Review: Hobbs Parker, timed online, April 28-29

Hobbs Parker’s first classic car auction of 2021 took on a timed online format, beginning at 12pm on Wednesday April 28 with the first lots ending 24 hours later. With lockdown restrictions gradually lifting, the appetite from buyers proved very strong, resulting in three busy viewing days prior to the sale.

German marques dominated proceedings, with a wide selection of Mercedes spanning three decades headlined by a 1981 280SL at a very attractive £13,310 and a 2000 C43 AMG at £10,450. Also included were four vehicles from a BMW main agent’s heritage collection, with a stunning E21 320 Auto selling for £11,110, a beautifully base-spec 1987 E30 318i Auto on steels making £7810 and a 1992 E36 325i SE Auto achieving £7480.

The most remarkable result, however, had to be a 2009 Jaguar XKR Convertible. It had covered just 2600 miles but sold for an astonishing £40,810. Continuing the big cat theme, a pair of Mk2s in 3.4 and 2.4-litre guises sold for £13,310 and £11,990 respectively, while a 1955 Daimler Conquest looked excellent value at a mere £3740.

Further traditional classics included a 1951 Sunbeam Talbot Mk3, which sold for £14,080, with a 1948 MG TC reaching £20,515. The latter was counterpointed by a 2004 MG TF 80th Anniversary Edition from 2004 that made £2970, while a quartet of contemporary Mazda MX-5s and a pair of Fiat Barchettas all found new homes too.

Much pre-sale interest surrounded a 1980 one-owner Ford Escort Mk2 Ghia with no reserve, which resulted in a top bid of £8910. Upping the pace slightly was a 1965 Mustang V8 race car at This 40,000-mile 1984 Lotus Excel had been off the road since 2011 and was being sold as a restoration project. Offered with no reserve, it sold for £6710.

This 1977 Mk2 Ford Capri 1.6 had been off the road since 1995. It looked tired, but appeared solid in the crucial places and had plenty of potential. It sold for £1870.

This 1981 R107 280SL had been treated to a full restoration including new wings, hood and suspension components. Guided at £8000-£10,000, it sold for £13,310.

This 1982 BMW E21 320 Auto was from Berry BMW’s heritage collection, and had covered 68,232 miles. At £11,110, it easily exceeded its £7750-£8750 guide price.

One of the older vehicles in the sale was this 1948 MG TC. Expected to change hands for £15,000-£18,000, it soared to a final selling price of £20,515.

This one-owner 2633-mile 2009 Jaguar XKR convertible came with its original wheels but even with the low mileage, its selling price of £40,810 raised a few eyebrows.

Top: This 1980 Mk2 Ford Escort 1.3 Ghia came with plenty of paperwork to back up its 88,815 miles and still had the dealer sticker in the window. Offered with no reserve, it sold for £8910.

Above: Joining a pair of Mustangs, this imposing Buick Electra was a fitted with a 6571cc motor and changed hands for £14,000. £20,460, while a 1968 six-cylinder Mustang 3.3 looked a great buy at £12,500. Features editor Jeff was also quite taken by a 1977 Mk2 Capri project, which sold for £1870.

Of course, we all look at auctions in the hope of finding a bargain, and there seemed to be several here. A Jaguar XJR project, a 1995 BMW 525TDS, a 1956 split-screen Morris Minor and a Vauxhall Calibra with a long MoT all changed hands for three figure sums, while a 1997 Rover 214Si sold for just £250.

This sale was the first of three classic auctions for Hobbs Parker in 2021, with the next – the Summer Classic Auction – set to take place on July 28-29. See www.hobbsparker.co.uk for more details.