watershed moment: the first time a car sold for over £1m in a dedicated UK online auction. Interestingly, it lacked the originality usually demanded of such top cars, having been painted in Porsche Aqua Blue, but made up for it in online presence, generated by its owner Sam Moores, the Car Chat podcaster and photographer. Interestingly, four bidders were still competing even after the car reached £980,000. Hagerty has tracked the values of F40s rising steadily over the last few years: from 2016 until 2021, top values in the Hagerty Price Guide rose by 11 per cent.
Two more exceptional examples sold in the US at Monterey in August, one for $2.89M (Gooding and Co) and another for $2.42m (RM Sotheby’s). With over 50 per cent of F40 owners who insure with Hagerty born since 1965 (up from 28 per cent in 2018), younger money is coming into the market, reinforcing the F40’s position as a key collectable car in the present climate.
Restorer’s dream: 1982 Lamborghini Countach LP500S, £257,600
It appeared to be a basket case, a supercar in component parts and in urgent need of saving. Yet this 1982 Lamborghini Countach LP 500S restoration case was sold by Historics in September for £257,600 – well over its top £180,000 estimate.
The LP500s (often called the 5000s) was the original Athena poster model. This one, stripped down and ready for a full restoration, was an ultra-rare right-hand drive example, one of just 37 made. Hagerty’s ‘Excellent’ value at the time was £334,000, not giving the new owner too much leeway for a full-cost restoration, but then again it’s rare for buyers in this part of the market, where money isn’t always a concern, to be presented with a blank canvas to restore to their own specification.
by gaukcars.com | Oct 1, 2024 | Blog
- Volvo Car UK achieved growth in both its new car sales volume and market share in 2021
- Total sales increased by 4% year-on-year to 48,260 cars, raising Volvo’s market share from 2.85 to 2.93%
- Results outperform the overall UK market growth of 1% and contribute to Volvo’s increased global sales total
- Surge in sales of Volvo Recharge plug-in hybrid petrol-electric and pure electric models to 15,376 units and more than one third (37%) of current customer orders
- XC40 remains Volvo’s most popular model and the UK’s best-selling premium SUV
- Mid-size XC60 and large luxury XC90 SUVs complete Volvo’s top three sellers
- Further sales growth for the Volvo Selekt Approved Used Car programme, despite industry-wide supply issues
Volvo Car UK has again demonstrated the quality and appeal of its cars and the strength of its business, recording growth in both its new car sales volume and its market share in 2021.
The achievement is set against the challenging trading conditions for the global automotive industry, caused by the continuing pandemic and associated vehicle supply issues.
In total, 48,260 new Volvo cars were registered in the UK, an increase of 4% on 2020’s figure, outperforming the market as a whole, where volume grew by 1%. As a result, the company’s market share rose from 2.85 to 2.93%.
Central to this performance was the success of Volvo’s fast-expanding Recharge range of electrified – plug-in hybrid petrol-electric and pure electric – models: with sales more than doubling to 15,376 units year-on-year, these accounted for 32% of all Volvo’s UK sales in 2021. Order books show that proportion rising to more than one third (37%) of the total, reflecting the momentum of growth in customer demand for low- and zero-emission cars.
This strong UK performance has contributed to Volvo Cars’ global growth. Worldwide, the business saw its sales rise by nearly 6% to 698,693 units; international Recharge model sales increased by 64% compared with 2020.
The XC40 compact SUV was again Volvo’s UK best-seller – its total sales of 25,242 units reaffirming it as the country’s most popular premium SUV for a second consecutive year. The XC40 was also the third-best-selling plug-in hybrid car of all in the UK in 2021. The mid-size XC60 and large luxury XC90 SUVs held second and third places in Volvo’s rankings, with 10,131 and 7,221 sales respectively.
The high demand for Volvo products extended to the pre-owned market, with the Volvo Selekt Approved Used Car operation recording 32,401 sales – up 12% on 2020’s business, despite reduced supply.
Matt Galvin, Volvo Car UK Commercial Operations Director, said: “This continues to be a challenging time for the automotive industry, but these excellent results demonstrate how the strength of our products and the way we are adapting our business are inspiring customer confidence. Having seized the initiative with our Recharge electrified model range, and by progressing towards all-digital car sales, we are reaping the rewards of innovation while preserving the qualities and values that are central to our brand.”
Kristian Elvefors, Volvo Car UK Managing Director, said: “It is hugely rewarding for everyone at Volvo to see their hard work and dedication delivering this strong sales performance. My thanks go to them, and to the growing number of consumers who are making Volvo their preferred choice. I am confident that the coming year has the potential to deliver greater rewards as we expand our Recharge portfolio and continue to evolve business models that address new consumer preferences for accessing mobility.”
For more information on the Volvo range, and to use the online configurator, please go to www.volvocars.co.uk
by gaukcars.com | Oct 1, 2024 | Blog
- Corsa-e and Mokka-e ranges in WLTP cycle increase to 222* and 209 miles respectively
- Range-extension through optimisation of heat pump, transmission reducer and tyres
- Vauxhall to have a fully electric vehicle range by 2028
Thanks to the continuous development of its electric vehicles, Vauxhall’s Corsa-e and All-new Mokka-e ranges have increased in the official WLTP (Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure) cycle.
On a single charge of its battery, the Corsa-e, can now cover up to 222 miles* according to the WLTP, up from 209 miles previously, an increase of around six per cent. The range of the Mokka-e has increased to 209 miles (WLTP), up from 201 miles previously, an increase of around four per cent.
The range increases have been achieved through the optimisation of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) and propulsion systems of the Corsa-e and Mokka-e.
The range increases have been achieved through the following measures:
- The efficiency of the heat pump, which warms and cools the interior and is standard equipment on both models, is now even higher than before. Heat pumps are more efficient than conventional HVAC systems, as they require less energy from the battery, to the benefit of driving range. Customers will notice the improvements particularly when driving in the winter months.
- A new transmission reducer that converts the motor revs into wheel speed helps optimise the range.
- A+ rated 16-inch (Corsa-e) and 17-inch (Mokka-e) low rolling resistance tyres for even greater efficiency.
Available to buyers across its electric car and van range, including Corsa-e and Mokka-e, Vauxhall’s new Plug & Go offer includes a free home charging unit, eight years’ roadside assistance and battery warranty, a free six-month BP Pulse subscription and three years’ free servicing. The Plug & Go offer helps remove the barriers to making the switch to electric and simplifies the EV ownership experience – find out more here.
Corsa-e and Mokka-e form part of the British brand’s comprehensive electrification offensive. Vauxhall will offer an electrified variant across its entire model line-up by 2024 and will have a fully electric vehicle range by 2028 – years ahead of the UK Government deadline.
Across cars and LCVs, Vauxhall already offers five fully-electric models and, following the launch of All-new Astra, two plug-in hybrid models. One of those fully-electric models, All-new Combo-e, lands on UK shores this month, completing Vauxhall’s fully-electrified LCV line-up.
*WLTP Preliminary Figure
