A flurry of activity ends 2019 season

H&H’s last sale of 2019 was at the Buxton Pavilion and offered 127 lots.

- Rod Ker

Seven of them were Triumphs, although you could be forgiven for not recognising one of them, described as a ‘Midge Special.’ Details were sketchy, but the car was built in 1986 from a T & J Sportscars kit. Underneath the pre-war style body lurked a 1971 Herald 13/60. Some kit cars and modern specials have fetched good prices recently as long as they’re properly put together, so the £4500£5500 estimate seemed reasonable, and no surprise at the £4725 result.

GT6s have also been gaining value after years in the wilderness when noone seemed to appreciate them. Lot 2 was a 1971 Mk3 carrying a £13k lower estimate. That proved to be wildly pessimistic, as £17,437 was required from the new owner. A glimpse under the immaculate bonnet showed why the bidders were twitching.

Only one Triumph failed to sell, a 53,000-mile 1970 Herald 13/60 saloon. £5000 was the expectation, but that was more than the crowd wanted to pay on the day. A 1977 Spitfire 1500 with mods fared better, reaching a few quid short of its £8000 top estimate. Although the Kermit the Frog paintwork and go-faster additions might not have been everyone’s preference, the USP here was 20,000 miles from new, with supporting history. MoTs prove that it had covered only 700 miles in 20 years!