28th Jul, 2005 0:00

The Pavilion Gardens

 
  Lot 59
 
Lot 59 - 1934 Lagonda M45 Le Mans Team Car

1934 Lagonda M45 Le Mans Team Car

Sold for £450,000

(including buyers premium)


Lot details
Registration No: BPK 203
Chassis No: Z11079
Mot Expiry: May 2006

Property of a Lady

A watershed in international motorsport history, 1934 witnessed the emergence of the incredible Mercedes-Benz W25 and Auto Union A-type Grand Prix cars. Tailored to meet the new 750kg weight limit formula, these 'Silver Arrows' were so ferociously fast they seemed to have been born of another generation. Revolutionary in ethos and execution, their legacy continues to this day. By contrast, contemporary sports car design appeared rooted in the past (even the dominant Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 featured a ladder frame chassis and non-independent, leaf-sprung suspension). Still weathering the effects of the Depression and faced with mounting competition from the various mass production giants, the majority of British sports car manufactures (like many of their European counterparts) elected to concentrate on cheaper, smaller engine-capacity models. Thus, while the likes of Riley, Frazer-Nash, Singer and MG amassed a good number of class wins, the glory days of Bentley's reign at Le Mans felt ever more distant.

Never one to follow the herd, Lagonda launched its largest engined car to date, the M45, in 1933. Powered by a 4½ litre, straight six Meadows 6ESC unit, it was both effortlessly fast and outrageously expensive. Quick to establish itself as a favourite among the celebrities and racing drivers of the day, its competition potential was not lost on Arthur Fox of legendary race preparation specialists Fox & Nicholl. Conscious that the regulations for the 1934 RAC International Tourist Trophy race precluded the use of superchargers (a less than subtle attempt to circumvent another Alfa success) Fox obtained via London distributor Warwick Wright Ltd "three 4½ litre competition chassis in black with rough wood dashboards, special springs and batteries . . ." from Lagonda. Built on a 10'3" wheelbase (as opposed to the standard car's 10'9"), these Works modified chassis incorporated uprated Girling rod brakes, negative camber road springs, a combination of Luvax hydraulic and Andre-Hartford friction dampers, a specially braced Bishop steering box, a close-ratio gearbox and a 3.14:1 final drive ratio.

Though, Invicta had shown the Meadows 6ESC engine's potential by winning the 1930 Monte Carlo Rally, the unit had not been conceived for competition work. Anxious to make it as reliable and powerful as possible, Fox was given free access by the factory to its test beds (Lagonda's financial stake - if any - in the three team cars remains unclear). As a result, the six cylinder powerplants fitted to BPK 201, BPK 202 and BPK 203 all featured unique crankcases fabricated from high tensile RR50 alloy, larger diameter crankshaft big end journals (increased to 2 1/8 inches), redesigned conrods (without a split at the small end), a higher compression ratio, slot free valves held by split cotters (indeed the whole valve train was lightened / polished) and oversize studs to hold the block to the crankcase. A Scintilla Vertex magneto replaced the nearside coil and distributor, while on the offside a horizontal Scintilla magneto was substituted for the normal BTH fitting. As a precaution, the twin SU carburettors were linked to four SU fuel pumps (the secondary set to be engaged if the primary ones failed).Limited to 3,600rpm, the heavily reworked units developed some 122bhp together with stump pulling torque.

Following the TT rules to the letter (but applying the sort of licence that Colin Chapman would later become famous for), Fox had the team cars clad with lightweight, doorless, dual-cockpit bodies whose tonneau covers were capable of being transformed into rudimentary (but mandatory in terms of eligibility) hoods. Finished in bright red with raked radiators and vestigial tailfins to their spare wheel covers, the trio each boasted an all-up, fully fuelled weight of 1,524kg (some 123kg lighter than a production M45 despite their enormous 27 gallon petrol tanks).

