Three Barn-finds shake off the dust at H&H Buxton Auction [July 2018]

H&H Classics are gaining quite the reputation when it comes to discovering and selling barn-find classic cars and motorcycles – strengthened further yesterday after they sold this absolute gem as part of their 68%-sold Buxton auction yesterday at The Pavilion Gardens. The 1962 E-Type Jaguar, had been in storage for 35 years in Moray, Scotland, with just 66,551 miles on the clock and prospects of making the perfect restoration project.

Entered with No Reserve, it achieved almost twice its pre-sale estimate of £40,000 after brisk bidding to make £77,000, with rapturous applause for the winning bidder as the hammer went down.

Roger Nowell of the H&H Classics sales team was the lucky man to discover this gem sitting quietly in its garage where it has been parked for the past 35 years! “The joy of this job is that now and then you stumble across a car that you just know is going to excite other car lovers as much as it excites you. This E-Type is such an iconic symbol of its time and our motoring history. It was utterly revolutionary in its day and had a massive influence on the automotive industry.”

MINI ‘TIMEWARP’ BARNFIND DISCOVERY IN LANCASHIRE

H&H Classics also sold on a 1967 Mini 850 Deluxe, which has been in single ownership in Lancashire from new and in storage since 1983. It had just 36,000 miles on the clock. It was estimated to sell for £6,000-£10,000, but in fact sold for £15,525.

This delightful Mini is totally original in every way, it has never undergone any welding and its interior is like new. It comes with its original bill of sale, two keys and its handbook.

The vendor, son of the original owner, says: “My father purchased GBV121E brand new in 1967 for his early retirement. The car was used mainly for holidays; my parents loved touring the Highlands of Scotland as well as North Yorkshire. My father was diagnosed with ME in the early 80s. The Mini was very little used and in 1983 it was taken off the road. When my father was told he would never drive again he gave the car to me. It was sheeted and raised off the floor supported with wooden blocks under the sub frame to keep the weight off the suspension and wheels and never moved again until this year. So the car only ever had one driver.”

1963 MERCEDES 300 COUPE ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ SELLS FOR £14,000

A 1965 Mercedes 300SE Coupe, that has been in storage in an underground garage in Manchester since 1981 sold with ‘No Reserve’ for £14,000. It is one of just 270 RHD models produced.

Introduced in mid 1959, the Mercedes-Benz W111 series was a natural progression from the 220 Pontoon. The new models were bigger inside and out and sported a greater abundance of brightwork; not to mention the finned rear wings which spawned the model's 'fintail' nickname. In addition to the four-door Saloon, the range comprised an elegant two-door Cabriolet and Coupe. The cars were very well appointed inside, being adorned with Mercedes textured leather and wood trimmings. The vehicle went up in £100 increments all the way from £4,000 right up into the £12,000 region, with bidders in the room, online and on the telephone all chipping away until finally selling away - again met with rapturous applause, a theatrical and warming spectacle.

SON’S TRIBUTE TO HIS LATE FATHER - £120,000 RESTORATION OF ROVER 95 SELLS FOR £17,365

Additional to the barn-find success - the story of a humble Rover 95, having cost £1,373 in 1963 went on to sell for over £17,000. A labour of love restoration, Brian Griffiths, the son of the original owner, spent over £120,000 restoring his father’s car during 2002-2003.

Damian Jones of H&H classics comments: “One can only surmise that he felt a great deal of sentimental attachment to the car and was in the fortunate position of being able to spend that sort of money on its refurbishment. Thankfully, people undertake uneconomic restorations the whole time. If they did not I might well be out of a job. For some enthusiasts the value of their car is measured in things other than money.”

Supplied new to Griffiths & Armour of Liverpool and bought by Brian Griffiths in 1986, the ‘Auntie’ Rover (as P4 models were fondly nicknamed) was restored by Specialised Automotive Services in 2002-3 with bills for over £120,000! Uprated with overdrive, cruise control and PAS, it is MOT'd till April 2019. One could argue that it is today the best example of a Rover P4 95 in existence.