Classic supercars to be auctioned

Lamborghini Miura has been revived London - Arabstoday Some of the world’s fastest production cars of the 1960s and 1970s including seven Ferraris, six Porsche 911s and a Lamborghini Miura will be among the highlights of the inaugural Bonhams auction at the Spa Motor Circuit in Belgium on Saturday May 25. Philip Kantor, Head of the Mainland European Motoring department, said: “We are very much looking forward to our first sale at the Spa Motor Circuit, and are delighted to be able to offer such a diverse selection of motor cars, including many classic models of the 1960s and 1970s. "This auction is one of two new sales the Bonhams Motoring team will host in Belgium this year and the second of the European season, following the €13 million achieved at the Grand Palais in Paris in February." Among an estimated €5 million worth of motor cars and automobilia on offer at the sale, during the Spa Classic weekend, is a 1942 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 3rd Series Sport with coachwork by Diamante that participated in the 2000 Mille Miglia (estimate €375,000 - €525,000), an entirely original 1936 Delahaye Type 135M 20CV Competition Coupé with coachwork by Henri Chapron (€90,000 - €110,000), and a 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 Coupé that was factory-restored under the supervision of Lamborghini’s legendary chief test driver Valentino Balboni (€450,000 - €650,000). The world’s fastest production car at the time, the Miura was reportedly capable of a top speed of 280km/h. Just over 470 of the P400 model were manufactured, of which this early car is a prime example. Bought by its current owner in January 2005, it was the subject of a comprehensive restoration under the supervision of Valentino Balboni at the Sant’Agata factory that took three years, consumed some 4,000 man-hours of labour, and cost €160,000. The car is offered with a file containing more than 600 photographs of the restoration and a signed letter of confirmation from Balboni, dated days before his retirement that same month after 40 years with the marque. During that time he is said to have driven 80 per cent of the cars produced, of which the Miura model was reportedly his favourite. Following the completion of its restoration in May 2008, this particular car was displayed in the factory’s Centro Eccellenza at Lamborghini’s request. The Bonhams sale at the Spa Classic will feature 56 motor cars, including – in the model’s 50th anniversary year – no less than six examples of the Porsche 911. A 1974 Carrera RS Coupé that was the last 3-litre RS of the 109 built to leave the factory is estimated to realise between €400,000 and €500,000. Acquired by its current owner in 1998 and partially restored, the car has covered only 56,000 miles (90,000km) from new, and features a semi roll cage, front anti-roll bar, and four-point safety harnesses. A 1973 2.7-litre version of the same car with extensive historic racing history is estimated at €150,000 to €200,000. Fully restored and painted in Gulf Blue, the car is offered with its FIVA papers and FIA technical passport. Meanwhile a Francis Tuthill-prepared 1970 911 3-litre Rally Car built to a ‘no expense spared’ specification and driven in the 2005 East African Safari Rally and the 2006 Carrera Sudamericana is estimated at €70,000 to €100,000. A selection of Ferraris in the sale includes a 1968 330GTC Berlinetta with coachwork by Pininfarina (estimate €290,000 - €370,000), and 1964 275GTB Berlinetta offered with well-documented period competition history (€775,000 - €925,000).