£506,000 DB5 tops Bonhams 79th Members’ Meeting sale

There were some extremely tempting cars up for grabs this weekend but if you were on the ground in the Bonhams auction tent, we’d have forgiven you for being captivated by one particular car. The Force India VJM-04 lit up proceedings resplendent in its white, orange and green race livery, as seen in the 2011 Formula 1 season. Though it contested 19 world championship races 11 years ago, it was in no state to do so as sold, given it has no engine or gearbox. For what is a display model minus the expensive oily bits, it sold at no reserve for a healthy £86,250.

Another quirky addition to the sale roster was a 1956 Albatross MkIII Super Sports leisure boat once owned and regularly used by HRH the late Prince Phillip. It was in this craft that a very famous photo of Philip and Prince Charles was taken, when Charles was a boy, which he used in his letter of thanks in response to letters of condolence at the passing of his father last year. It spent many decades in Royal care, on board the Royal Yacht Britania and then in retirement at Balmoral. Someone snagged this unrepeatable piece of royal intrigue for £69,000.

Another curiosity on the docket was a 1954 Kieft 1100 sports, a little open-topped sportscar with Goodwood race entries under its belt. Raced at Silverstone and the Dundrod TT in period by Don Parker, who also took it to Shelsley Walsh. It was restored in 2010 and has been modern historic racing ever since, as mentioned at Goodwood, as well as at Le Mans Classic. The buyer will be eligible to race again at Goodwood and Le Mans, as well as at Monaco, in HSCC, FISCAR, VSCC events and possibly the Mille Miglia. That’s a lot of entry power for the tidy sum of £115,000.

What about the big hitters, you ask? The 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0-litre rally car we mentioned above came in as the seventh-highest seller bringing in £207,000. We implore the new owner to get out and have as much fun as possible in it.

Just pipping the Porsche to the position of highest-selling competition car was the highly Goodwood-appropriate 1961 Aston Martin DB4 4.5-litre Competition Saloon, which brought home £235,750. Two other Astons in turn went for more, however, including the stunning 1975 Aston Martin Lagonda Series 1 saloon, the direct predecessor to the famous wedge Lagonda. One of only eight made, it sold for a sturdy £276,000.

Completing a strong Bonhams sale for the Aston Martin brand, resplendent in its deep red paintwork, this 1964 DB5. This car coming up for sale is a rare thing, given that the previous owner who offered it for sale at 79MM, first picked it up from H.R. Owen for the princely sum of £1,950 in February 1969. Yes, this is a two-owner car that’s been in the same ownership for over 50 years. The car has been repainted, back in 2004 to its original colour, with competitor numbers visible beneath the paintwork suggesting that it had been raced. This car has sat since 2018 and as such is in need of a mechanical overhaul. Nevertheless, it made a healthy £506,000 when it crossed the block.

That’s our roundup of the 79th Members Meeting sale but if you want the full top-ten sellers, they’re listed below. Which would you take?

Bonhams 79^th Members’ Meeting sale Top 10

• 1964 Aston Martin DB5 Sports Saloon – £506,000
• 1967 Maserati Mistral 4000 Spyder – £299,000
• 1975 Aston Martin Lagonda Series 1 7.0-Litre Saloon – £276,000
• 1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer – £253,000
• 1938 Alvis 4.3-Litre Short Chassis Concealed Hood Drophead Coupé – £241,500
• 1961 Aston Martin DB4 4.5-Litre Competition Saloon – £235,750
• 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0-Litre Rally Car – £207,000
• 1958 AC Ace Roadster – £200,100
• 1902 MMC 10hp Twin-Cylinder Rear-Entrance Tonneau – £172,500
• 1959 Jaguar XK150S 3.8-Litre Drophead Coupe – £172,500