The last Silverstone Auctions takes place at the Classic Motor Show, with some seriously special cars on sale.

• 123 highly collectible classic and modern sports cars will be offered at Silverstone Auctions’ final sale of the year.
• Cars to be offered include Lady Diana’s 1994 Audi Cabriolet, HM the Queen’s 2012 Bentley Mulsanne and the first ever production Lotus Elite Series I.
• The auction takes place at the UK’s biggest classic car show, the Classic Motor Show, at the NEC, Birmingham on 12^th and 13^th November.

Preparing for its final classic car auction of the year, specialist auction house Silverstone Auctions is offering 123 best of breed cars, as well as three classic motorcycles, luxury lifestyle and automobilia items, in its two-day sale at the Classic Motor Show, at the NEC, Birmingham, on 12th and 13th November.

Headlining the sale is a very special, private collection of cars formerly owned by world royalty, politicians and celebrities; the Jewels in the Crown collection. 

The collection includes 12 cars of the most exclusive provenance, such as Princess Diana’s famous 1994 Audi Cabriolet, estimated at £50,000 to £60,000, HM the Queen’s 2012 Bentley Mulsanne estimated at £215,000 to £235,000, and Sir Elton John’s 2005 Rolls-Royce Phantom estimated at £135,000 to £155,000, which are expected to attract buyers from across the globe.

Historic racing enthusiasts and fans of Channel 4’s For the Love of Cars, are in for a treat as the very first production 1958 Lotus Elite Series I, bought new and raced by jazz legend Chris Barber, and recently restored by Ant Anstead, is estimated at between £75,000 and £100,000. A beautifully presented 1969 Aston Martin DBS 6 in desirable Vantage spec, also restored by Ant Anstead and featured on the television series, is estimated at £140,000 to £160,000.

Another highly collectible car on offer is a rare 1981 Lamborghini Countach LP400 S, one of just 105 examples built, which will be offered at an estimate of £350,000 to £400,000, the highest valued lot in the auction.

An elegant 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet, one of only 68 right-hand drive cabriolets produced by the factory, will be offeredin restored condition with an estimate of £220,000 to £240,000.

Suitably offered just miles from the home of Land Rover itself, are five classic Land Rovers. Among them an early, truly historic 1948 Land Rover Series I in superb order offered at a sale estimate of £26,000 to £29,000, a concours winning 1950 Land Rover Series I estimated at £25,000 to £28,000, and a 1990 Land Rover 110 V8 County Station Wagon, believed to be the lowest mileage (15,020 miles) and the most original of any 110 V8 in the country, estimated at £23,000 to £28,000.

Another celebrity car, this time from sporting ‘royalty’, is footballer Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2008 Bentley Continental GT Speed. Owned by the world famous Portuguese player during his stint at Manchester United football club, the luxury car is estimated at £50,000 to £60,000.

Some very desirable, low mileage modern classics also star in the auction with an exciting choice of fast Fords. A UK, right-hand drive 1993 Ford Escort Cosworth Lux showing just 20,600 miles from new is estimated at £35,000 to £40,000. An original 1990 Ford Escort RS Turbo S2 reading 12,000 miles and with just one owner previous owner is estimated at £15,000 to £20,000, and an exceptionally rare find, a 1991 Ford Fiesta RS Turbo in outstanding original condition and reading just 12,000 miles, is estimated at £15,000 to £20,000.

Another modern classic with extraordinarily low mileage is a 2003 BMW Z3 M Coupe S54. As one of only 165 right-hand drive, S54 examples, and with just 11,000 miles on the clock, it will be offered with an estimate of £45,000 to £50,000.

Silverstone Auctions will also offer a special ‘life saving’ Mini to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK. Known as ‘Margo’, the 1969 Morris Mini Super Deluxe was found by Lancaster Insurance in 2015 and restored by the MG Owners’ Club Workshop. The car will be offered without reserve with one hundred per cent of proceeds going to the charity,

Speaking ahead of the sale, managing director of Silverstone Auctions, Nick Whale said, “We’re delighted to be returning to the Classic Motor Show for another year and with what I would say is our most special and varied catalogue of cars yet, from Her Majesty the Queen’s personal conveyance, to a very special Lotus Elite race car. It will be an honour for our team and, we hope, a landmark sale for Silverstone Auctions.”

For more information and or to view all the lots in Silverstone Auctions’ Classic Motor Show Sale please visit http://silverstoneauctions.com/nec-classic-motor-show-sale-2016/view_lots/pn/all.a

HRH Queen Elizabeth II visits BAC, the company behind the bonkers MONO sports car.