Scheduled to run over thirty-five laps of the gruelling 13.72 mile Ards road circuit (outside Belfast), the 1934 RAC International Tourist Trophy race attracted some forty competitors including the three Lagondas driven by Brian Lewis (BPK 201), John Hindmarsh (BPK 202) and future Land Speed Record holder John Cobb (BPK 203). Cobb was a last minute recruit and a little reluctant treating the whole affair as more of a holiday in Ireland than a serious International motor race. Unfamiliar with both car and course, he found himself unable to match the pace of team leader Lewis during practice (though when the latter tried BPK 203, he too was incapable of equalling his lap times aboard BPK 201). One possible reason for the speed differential between the two is that with the luxury of a three car team Arthur Fox had chosen to operate a 'tortoise and hare' strategy in response to the impressive pace shown by Eddie Hall's highly tuned and somewhat unconventional looking Derby Bentley. Thus, on race day (September 1st) as Lewis tore after Ards specialist Hall, Hindmarsh and Cobb settled down to some remarkably consistent lap times. Taking full advantage of their large fuel tanks, Fox put the team cars on a one-stop strategy. Consequently, when Hall emerged after his second stop, Lewis snuck past to take the class lead with ten laps to go. Their ensuing duel proved the race's highlight and was only cut short when a sudden storm forced Lewis to pit for fresh rubber (his old tyres being worn down to the canvas in places). Crossing the finish line in fourth place overall (2nd in class), Lewis led home both Hindmarsh in fifth (3rd in class) and Cobb in eighth (4th in class). Despite poor road surfacing and the challenging nature of the course, Lewis still managed to average 76.3mph and Cobb 74.3mph (making BPK 203 a rather rapid 'tortoise').

Retained by Fox & Nicholl at their Tolworth premises as demonstrators, the three team cars were still safely ensconced in Surrey when Lagonda went into receivership on 18th April 1935. Despite the extra revenue promised by the jewel-like Rapier 1100cc and M45 Rapide models introduced the previous year (the latter inspired by the BPK trio), the factory's resources were spread too thinly for it to recover from falling sales sparked by the recently phased in 30mph speed limit. Against this dark background, Fox pressed ahead with first one and then two Lagonda entries for the 1935 Le Mans 24-hour race. Prepared alongside each other, BPK 202 was earmarked for John Hindmarsh and Luis Fontes (that season's driving sensation) while BPK 203 was reserved for former 'Bentley Boy' / BRDC founder Dr J.D. Benjafield and Geoff Manby-Colegrave (though Manby's seat was later taken by Sir Ronald Gunther).

Equipped with full lighting sets, a secondary bonnet strap, scuttle-mounted cooling vents and specially curved handbrake levers (to avoid any mishaps during the run-and-jump start), the cars raced under the numbers '4' (BPK 202) and '14' (BPK 203). Though, the appearance for Le Sarthe of an offside bonnet bulge suggests the pair had received some engine fettling, details remain unknown. However, today BPK 203's tachometer is redlined at 3,800rpm (a speed at which its sister cars were said to develop 140bhp for the 1935 TT). To the surprise of some, the Lagondas proved capable of mixing it with the various 8C Alfa Romeos, their bountiful torque seeming to offset an undoubted horsepower disadvantage. After two hours of drizzle impaired racing, Hindmarsh had battled BPK 202 into second with Benjafield running a comfortable sixth. As midnight closed in, the duo inherited first and fifth places following the leading Alfa's retirement. Dawn saw BPK 202 undergo a lengthy pit stop to repair some earlier offside front collision damage. However, by 5:30am it was up to second with its team mate just one place behind. A few hours later and not only had BPK 202 reclaimed the lead but a Lagonda one-two finish looked a real possibility. Sadly, it was not to be as something broke in BPK 203's gearbox while it was in second place with around four hours to go. Benjafield was left stranded by the locked transmission. No mechanic, he nevertheless returned to the pits for instruction. Suitably briefed, he managed to resuscitate fourth gear and rejoin the race. Lapping some 30mph slower than before, he still finished a creditable thirteenth overall at an average speed of 68.61mph (compared to BPK 202's 77.86mph).

