A 19962 Jaguar E-Type in dire condition and recently found on a barn after 20 years is up for auction.

• A 1962 Jaguar E-Type abandoned in a barn for 20 years will be auctioned by Classic Car Auctions (CCA).
• The early, Series 1 example offers buyers a serious and potentially very worthwhile restoration project.
• To be auctioned with a sale estimate of £38,000 to £44,000 at the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show Sale on 1st – 2nd April at the NEC, Birmingham.

Classic Car Auctions (CCA) will auction a 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Fixed head Coupé barn find, one of the greatest sports cars of all time, at its biggest ever sale taking place at the Practical Classics Show.

Abandoned for almost 20 years, this car is a very early example of the iconic Jaguar, Chassis 282. 

A right-hand drive, manual example, it has had just two registered owners from new and is expected to bring interested buyers from far and wide when it is offered at auction at a guide price of £38,000 to £44,000.

The car was bought new by its first owner on 4^thApril 1962 and registered to his address in Birmingham. Finished in Dark Opalescent Blue with Black trim, the brand new E-Type was presented in a rare and desirable colour combination at the time, and was proudly driven and owned for some 35 years by its first keeper.

The car changed hands and found its second owner on 1^st November 1997. Staying within the West Midlands area and now owned by a Jaguar enthusiast, the E-Type was put into storage in a barn in preparation for remedial works. 

Sadly, plans to work on the car were never realised as the owner moved to the north of England, leaving the car untouched for almost 20 years in the care of his brother. 

Now brought out of the barn and into daylight once again, an inspection reveals a genuine ‘barn-find’ example in very original condition, still retaining its rare and original brake system. Worn paintwork reveals a colour change to White with the original Opalescent Blue showing through in some areas, as well as evidence of a replacement bonnet in Red. Despite missing some glass and the radiator, most of the car is original including the steering wheel and dashboard all veiled behind a generous layer of dust and detritus.

Despite decades of neglect, untouched for two decades, and with symptoms of deterioration, the E-Type now makes for a perfect candidate for restoration and a dream opportunity for a Jaguar enthusiast when it returns to Birmingham on auction day.

“These very early E-Types are now highly collectible these days and this example will be a serious project, but one that could be very worthwhile,” explains Harry Whale, classic car consigner at Classic Car Auctions.

“Last year the Jaguar E-Type Series I experienced very significant growth on the classic car market and we expect buyers to be queuing up for the chance to own an example just like, ready to give it the TLC it deserves.”

Included with the car are several parts which were removed and retained for the restoration process, as well as the Jaguar Heritage Certificate and current V5.

The Recent Jaguar E-Type barn find has sold for above it's highest estimate, other cars like BMW's and Porsches also sold well.

• Classic Car Auctions (CCA) achieved a 70 per cent sales rate and total sales of £1.4million in its September Sale on Saturday 24^th September
• One family owned for 40 years, 1972 Jaguar E-Type SIII V12 Roadster barn find sold for £61,050.
• More than 500 registered to bid in the sale at The Warwickshire Exhibition Centre.

More than 500 registered bidders joined Classic Car Auctions (CCA) at The Warwickshire Exhibition Centre on Saturday 24^th September, snapping up 70 per cent of the classic cars on sale leading to total sales of £1.4million.

More than living up to its pre-sale interest, a 1972 Jaguar E-Type SIII V12 Roadster barn find, owned by the same family for 40 years, sold for an amazing £61,050, more than £20,000 over its upper estimate.

Another 70s sports car, a 1978 Datsun 260Z with just 8,285 miles from new, sold for £24,750 including premium, more than £6,000 over its lower estimate.

A quartet of BMW M3s all found new homes. After an intense bidding war, a 1988 BMW E30 M3 Evolution II sold for £48,400 including premium. The stunning and extremely rare right-hand drive example was highly sought after in the auction room. As was another rare M3, a 1999 BMW M3 Evolution Imola GT2 Special Edition, which sold to a buyer in the room for £20,350. A 1991 BMW E30 M3, sold for £41,250, more than £7,000 over its lower estimate, while a 1994 BMW E36 M3 3.0 sold for £11,440.

