AUCTION PICKS

1987 FORD SIERRA COSWORTH RS500

SOLD BY SILVERSTONE AUCTIONS, £596,250

Yes, you read that right – aSierra Cosworth for almost £600,000. Although it wasn’t any old ‘Cossie’ from the batch of 5500 built for Group A homologation, but one of the coveted RS500s upgraded by Aston Martin Tickford. With a tweaked engine and a few minor body and suspension modifications, the 500 examples retailed at £19,950 in 1987 – but the fact this one was entirely original and had covered 5200 miles meant it might have been the best in existence. The price (a world record for the model) resulted from a bidding battle between would-be owners in Dubai and the UK.

2005 FORD GT

SOLD BY RM SOTHEBY’S, £398,000

Ford’s decision to create a GT40 for the 21st century to celebrate its centenary resulted in an instant classic – and who doesn’t wish they had bought one new when they cost around £110,000?

1966 LOTUS ELAN S3

SOLD BY SILVERSTONE AUCTIONS, £164,250

The jewel in the crown of the Piddington Collection was this automotive prop from 1960s TV series The Avengers. Driven by Diana Rigg’s character Emma Peel, the car was later given to the actress.

1963 JAGUAR E-TYPE

SOLD BY BONHAMS, £72,760

This E-type left the factory as a road-going, right-hand-drive coupé but was converted to semi-lightweight Roadster 37 years ago, with aluminium bodywork and a 292bhp engine.

1953/2008 JOWETT JUPITER MK II

SOLD BY HISTORICS, £22,640

Although designs were created for a Jowett Jupiter Mk II in 1952 prior to the firm’s demise, none was built. This unique example was made in 2008 by panel-beater Allan Fishburn with original drawings.

2010 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR ‘STIRLING MOSS’

SOLD BY RM SOTHEBY’S, PRICE NOT REVEALED

This was one of just 75 tuned-up versions of the modern-day SLR built to celebrate the 1955 Mille Miglia victory by Stirling Moss and his navigator, Motor Sport’s Jenks. It had covered 93 miles.

1973 JENSEN INTERCEPTOR

SOLD BY HISTORICS, £37,356

This mean and moody 8.2-litre Jensen was built in tribute to the one driven by Michelle Rodriguez as the character Letty Ortiz in 2013’s Fast & Furious 6. The project is said to have cost £100,000.

FORTHCOMING SALE HIGHLIGHTS

● GOODING & COMPANY, LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA, APRIL 7

This Estate sale will disperse the near 90-car collection of the late Mark Smith, a noted and well-known enthusiast of older Fords and pre-war cars in general. Among the highlights of the two-day sale – which will take place at the Midland Motor Museum he created from an old Chrysler dealership – is a superbly original 1934 Mercedes-Benz 500K Offener Tourenwagen. It alone could fetch up to £1.5m.

● BONHAMS, GOODWOOD, APRIL 16

Bonhams regular Goodwood Members’ Meeting auction was shaping up to be a bumper affair as this issue of Motor Sport went to press. Although set to be a field dominated by road cars, there will be no shortage of competition iron, including a 1963 Cooper Monaco T61M with small block Chevrolet power and the ex-Derek Warwick/Aguri Suzuki Footwork Arrows FA14 from the 1993 Formula 1 championship season.

● BONHAMS, STAFFORD, APRIL 22-23

When it comes to motorcycle auctions, rival houses have upped their game considerably in recent years – but Bonhams’ Stafford sales held twice yearly for the best part of two decades still lead the way. Among the hundreds of two-wheelers on offer will be an ex-Jim Redman Honda CR72 from 1963, a 1993 Ducati 888 campaigned by Carl Fogarty and Michael Rutter, and the BMW M1000RR raced to TT victory in ’22 by Peter Hickman.

● RM SOTHEBY’S, ITALY/ SWITZERLAND, JULY (DATES TBC)

As the name implies, The Carrera Collection of 90-odd cars will include the full gamut of Porsche 911s as well as a broad selection of the marque’s other models ranging from early 356s to late-model 928 grand tourers. But it won’t be a Porsche-only affair – Alfa Romeo, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Alpina and Chevrolet are all represented in this two-day, two-centre auction (every lot without reserve).

BONHAMS, SILVERSTONE AUCTIONS, HISTORICS, GOODING & COMPANY/MIKE MAEZ, RM SOTHEBY’S

1969 PORSCHE 911 T/R

SOLD BY GOODING & COMPANY, £350,000

This was one of three identical 911 T/Rs built for SCCA C-Production class competition in 1969 – but its finest hour came a decade later when it took second in class at the Sebring 12 Hours for the Barrick Motor Racing team of Jim Trueman, John Higgins and Chip Mead.