As well as attracting a record fifty-eight entries, the 1935 Le Mans also signalled an end to Alfa Romeo's four-year winning streak. Though, whether BPK 202 could have endured another lap is open to debate given that its sump contained little more than vapour when it crossed the finish line. Indeed, Fontes frequent stops towards the end confused the Dreyfus-Helde / Stoffel Alfa Romeo pit crew so much that they were convinced they held the lead (a fallacy initially supported by the official timekeepers according to some reports). The Dreyfus-Helde / Stoffel team were not the only ones left befuddled that year. At one stage, a wholly apocryphal rumour circulated that the two Lagondas had had their identities switched during the race (a comparatively simple affair since they were differentiated by the number '1' and the positioning of a spotlight on their respective dumb iron cross-members). Further muddying of the waters came with period accounts like the one recorded by veteran competitor Just Vernet in his contemporaneous diary and reproduced by Georges Fraichard in his book 'The Le Mans Story': "After struggling for 435 miles we give up. Two consecutive retirements - it's too much. Next year I shall come back with an 1,100cc car. Hindmarsh and Luis Fontes won the event, which they would probably never have done had there not been in the Lagonda pit a certain tall and lanky mechanic, who explained to Luis Fontes the ABC of the gear box. You see, Luis Fontes had left the broken-down car out on the circuit and was going to announce his retirement. Having had his lesson he went back to the car, repaired it and won". Of course, it is possible that both Lagondas suffered gearbox problems. Alternatively, Vernet who competed at Le Mans every year for over two decades may have been entirely wrong or simply mistook the black haired, wiry, bespectacled Fontes for the stockier, bald Benjafield.

Notwithstanding its gearbox maladies, Benjafield must have conceived some affection for BPK 203 as he is known to have owned it after Le Mans (some suggest that he purchased it specifically for the endurance classic). Perhaps, the fact that its average speed over the 24 hours was some 7mph faster than that achieved by his winning Bentley in 1927 proved reason enough. How long he kept it is unknown but the presence of a J.H. Bartlett dealership plaque on the dashboard argues that it changed hands at least once more pre WW2 (Bartlett specialised in competition cars and was no mean racer himself winning the 1932 Brooklands 500 mile race). By 1955, the old warhorse belonged to Lagonda Club member Tom Goodman of Leeds. Still remarkably original, it is then thought to have resided with a Mr Kibbleworth of Princes Risborough before being bought in 1971 by renowned marque enthusiast Mrs Anne 'Robbie' Hewitt. Relocated to a mews garage in Kensington, BPK 203 was treated to some sympathetic fettling and a partial repaint in the mid 1980s by the famous motoring journalist Denis 'Jenks' Jenkinson.

Last reunited with its siblings as part of the Lagonda Club's celebrations to mark the fiftieth anniversary of their heroic TT performance, BPK 203 passed into the current ownership a decade later. Said to have been mechanically very tired at the time, it nevertheless completed the Paris-Deauville Rally before being shipped to New Zealand. Mindful of various 'expensive sounding noises', the vendor took BPK 203 off the road in late 1996. With the help of an engineer friend, she then set about an extensive mechanical refurbishment program. Found to contain three cracked pistons (the whole set, each one double-stamped, have been retained for posterity), the engine had its white metal bearings redone before being rebuilt with Volvo diesel pistons, new timing chains, bearings, seals, valve gear, gaskets, external water rails / jackets, and vernier couplings etc. Making further use of the Lagonda Club's spares department, the starter motor, generator, magneto and water pump were also overhauled, the latter receiving modern bearings /seals. To further promote its longevity, the Meadows unit was upgraded with two oil filter systems, a pressure relief valve and hardened exhaust valve seats.