Speaking just after the sale, CCA general manager, Guy Lees-Milne, said: "This was one of our best catalogues yet. The auction hall was packed out once again and buyers clearly liked the selection, variety and value of cars we had on offer.”

Porsche fans were spoilt for choice with many fine examples on offer. A 1996 Porsche 911 993 Carrera, sold online with a winning bid of £28,600. Those after something a little different were clearly impressed by a very pretty 1966 Porsche 912 which sold for £31,680.

Collectors of older classic cars fought over a number of special examples. An original, right-hand drive 1946 MG TC Midget, sold after a long bidding war for £35,750, more than £13,000 over its lower estimate. A 1942 Willys Jeep, restored by the Wheeler Dealers boys, sold for an impressive £28,600.

CCA is now inviting entries into its final sale of the year, the December Sale which takes place once again at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre near Leamington Spa, on the 3^rd of December.

Guy added: “If you missed out on the chance to sell your car with us at this sale then please get in touch with us to see how we could help you secure a great price for your classic.”

Classic Motor cars brings together two rare 1961 E-Types, one in pristine condition the other not so.

The Inside Story: Two Jaguar E-Types built on 24th August 1961 reunite after 55 years at Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth

Two Jaguar E-types that were built on the same day, 24^th August, in 1961 on the production line at Browns Lane in Coventry have been reunited at Classic Motor Cars (CMC) of Bridgnorth in Shropshire, United Kingdom, to celebrate their 55^th birthdays.

One E-Type was the first production inside bonnet lock right hand drive fixed head coupe; the other was the first production inside bonnet lock right hand drive roadster.

But these very early E-Types have lived different lives: the coupe is in pristine condition after having been restored by CMC; the roadster, a bit worn-down, has been off the road for 20 years, forgotten in a barn in Ireland until CMC found it and purchased it, and now requires a full restoration.

Peter Neumark, Chairman of CMC, said: “This world is full of coincidences; that both the first inside bonnet lock RHD coupe and roadster to end up in the same restoration facility is one thing, but then to discover they were both produced on the same day - August 24th 1961 - is remarkable!”

CMC brought the two cars back together on Wednesday 24^th August and even provided a birthday cake to celebrate the reunion.

Jaguar produced just four highly sought after external bonnet lock coupes in RHD form before switching to an internal lock arrangement.

Stuart Cardwell, owner of the E-Type Coupe Chassis No. 860005, brought it to CMC several years ago and embarked on a rolling restoration: mechanical first, he took it away to enjoy it and brought it back for a bare metal body restoration, then repaint and finally back for a full retrim.

Subsequently, the car was entered to the prestigious Salon Prive event and concours at Blenheim Palace in September 2015, where it was awarded runner-up in its class.

Stuart Cardwell said: “This is the first time the two cars have been next to one another after they parted company 55 years ago. In the case of my car, it has been all over the world. It was dispatched to Jaguar Cars New York in September 1961, sold to a Japanese collector in Tokyo in 1996 and repatriated back to the UK when I purchased it in 2012.”

He added: “CMC restored my car, which is now considered to be exactly as it would have left the factory in 1961 – no doubt they will do a stunning job bringing Chassis No. 92 back to life.”

The roadsters, on the other hand, went into production much sooner than the coupes hence some 91 outside bonnet lock cars were produced in RHD form and some 350 in LHD.

Neumark said: “We shouldn't be surprised to learn that the decision to switch to internal bonnet locks cars was applied across the board and implemented on the same day in 1961.”

E-Typer Roadster Chassis No. 850092 was dispatched to a Jaguar dealership in Dublin and has spent all its life in the Republic of Ireland. It was brought to the attention of CMC's Peter Neumark by a good friend in Co Navan, who was convinced it was Chassis No. 2.

Neumark was highly skeptical as the records stated it was destroyed in period after spending a hard year or two as a development car. Finally, the friend got good access to the car and discovered it was Chassis No. 92.

Neumark said: “The car had been off the road for over 20 years but with an impeccable history of five owners and with just over 24,000 miles on the clock, I was hooked and so was the car. An interesting negotiation with the canny Irish farmer was concluded with a handshake and a glass of Whiskey!”

