A showroom fresh 1980 Mk2 Ford Escort RS2000 drew gasps of shock and awe from a huge crowd of classic car fans when it sold for a record £97,875 in the Silverstone Auctions sale at the Lancaster Insurance NEC Classic Motor Show on November 11th – 12th.
This sporting version of the humble Ford Escort has achieved near mythical status in recent years among Ford fans and it was standing room only on the first day of the auction as the time-warp 900 miler headed a batch of very special fast Fords up for sale at the biggest classic car show of the year.
A 1988 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 became the second example this year to break into six figures at Silverstone Auctions fetching £112,500 this time, just shy of the previous record set by the auctioneer in July, while a 2011 Ford Focus RS with just 18 miles on the clock sold for £43,875.
Another auction record fell when a 1996 Ford Escort Cosworth Lux, again with an incredibly low odometer reading of just 837 miles, sold for £91,125.
“The success of these cars proved once again that exceptional cars sell for exceptional prices,” remarked Nick Whale, managing director of Silverstone Auctions. “These Fords were unique, had fantastic histories and provenance, and really were the finest examples of their respective marques and models. The Mk2 Escort in particular was a simply unrepeatable car – just nothing else like it!”
Wheeler Dealers television stars Mike Brewer and Ant Anstead took over the podium at the start of the two-day sale and raised £50,000 for their charity lots during a raucous auction of their #ClassicRumble entries.
The pair presented Mike’s 1989 Ford Escort XR3i and Ant’s Dowsett Classic Cars Unique Sports Racer – a replica of a period Alfa Romeo Grand Prix car – at the finalé of their year-long battle to build and restore their cars to raise the most money for charity.
The result was a dead heat with both cars selling for £22,500 each. But in a last minute bid for glory, Mike Brewer grabbed the auctioneer’s microphone to announce a further £5,000 donation of his own to ‘win’ the day.
All proceeds from the #ClassicRumble sale went to the Marie Crawford Boyd Foundation, represented by Mike Brewer, and Harrison’s Fund, which was nominated by Ant Anstead.
An equally electric atmosphere on day two of the auction greeted the sale of the Only Fools and Horses Reliant Regal three-wheeler and enthusiastic bidding pushed the price ever higher to an incredible £41,625, drawing gasps and applause.
Another celebrity car in the auction, the 1968 Jensen Interceptor Mk1, once owned by comedian Eric Morecambe, changed hands for £95,625, while Sir Chris Hoy’s 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia DCT was snapped up for a healthy £137,250.
Almost overshadowed by the celebrity cars and fast Fords, a pair of classic Mercedes-Benz 190 SLs proved exceptionally popular amongst discerning collectors during the sale, with a 1962 example achieving £118,125, and a similar 1960 roadster selling for £126,000.
In keeping with the traditional classic car theme, a 1960 Austin Healey 3000 Mk1 sailed far past its pre-sale lower estimate by over £20,000 with a final price of £60,650.
A total of £3.6 million changed hands during the auction with 67 per cent of the lots on offer finding new owners.
To see the full results of the Silverstone Auctions NEC Classic Motor Show Sale, please visit https://www.silverstoneauctions.com/nec-classic-motor-show-sale-2017/view_lots/pn/all
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