Top 5: Bonhams head picks his favourite lots

It might be a rare Aston Martin, a Pontiac motorhome, a Rover SD1 rally car or the clock from Enzo Ferrari’s office wall. But be assured there will be something you’ll want to take home after the auction at 11.00 on Saturday 10 September. We know what our favourites are, you will know what yours are… but what are the five faves of the man who runs the auction?

Over, then, to Tim Schofield, Bonhams’ head of collectors’ cars, for his personal selection of cars that, for whatever reason, float his boat…

1986 Ford RS200

The car: Ultra-rare Group B works car with WRC competition history (it started Acropolis Rally in June '86 and the RAC Rally in November ’86) and now restored.

The guide price: £280-340,000.

Bonhams says: Ready to use, it represents a possible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a genuine ex-works Ford RS200 with in-period WRC history.

Why Tim likes it: A standard RS200 road car is £150-200,000 so this car with its history definitely has a lot of potential. It’s been on the missing list for 20 odd years but we have had John Wheeler, the RS200 guru, over from Cologne to see it, and everything checks out. All the Group B rally cars are on the up and in the mid 1980s this was the poster car for a generation – the ultimate, ultimate hot hatch. 

Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato Coupe

The car: 1986 Geneva Motor Show car, formerly owned by Rowan Atkinson and the only Vantage Zagato converted by Aston Martin Works to competition spec. Now road legal.

The guide price: £250-300,000.

Bonhams says: A very exciting yet practical road car whose 'Jewel in the Crown’ is, in essence, a Nimrod engine as fitted to the works Le Mans cars of that name.

Why Tim likes it: I have always liked the Vantage Zagato but I do understand it is a “Marmite” car in terms of acceptance. This one has an interesting history; it was the first right-hand drive coupe and had £220,000 spent converting it so Rowan could race it with the Aston Martin Owners’ Club. It’s only done 300 miles since being converted back for fast road use – and it is fast, with close to 500bhp from what is effectively a Nimrod engine.

Ferrari Dino 246 GT

The car: 1971 UK delivered Dino with two private owners and 25,253 miles from new that has been dry stored since 1981.

The guide price: £150-200,000.

Bonhams says: A superb 'time warp' Dino that represents a possibly once-in-a-lifetime chance to acquire an original and unmolested example of this iconic Ferrari.

Why Tim likes it: I like this car as much for its unusual colour as anything. I have seen a few Ferraris in Oro Chiaro (gold metallic) before but never a Dino. And it’s a bit of a time-warp, having been carefully mothballed 20 years ago. The owner was very careful: before it was laid up the wheels and suspension parts were removed and every speck of dirt washed off.

Range Rover

The car: 1979 manual transmission three-door.

The guide price: £35-40,000.

Bonhams says: First owned by Colin Chapman at Lotus Cars and overhauled in 2013.

Why Tim likes it: Early three-door Range Rovers with their velour trim are such a quirky buy now. We had an A-suffix three-door in an auction recently that was a complete restoration project and had a guide price of £5-10,000. It sold for £22,000. I love this Bahama Gold Range Rover because it was Colin Chapman’s car at Lotus in 1979 when the team was reigning world champions. It still has the Lotus stickers in the windows. 

Porsche 550 RS Spyder

The car: 1956 Porsche 1.5-litre TYP 550/1500 Rennsport Spyder with perfect provenance of a succession of great American fine-car connoisseur owners.

The guide price: £4.7-6.2 million.

Bonhams says: The car is considered to be the world's best-preserved, never restored example of this seminal Porsche model... an amazingly original, unrestored example of Porsche's first purebred sports-racing car.

Why Tim likes it: Cars with racing history are to us gilt-edged but so too are cars that haven’t any racing history but which are so totally original. This is such a road car. It is the James Dean Porsche. Although built for road use there’s evidence of a roll bar and it’s probably had some clubman use.  Most important though is its outstanding originality, down to original hood, upholstery, fabric to the door cards, and all the correct catches and latches on the bodywork. It is an absolute treasure.