While it’s the beautiful 1928 Bentley 4 1/2-Litre Tourer with Vanden Plas-style coachwork that spearheads Bonhams’ July Motoring Auction at Bicester Heritage on 25 July with an estimate of £380,000–400,000, the most significant car for us is the 1985 Aston Martin V8 Zagato, resplendent in Gladiator Red.
One of four prototype chassis and the first production V8 Zagato delivered, the car was fitted from new with the uprated 432bhp X Pack engine. After an exhaustive two-year restoration that concluded in 2013, this generously specified example was invited to the 2016 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, among the world’s most prestigious concours events. If that’s not telling of this particular V8 Zagato’s significance, then we don’t know what is. Bonhams has attached a pre-sale estimate of £300,000–400,000.
Elsewhere, we’re taken with the shark-nosed BMW M635 CSI from 1985, which, while left-hand drive, looks to be a very well-maintained car. The subtly restomodded 1991 Land Rover Defender 90 200TDI, meanwhile, looks like a fantastic car with which to see out the summer months out in the wilderness or by the beach.
If there’s one thing to be said about the 996-generation Porsche 911 Turbo, it’s that its curvaceous body defies its 18 years. Bonhams’ car is a straight no-stories example finished in the model’s signature Arctic Silver. Regularly maintained and showing just 72,000 miles on the clock, it’s estimated to sell for £28,000–32,000. That’s a tempting price for a reliable, refined and comfortable sports car that still boasts supercar-rivalling performance on the road.
You can find our 10 highlights from Bonhams’ July Motoring Auction, taking place on 25 July at Bicester Heritage, listed below or, alternatively, browse the entire catalogue in the Classic Driver Market.
