An auction of collectors' cars to be held at Olympia in London on December 4th includes vehicles expected to fetch up to £180,000 sterling (€300,000).
A 1966 Porsche Carrera Type 906 competition coupe, which goes up for auction after long-term preservation within an important European collection, is expected to go for between £160,000 and £180,000.
Alfa Romeo enthusiasts will lust after a 1949 6C 2500 Super Sport Cabriolet by Pinin Farina, one of the manufacturer's last great Grand Touring cars, which combines the sought-after "SS" specification with elegant open coachwork. Its auction sale price is estimated at £70,000 to £80,000. Rolls-Royce naturally has a presence, with a 1934 40/50 H.P. Phantom II Sedanca de Ville by Windovers. The Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club annual rally concours winner and first in elegance for the past two years is estimated at a mere £100,000 to £150,000. James Bond fans eat your heart out with a 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 drophead coupe, the subject of a comprehensive restoration. This concours entrant, regarded as the perfect motor car for continental tours and rallies, is estimated at £40,000 to £50,000.
Meanwhile, a left-hand 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS, described by newly-merged auction house Bonham's & Brooks as a "well-sorted example of the Stuttgart marque's most celebrated "homologation special", is estimated at £25,000 to £30,000. If you fancy a car that competed in the 1961 Rally of the Midnight Sun in Sweden and the Tour de Corse, which it won in its class, then the 1961 Austin Healey 300D MK1 is yours for an estimated £50,000 to £60,000. For those who travel light, a 1904 Peugeot "B" "Bebe" 5 H.P. two-seater is described by the auction house as having "the luxury of a hood". Coming with an enviable record of complete runs and well equipped with period fittings, it has a purpose-built trailer and is estimated at £20,000 to £23,000.
Then there's the exquisite 1898 single-cylinder Clement de Dion tricycle and trailer. This 2.25 H.P., with the trailer by Alfred Bellvalette of Paris, will set you back an estimated £16,000 to £18,000. A 1935 Auburn "Supercharged" Phaeton, which comes from Dublin, is expected to fetch £30,000 to £40,000. The top price, however, is expected to be for a 1994 Bugatti EB110, which is seen fetching somewhere in the range of £150,000 to £180,000.
What is claimed to be the world's rarest stamp, The British Guyana Magenta One Cent, worth an estimated £5 million, will be on show at the Stampa 2000 national stamp exhibition.
The event takes place at the RDS concert hall from today until Sunday. Opening hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Admission: Adults £2, children & concessions £1.
Whyte's auctioneers hold an auction of stamps and postal history at their rooms in Marlborough Street, Dublin, at 6.30 p.m. today, Friday 10th. It includes an award-winning collection of the Recess printed stamps of Ireland, estimated at £15,000 to £20,000. Highlights include a 1922 Perkins Bacon essay (a trial stamp), a rare block of four of the 2d. Dollard essay, and a 1s 3d. airmail stamp with the printing error known as "extra feather".
jmarms@irish-times.ie
