Although the combined gross sales of over £1.4million ($A2.8 million) was nothing special by British auction standards, H&H’s 100th sale in England’s Lakes District generated a bumper attendance and a special atmosphere, resulting in 84 of the 92 cars that went under the hammer changing hands.

The star of the sale was a 1937 Alvis 4.3 Litre Short Chassis Vanden Plas Tourer (pictured) that exceeded its top estimate by £80,000 when it sold for £200,700 ($A400,000). Although a slightly scruffy older restoration, the Alvis was one of just 12 built.

Other strong performers included a converted 1934 Bentley 3.5 Litre Tourer (£47,945-$Aus 95,000), a rare 1955 Bristol 405 Drophead Coupe (£33,450-$Aus 66,500), a 1955 Jaguar XK140 Drophead Coupe (£32,335-$Aus 64,000) and a 1958 Mercedes-Benz 190SL (£18,955-$Aus 38,000).

Meanwhile a 1961 Austin-Healey 3000 MKII that had been the personal property of Donald Healey and served as a Works demonstrator took £44,600 ($Aus 88,600).

Closer to home, there’s some good news locally in the auction market, at least in regards to collectable rego plates.
It would be too big a call to label them ‘recession resistant’, but original black and white number plates values appear to be weathering the current climate very well, if the results from Shannons May 4 Sydney Classic Auction are anything to go by.

The NSW plate ‘186’ sold after vigorous bidding for $125,000; the four-digit NSW plate ‘5630’ made an excellent $38,000 and the numerically-interesting ‘11.666’ brought $22,000 – right on the money for a five-digit NSW plate.

Shannons’ Christophe Boribon said original numeric number plates were still good property and were continuing to prove their investment value as a viable alternative to shares.

For more from the world of classic car auctions, check out the latest issue of Unique Cars magazine.