Classic Porsches lead the charge at £5m Historics Ascot Auction

An eclectic line-up of two hundred fine and varied classic cars were consigned to the Historics Auctioneers sale at Ascot not long before this magazine went to print. More than eight hundred attendees marvelled at the wide variety of vintage vehicles up for grabs, with in-the-room bidders battling interested parties registering their bids online and by telephone. At the close of play, seventy-five percent of the entry list had passed to new owners, with gross sale reaching £5m, a result suggesting the auction market remains robust. Strong sales were recorded across all categories.

Proving restomod culture is alive and kicking in the classic Porsche camp, the successful sale of a highly personalised Carrera 3.2 at Historics’ November auction — when the car attracted a winning bid of £133,280 — was repeated at Ascot by an exquisitely presented 1983 911 SC taking influence from the legendary 911 ST, as well as the Carrera RS 2.7, a model currently enjoying its fiftieth birthday.

When presented at auction, the reimagined SC, which is painted in a custom shade of Mulberry Red and trimmed in bespoke black Nappa leather, had only covered 956 miles since completion of the build by Wallingford-based Porsche bodywork and restoration specialist, Riviera Autobody. Final specification is far too wide in scope to list here, but highlights include Öhlins suspension, a Quaife limited-slip differential, steel ST arches, a Wevo short-shifter and rear joint, a double bubble roof, custom billet aluminium fuel and oil filler caps, Group 4 Wheels Campagnola-style wheels, Reap Automotive Design gauges and clocks, custom drilled door handles, a JBL GTR Bluetooth amplifier, Rockford Fosgate speakers, a Cat 6 tracker, a Thatcham-approved Cat 1 alarm, a plumbed-in fire extinguisher and much more.

MORE THAN SIX HUNDRED PORSCHE VEHICLES AND OWNERS GATHER AT MERANO EACH YEAR

THE PRICE IS RIGHT

Having had a full mechanical strip and rebuild, including reworked heads, uprated valves and guides, all new bearings, 964 camshafts, a gearbox overhaul, SSI heat exchangers and a new fuel pump, plus calipers, discs, pads and a custom-made exhaust, this awesome air-cooled 911 proved irresistible to bidders, who pushed the final sale price to £102,500. In the same auction, a 1972 911 T, complete with rear quarter oil filler flap and restored by Porsche Centre Swindon (one of the UK’s official Porsche Classic Partner Centres), attracted a winning bid of £140,000. Invoices from Porsche for the fanatical restoration work total more than £150,000.

Rolling in at a much lower price point was the 1965 356 C pictured above. Sold for £55,468, this attractive Porsche was supplied new by AFN in 1965. DVLA records show the car has had only two owners in its near six-decade history. In recent years, the body colour was changed from blue to the silver we see here and the original matching-numbers engine has made way for a replacement flat-four, but with a hefty folder of paperwork from marque specialists to bolster claims of excellent maintenance, it’s easy to see why the car had no trouble selling. Historics is now inviting entries to its summer sale at Windsorview Lakes on 16th July. Visit historics.co.uk to register your interest and to view lots.