Crowds Flock To ACA

A veritable flood of bidders helps a mint Rootes wagon to smash its estimate at ACA’s Norfolk season opener.

One of the biggest crowds ACA has ever attracted got the King’s Lynn auction house’s 2017 classic sales calendar off to a flying start. With 240 cars vying for punters’ cash, it was odds-on to be a good sale, but the prices realised were proof positive of the strength of the market, whatever the age and condition of the cars.

A 1959 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL took £110,250 and both Ferrari 308s sold along with a 456M GTA, which was away for £53,550. A lovely-condition 1971 Range Rover pulled in £33,600 but the biggest surprise of the day came from a fully restored 1965 Singer Vogue estate that made a whopping £14,700, almost double the £7980 paid for a tidy 1967 Ford Cortina MkI estate. Also performing well – despite needing plenty of finishing off – was a 1964 Morris Mini Cooper S project bought for a strong £30,450.

In the modern classics arena, a 2005 Vauxhall VX220 that had covered just 406 miles from new was considered enough of a find to make just over £25,000. Other surprises came with the projects and cars in need of attention, with a very scruffy noreserve 1965 Austin A60 geeing up punters enough to make £1050 and a 1953 Morris Minor two-door realising £550, despite needing welding and the rear screen getting re-fitted.

Despite falling temperatures, only four of the last 80 cars failed to sell under auctioneer Jim Ronan’s gavel, with proceedings wrapping up shortly after 5pm. This was a cracking start to the year, which ACA will be looking to repeat at its next sale on 8 April. 

1965 SINGER VOGUE ESTATE