He added: “It was only when the Heritage Certificate arrived from Jaguar that the same production date as the coupe was discovered. So we decided to invite Stuart with his car for a celebratory photo call with his car and the roadster.”

E-Type Roadster Chassis No. 92 requires a full restoration but has never been apart and has very little rot. It is for sale as a restoration project with CMC.

100's of bidders helped Classic Car Auctions achieve a remarkable 80% sales rate for their latest classic car sale.

Hundreds of bidders in the packed out auction hall at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre helped Classic Car Auctions (CCA) achieve a 80 per cent sales rate and total sales of more than £1.4million in its auction on Saturday, its biggest ever sales total.

Headlining the results was a very exciting 1963 Jaguar E-Type Series I Fixedhead Coupe ‘barnfind’ which sold for £66,000 including premium.

With no less than 12 phone bidders fighting for the car plus plenty of interest in the room, the highly sought after early manual car covered in dust eventually sold to rapturous applause for more than double its upper estimate.  

Buyers at the auction also had the chance to bid on some great value modern performance cars. A 2006 Porsche 911 (997) 3.6 Turbo, a UK car with a manual gearbox, sold for £33,880 while a 2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage with just 15,000 miles on the clock sold for £39,600. With renewed interest in the marque, a 1996 TVR Griffith 500 in need of some TLC sold for £14,300, nearly three times its lower estimate.

The very best Fast Fords continue to prove in demand from enthusiasts and a rare, low mileage 1987 Ford Capri 280 Brooklands sold for £31,200, nearly double its lower estimate.

Commenting on the results from the sale, CCA general manager, Guy Lees-Milne, said: "This was our biggest catalogue yet and our customers were clearly impressed by the great selection, variety and value of cars we had on offer. It was great to see so many people join us, the atmosphere was once again fantastic with some very special cars selling for some amazing prices.” 

A pair of special 80s hatchbacks drew nostalgic glances from auction goers. With just 6,000 miles on the clock, a fantastic 1983 Ford Fiesta Popular Plus was snapped up for £7,700. Owned by a husband and wife for more than 20 years, a now rare 1988 MG Metro sold for £6,600.

Always proving popular, particularly the very best examples, a cherished 1972 Volvo 1800 ES was sold for £24,420, more than double its lower estimate. This car, with only 32,000 miles recorded, was sparkling and won many fans on auction day.

CCA is now inviting entries into its September Sale which takes place once again at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre near Leamington Spa, on the 24^th of September.  

Guy added: “I’m delighted that once again we have helped our vendors sell their ‘everyman’ cars for some great prices. It’s always wonderful to welcome new buyers to our sales and hope to see many more at our next auction.”

You can view the full results from CCA’s June Sale here http://www.classiccarauctions.co.uk/cca-june-2016-classic-car-sale/view_lots/pn/all.

Uber Rare Vauxhall barn Find reunites with previous owners family and returns to Vauxhall Motors Heritage Centre.

• 93-year-old 23/60 drives back to Luton to meet former owner’s family

A 1923 Vauxhall 23/60 made its first long journey after an 18-month mechanical restoration last weekend to be reunited with three generations of the previous owner’s family at Vauxhall Motors’ Heritage Centre in Luton.

Known as ‘Alice’, the vintage Vauxhall is now thought to be the most original of the c90 surviving 23/60s from a total production of 1,300 made at the famous Kimpton Road factory between 1922 and 1926.

Kay Lorenzato, whose late husband owned the car from the 1950s, was delighted to see it for the first time after its inaugural, post-resto drive from Leicestershire to last Sunday’s VBOA (Vauxhall Bedford Owners’ Association) meeting. Her husband, she said, would have been ‘proud to see Alice on the road again’ after he’d shared so many experiences with the car during the 1950s and ‘60s.

And Raymond Lorenzato certainly used the car extensively. A Grimsel Pass sticker on the windscreen and three tickets from a cinema in Lucerne found under the seat during restoration were evidence of just some of the European road trips he made in the ‘50s. The car also competed in various VSCC events, before being pushed into service as the Lorenzatos’ daily transport during the 1960s (including the harsh winter of 1962/63).

