Mathewsons, Online, 2021 April 23-24
Mathewsons’ latest auction on April 23-24 is surely a contender for its biggest to date, with a whopping 475 lots of classic cars, bikes and memorabilia going under the hammer. The sales continue to be held behind closed doors for now, but that didn’t hamper some trademark frantic bidding – particularly when it came to Blue Ovals.
The trend was set when the first 100 lots were offered on the Friday evening. A very rare 1979 Ford Cortina 2.0S was expected to crack the £8000 mark but soared on to a hammer price of £17,400. On Saturday, a 23,255-mile 1996 Escort RS Cosworth got things off to a stunning start when it received a £75,500 top bid, ahead of a very early Escort XR3 reaching £18,500 and a Mk2 Cortina Lotus restoration project a healthy £16,500. In addition, a Sierra XR4x4 was close to doubling its estimate at £7000, a 1999 Mondeo ST24 made £7200 and a Mk1 Escort RS2000 reached a hammer price of £29,000. It wasn’t all big price tags though, as a onefamily- owned 1978 Mk3 Capri 1.6 sold for a very reasonable £4500.
Typically, Vauxhall values lag behind contemporary Fords, but a couple of Griffins put up a decent fight here. A very smart Mk1 Astra GTE sold on the hammer for £19,000, while a Mk1 Cavalier sold above estimate at £4400 despite having a mere 1256cc engine under its
AUCTION NEWS
This 1981 Mini City in Snapdragon yellow, complete with original side stripes had been lightly modified and needed some TLC, but still looked good value at £4000. This 1974 Bentley T presented very well inside and out. Its guide price was £8000, but it sold for more than double that at £16,350. Best bids were invited for this very early Escort XR3. Unrestored and showing 66,875 miles, it sold on the hammer for an impressive £18,500. A Mk4 Ford Cortina 2.0S is a rare car, especially with its original trim. Showing 34,983 miles, this 1979 example sailed past its £8000 guide to sell for £17,400.
Not to be outdone by the XR3, this 71,800-mile 1984 Vauxhall Astra GTE beat its £16,000-£18,000 estimate to reach £19,000 on the hammer. Recently restored with genuine panels, this 1959 Sunbeam Rapier Series 2 looked the part and comfortably exceeded its £8000 guide to sell for a remarkable £18,450. bonnet. Particularly attractive was a seemingly unrestored Viva HA showing just 23,000 miles, which looked a bargain at £4300. Other entries to do well included a rally-prepared Toyota Celica GT-Four at an impressive £25,500, a 1961 Austin A55 van at £15,000 and a 1973 Rolls-Royce Corniche that sold well above its guide for £23,250. On the flip side, three-figure bargains included a 2000 Volvo S40 T4 at £750, a £700 Mk3 VW Golf and a 1989 Peugeot 309 for just £620 plus fees. Alongside, a host of established classics like Morris Minors, MGBs and Midgets were snapped up for sub-£5000 figures. With further entries ranging from a Victorian horse carriage through to a Noble M12 GTO, this was a sale to pique a wide span of interests. More on the same is on the horizon too, with an eclectic mix already being consigned for the next sale on June 4-5. See www.mathewsons.co.uk to view the catalogue as it builds.
One of several big Healeys in the sale, this 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 was a Category D insurance loss in 2003 but had been subject to a four-year restoration since then. Estimated at £35,000-£45,000, it reached a hammer price of £53,500.