The rest of the drivetrain, brakes and suspension received similar levels of attention. With the front axle detached, it became obvious that BPK 203 had suffered from an earlier offside front corner impact, the spring central locating pin being bent 'like a banana'. Suitably straightened, drilled and bushed, the assembly was treated to new kingpins. As well as re-tempered springs complete with re-bushed shackles, this historic car also benefited from reconditioned Luvax shock absorbers, fresh brake linings all round, four new fuel pumps, a carburettor overhaul (replacement needles / jets etc), a specially fabricated clutch pressure plate and new gears for its back axle. Aided by its recored radiator BPK 203 has competed in a wide variety of events from circuit racing at Pukekohe and Mansfied to the week long 2,000km Targa Rally via a host of hillclimbs and a third place overall in the New Zealand Pomeroy Trophy!

Since its return to the UK, this magnificent M45 has attended the Bentley Driver's Club June 11th 2005 Silverstone meeting, taken pride of place in a celebratory parade at Le Mans (to mark the 70th anniversary of Lagonda's victory) and undergone a Motorsport magazine test at Castle Combe. Travelling to all of these under its own power, it is described by the vendor as being in very good mechanical order. Finished in bright red, it retains much of its original leather upholstery and boasts an inimitable patina that 'simply oozes history'. Currently fitted with an Alvis four-speed gearbox (as it has been for many years), the original Meadows unit has been retained should a future owner wish to reinstate it. Offered for sale with V5 registration document, current MOT, historic class free road tax and sundry papers.

H&H Classic Auctions Ltd are indebted to marque authority Arnold Davey for his assistance in this description. However, the above account of BPK 203's history is by no means definitive and we would ask potential purchasers to satisfy themselves as to its provenance (for example several of the books on Le Mans offer conflicting accounts including those which refer to the sturdy British Racing Green Lagondas!)


J. DUDLEY BENJAFIELD - a short biography by Phillip Strickland, the Chairman of the Benjafield Racing Club.

J. D. Benjafield has a unique place in British motorsporting history as the first Englishman, together with Sammy Davis, to lead an all English team to victory at the Le Mans 24 hour race. John Duff won the race in 1924, with Frank Clement, but Duff was a Scot born in China! The epic story of the 1927 win has gone down in history as one of the most remarkable victories ever recorded.

Joseph Dudley Benjafield was born in Edmonton (not far from the home of W.O.Bentley) on the 6th August, 1887, one of three children of a general practitioner. He studied at Marlborough College before embarking, like his father, on a career in medicine. Following graduation from London University, he trained at University College Hospital, qualifying as a doctor in 1912. He quickly decided to specialise in bacteriology and took consulting rooms in both Wimpole Street and Harley Street and became a consultant at St Georges Hospital, London. His choice of specialisation must have placed him on the front line during the terrible `flu epidemic of 1919, (which by chance claimed the life of Bentley's first wife), but prior to this, he had served in the 37th Mobile Laboratory Unit in Egypt during the Great War.

He became an eminent bacteriologist, researching such ailments as the cause of the common cold and could count among his patients such well known figures as Arthur Conan Doyle, Odette Churchill and later Sir Malcolm Campbell.

It was while on active service in what was then Mesopotamia, that Benjy developed a passion for boats. In fact, he constructed a very crude craft from which he could swim in a nearby forbidden creek, but the boat, which he fashioned out of bent corrugated iron sheeting with planks of wood at each end, sank so frequently that he tied an empty petrol can to it on 20 feet of string to act as a marker buoy for recovery later!

Around mid October, 1922, he picked up a boating magazine and spotted an advertisement for a 30 foot Gentleman's Motor Launch, priced at £150. "Lumiere" was to give him many happy hours of sailing and fishing, before disaster struck one stormy night in January, 1924. Moved from her usual sheltered berth owing to maintenance work on the harbour, she was moored between two smacks and the breakwater when the storm broke. Such was the power of that easterly wind that the two smacks broke loose and repeatedly pounded Lumiere against the wall, so that eventually she was dashed to pieces, a total wreck.

The loss of Lumiere was a double blow for Benjy as the insurers refused to pay on the basis that the event had been "an act of God". Although he was now studying for his second degree (delayed by the war), he still found himself at a loose end without a boat to enjoy at weekends.