• BAC has played host to the Queen at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool
• Her Majesty was visiting the International Festival for Business, meeting with key company bosses and founders
• She had a chance to see the BAC Mono up close, and declared it to be terrific

The team at BAC has played host to a very special guest, with Her Majesty the Queen meeting the team and getting up close with the company’s single seater supercar, the Mono.

Her Majesty was visiting Liverpool on 22 June to meet the key companies and businessmen involved with the International Festival for Business, which is running in the city from 13 June to 1 July.

Neill Briggs, BAC’s co-founder and Director of Product Development, and Duncan Lee from BAC Hong Kong represented the company at the reception, with Neill introducing Her Majesty to the Mono and showing her around the car.

The Queen was very impressed with the single-seater supercar, and, in a private conversation with Neill Briggs, said how it was wonderful to see a car that was so different. She was also delighted to see such a remarkable car that had been designed, created and made in Britain. As a memento of her day, BAC was pleased to present Her Majesty with a Mini Mono – a scale model replica of the car.

Neill Briggs said: “It was a real honour to meet the Queen and represent BAC and the city of Liverpool at the International Festival for Business. I was especially proud to show Her Majesty the Mono on behalf of all our colleagues and employees in all 25 of our markets around the world.

“The city of Liverpool is a place that is very dear to our hearts, and we are proud to be part of its flourishing business community. This is a truly special day for me and for the company, and one that we will remember for years to come.”

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were visiting Liverpool to visit the International Festival for Business (IFB), formally open the Pullman Liverpool hotel before visiting Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

Notes to Editors

Bespoke sports car manufacturer BAC (Briggs Automotive Company) is based in Liverpool and was co-founded by brothers Ian and Neill Briggs. It produces the fast and highly acclaimed Mono sports car, a single-seater formula style car that provides a visceral and exhilarating driving experience.

Since its launch in 2011 it has been going from strength to strength and is now sold in several markets around the world. It launched with great success and fanfare in Hong Kong at the end of 2015, with eight cars sold in a single night. BAC dealers can also be found in North America, Japan and London.

The 2016 model year version of the Mono comes with an all-new four-cylinder 305bhp 2.5-litre Mountune engine, which takes the 580kg car from 0-60mph in just 2.8sec. It made its global debut at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it set an unofficial record up the event’s famous Hill Climb.

Despite its global appeal, BAC Mono remains proudly British, with parts sourced from its home country wherever possible.

Vauxhall Celebrated the 90th birthday of HRH The Queen with some "special" additions to the Astra.

It’s not every day Her Majesty the Queen turns 90, and to celebrate this monumental occasion, Vauxhall Motors has given the green light to  a ‘Royal Astra’ paying homage to the longest serving British Monarch.

From a retractable regal red carpet to a specially designed corgi booster seat, the red Royal ride is fuelled  with a variety of Astra-cratic add-ons to ensure Queen Elizabeth II arrives to her party in style. And it’s not just her Majesty being honoured, Vauxhall has gone to great lengths to make sure the Queen’s prized Corgis are suitably looked after in the Royal manner with their very own booster seat.

Her Majesty has been a Vauxhall owner for more than 50 years, all in Balmoral Green, a bespoke deep green colour not normally supplied by Vauxhall.  ‘MYT 1’ Her Majesty the Queen’s 1961 PA Cresta Friary Estate was a personal favourite, serving the royal fleet and containing a number of interesting features like fishing rod holders built into the roof and a gun rack.  

The latest Astra has recently been recognised as European Car of the Year 2016 – further underlining its credentials. The seventh-generation Vauxhall Astra boasts onboard state of the art technology such as OnStar, as well as LED headlamps and an improved svelte body design. Since landing on UK roads over 35 years ago, one in four Brits have owned or driven an Astra making it a true legend of British manufacturing, and an icon fit for a Queen.

Denis Chick, Director of Communications, Vauxhall Motors and Holder of the Royal Warrant for Vauxhall Motors said, “A few years back, a new Omega estate car for the Royal Family was being prepared by our sister company, Opel, in Germany.  It all seemed to be going to plan until the car arrived in Luton.  Sure it was sober and green on the outside – but the interior trim was a customised riot of gaudy colour.  A telephone call was hastily made to Germany asking them to explain the psychedelic seating and whether they knew this car was for the Queen. It transpired that the team at Opel were fitting the car for Queen the rock band and not Queen Elizabeth. The next day the car was duly dispatched back to Germany for a refit.”

Full details of the Royal Astra car specifications are listed below:

• Windscreen wiping waving hand
• “Corgis On Board” sign displayed on rear windscreen
• Corgi booster seat
• Union Jack cushions
• Retractable red carpet
• “Liz & Phil” front windscreen sun visor strip