It’s good to see that some traditions haven’t changed, as Iconic Auctioneers have once again set a new auction record at the NEC Classic Motor Show – this time with the sale of an extremely low-mileage Escort RS Cosworth for £202,500. Aside from this and a couple of other exceptional results, the auction was generally a success – with total sales of £9million and a solid 82% sell through rate. Prices on the whole tended to come in at the lower end, or slightly below estimates – but the fact they were selling does reflect that the market has perhaps found its new level after a period of adjustment.
Nick Whale, Chairman of Iconic Auctioneers commented: ‘It is no secret that the Classic Car Market had stagnated for the earlier part of this year, so it was fantastic to see that post the UK election and budget that the market is picking up. The NEC is always a strong sale for us, but it was great to see in the 40th year of the show, it being so busy and there being a great buzz of excitement in the air again.’
Back to the star car: The Escort was exceptional in every way, with just 2221 miles and only two owners from new, coming from a private collection where it has resided for over 30 years. A UK-supplied, right-hand drive model finished in Diamond White in Lux specification which included full leather, an electric sunroof, electric heated mirrors, heated windscreen, heated washer jets, leather steering wheel, electric windows and carpeted door bins. Bidding for the car was intense, setting a new ‘live auction world record’, beating Iconic’s own previous record of £163,125.
Ford’s remained a particularly strong theme of the day, with a pair of RS200s both attracting healthy bidding. The first, a 1798-mile example (above) fetched £247,500, with a comparatively well-used 8877-mile car making £236,250. Both in road car spec, they were followed by the ex-Tim Harvey 1990 Ford Sierra RS500 BTCC car in the recognisable Labatt’s livery. Built by the renowned Andy Rouse Engineering, it raced in the 1989 and ’90 season, earning respectable results. It sold for £309,375.
So, the Fords generally performed well, but were there any other highlights? Chris Rea’s Dino 308, which we previewed here, sold for £64,125. Estimated at £40,000-50,000, it was a well sorted example which seemed to attract the right bidders on the day.
The Escort and Sierra are of course not the only Group A cars that are hot property. Seen elsewhere in the auction was a 1993 Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evo II, with 43,500km and in great condition sold for £91,125. Not long after, an absolutely beautifully-presented 1989 Subaru Legacy RS with 22,500 miles (above) made £20,250 – looking like exceptional value in comparison.
What looked to be a clean and (relatively) unmodified 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 was offered, and easily found a new home for £90,000 – probably helped by the fact it’s painted in the sought after shade of Bayside Blue, and is now eligible for US import. Datsun Z cars were also very well represented, with an incredibly-well preserved green 240Z not quite hitting reserve – offered post-sale for £44,350 – with a restored car crossing the line at £32,625. A similarly tidy 1976 Datsun 260Z with 37,265 miles sold for £37,125, and later a 1978 model was close behind at £34,875.
To view the full results, take a look at iconicauctioneers.com