It was not long after this that Dudley Benjafield purchased his first Bentley, a 3 litre long chassis saloon by Harrison's. He was hugely impressed by the performance of the car, which handled like no other and was a joy to drive. In the early spring of 1924, he paid a visit to the Bentley works in Cricklewood and there met for the second time Herbert Kensington Moir, who was in charge of the works at that time. Out of devilment or perhaps as a joke, Benjy decided to rattle Bertie Moir by maligning the performance of the saloon, suggesting that it "could not pull the skin off a rice pudding!" So incensed was Moir that he invited Benjy to join him at Brooklands the next day to try out a little red 3 litre. That drive the following day, sealed Benjy's fate, for not only was he terrified by the experience of being driven by one of the fastest drivers of his time, but Moir sold him the car!

This was an important model in the history of Bentley's, for it was in fact the 9 foot Clement car on which so much development work had taken place. It led Benjy to compete regularly in races through 1924 and 1925. Soon he came to the attention of W.O.Bentley, who offered him a drive in the works team for the forthcoming season.

It was in the 24 hour race of 1927 that Benjy entered his own Bentley, registration number MK 5206, known as Old Number Seven, with full works support and co-driven with Sammy Davis. During the night, while Sammy was driving, a French Aries spun at Whitehouse corner. The two leading Bentley's by chance were first on the scene and both collided with stationary car blocking the road completely. Sammy was next to arrive and could not avoid an impact, wrecking the chassis, front axle, right wheel and bodywork of the 3 litre. Following reassurance that Callingham, who it was thought had perished in the lead Bentley, was safe, Sammy extracted the car and made for the pits to report the catastrophe and retire from the race. But Benjy and Davis decided to try to continue and following temporary repairs, they crossed the line as victors, placing the "White House Crash" at the forefront of motoring epics.

Benjy returned to LeMans each year until his retirement from racing and it was in 1935 that he joined Lagonda to drive as a replacement for Mamby Colgrave, the second works car entered by Fox and Nichol for the great race. The team comprised John Hindmarsh and Louis Fontes in the six cylinder 4.5 litre BPK 202, the car which went on to win that year, while Benjy shared the second car, BPK 203 with Sir Ronald Gunter. They were at first running strongly in second place behind Hindmarsh and Fontes, but gearbox trouble intervened in the last few hours. After a visit to the pits, it was decided to lock the box on top gear. In this way they were able to coax the ailing machine home to a worthy 13th place. It is this car which is offered for sale here today.

Benjafield continued racing for one more year, driving and winning in a succession of different marques including Lagonda, Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Alvis, MG, Riley and ERA before retiring in 1936 to continue his medical career.

It was during his time as one of the Bentley Boys, however, that Benjy had the idea to create a winter dining Club for the team drivers, who met regularly at his home or the nearby home of Woolf Barnato. Indeed, it was during one such dinner following the White House crash of 1927, that he formed the idea of a Drivers Club. Thus was created the British Racing Drivers Club, with which he remained closely involved until his untimely death in 1957 at the age of 69.

The legacy of Benjy lives on in the form of the BRDC which owns and runs Silverstone and the British Grand Prix, while that winter Dining Club and the small coterie of Bentley Boys has found new form in Benjafield's Racing Club, who today enjoy life to the full, much as he did.


Cobb, John Rhodes (1899 - 1952)

Born in 1899, John Rhodes Cobb grew up not far from Brooklands, a factor that goes some way towards explaining his fascination with speed. A fur trader by profession, he bought his first proper racing car, the ex-Warde Fiat ohc 10-litre, in 1925. With fourteen seasons to its credit, this fearsome machine was known to be cantankerous and rapid in equal measure. Undaunted Cobb quickly mastered it not only winning first time out at a West Essex MC meeting but also piloting it to good effect in a number of Brooklands short races.

Loaned cars by the likes of Parry Thomas and Dowey (including the former's Liberty aero-engined giant 'Babs'), he continued to amass invaluable experience until in 1929 he bought the 10.5 litre V12 Delage. It was with this monster that the tall, self-effacing Cobb first established himself as a Brooklands record breaker. