Bonhams|Cars Festival of Speed Sale Achieves £11 Million & Top Result in the UK

CHICHESTER, GOODWOOD, UK – July n13, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – The Bonhams|Cars annual Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale presented a carefully curated selection of automotive greats spanning all eras of motoring, generating strong interest and a lively auction room. Held during one of the world’s most prestigious motorsport events, Bonhams|Cars has conducted its Festival of Speed sale in partnership with Goodwood for over 30 years and this year eclipsed all competition, achieving the highest total for a UK sale to date in 2024 at £11,035,691.

In addition, honours for the top lot in the UK this year went to the 1928 Mercedes-Benz 36/220 S-Type Four-Seated Sports Tourer from the Tom Scott Collection. The S-Type achieved plenty of attention in the run up to the sale and eventually sold above estimate for £2,871,000. This car also formed part of the legendary C. W. P. ‘Peter’ Hampton Collection for many years. Very much the definitive supercar of its day, the low-slung 6.8-litre straight-six S-Type, with its screaming ‘Kompressor’ (supercharger) engaged, is of the type that would propel the likes of factory team driver Rudolf Caracciola to many victories for Mercedes-Benz against the might of Alfa Romeo, Bentley, and Bugatti. This example, chassis no. 35985, was delivered new to a Cecil Harcourt-Smith, via British Mercedes-Benz Ltd., in December 1928. It was subsequently raced by the Duke of Grafton and ultimately acquired in 1960 by noted collector Peter Hampton.

James Knight, Bonhams|Cars auctioneer who conducted the sale commented, “Today’s sale was a pleasure to take and the most successful in the UK so far this year. A real testament to the team’s ability to not only consign, but sell, great motor cars. I was delighted with the Scott Collection results, as were the family who attended the sale, that was delivered after a carefully planned promotional campaign. For the star of the sale, the S-Type, it resulted in Bonhams fielding seven telephone bidders from the USA, Continental Europe and the home market, as well as three collectors in the room. The car now heads overseas and will sit in one of the world’s greatest collections.”

Additional highlights of the sale include:

• 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ Coupé of the Tom Scott Collection, sold for £1,135,000.
• 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster of the Tom Scott Collection, sold for £1,045,400.
• 1932 Alfa Romeo 2300 Spider Corto, sold for £608,600.
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