Alice was last seen in Luton in 1964 at a 30-98 Register meeting and was on the road for a further three years, before being retired to the family garage with a cracked block. Talking to Vauxhall staff at the VBOA meeting, Kay Lorenzato had fond memories of attending rallies in Alice with her husband in the early sixties – including one at Brooklands – and recalled how attached they both were to the car.

Well known restorer and vintage racer, Mark Walker, purchased Alice from Kay at a Bonhams Beaulieu auction and over the last year and a half has undertaken a full mechanical restoration. The block has been repaired and new high-compression pistons fitted, but wherever possible Mark has retained original components, with ‘conservation’ rather than ‘restoration’ being his mantra. And Alice’s appearance – which still shows the scars of a 93-year life – has carefully been preserved, with even the original leather trim being saved during the process.

‘In Alice, sixty mph at two-thousand rpm is still a comfortable and smooth cruising speed and the car keeps up well with modern traffic,’ said Walker. ‘Higher speeds are certainly possible, but with only rear brakes, probably not advisable! I intend to use the car as family transport and would love to recreate the trip over the Grimsel Pass one day.’

UBER RARE, show car based on an Aston DBSV8 has been hidden for 40 years, now up for auction.

• Ogle-designed, futuristic show car based on an Aston Martin DBSV8, first showcased at the 1972 Geneva Salon and Montreal Motor Show
• One of only three such cars, the first of two originally commissioned by the W.D. & H.O. Wills tobacco company to promote ‘Sotheby’s Special Reserve’ cigarettes
• Stored in secret for 40 years, it still carries its original dark blue paintwork, gold pinstriping and vibrant green Moquette upholstery
• To be offered by H&H Classics at its 14 October 2015, Duxford sale at £100,000 - 120,000

Joining the headlining Colton Collection Ferraris at H&H Classics’ 14 October Duxford sale is another car from one of the Grandes Marques, this time an Aston Martin, though certainly not one many would recognise.

Named the ‘Sotheby Special’, after sponsor W.D. & H.O. Wills’ brand of cigarettes (yes, the ‘Sotheby’ comes from a short-lived licensing deal with the auction house), the cutting edge lines of the car were by Ogle Design, the Letchworth-based studio also responsible for the Raleigh Chopper bike, Reliant’s Scimitar GTE and the Bond Bug.

The Sotheby Special was based on an Aston Martin DBS V8 chassis (DBSV8/10380/R), with outrageous 1970s glassfibre coachwork supported on a Reynolds 531 tubular steel frame. 

The entire ‘glasshouse’ is in Perspex. Under the bonnet lies an early prototype Aston Martin V8, while the cockpit is a riot of bright green courtesy of ‘banquette’ seating for three in hardwearing Moquette – a type of industrial material used on public service vehicles such as buses and trains.

A striking feature of the rear of the car is the strip of 22 rear lights. The harder the driver pressed the brake pedal the more lights were lit up.

The car was built purely for show, was never road-registered and will require much loving care to bring it back to ‘Motor Show’ condition. 

A second, fully functioning car was manufactured for promotional duties (later to be repainted in Embassy colours for use by Graham Hill’s Grand Prix team) and a third commissioned by a private individual who, once seeing the car on BBC TV’s Tomorrow’s World, simply had to have one, even at a cost in 1973 of £28,750. At the time the standard V8 Saloon was listed at £8,749.

The original Sotheby Special, thought lost for so many years, or confused with the second chassis, was disassembled after it left the show circuit and was then sold and placed in long-term storage. 

H&H will offer this highly significant car at an estimate of £100,000 - 120,000 at its 14 October, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambs sale.

Damian Jones, Sales Director for H&H Classics comments: “This car will certainly ‘light up’ our Duxford sale. 

It’s a remarkable car for three reasons: its futuristic design and engineering, its very of-the-period tobacco connection and the fact that as ‘barn-finds’ go, this one is pretty special. It is a fascinating part of automotive history and we are delighted to place it back in the limelight for which it was designed.”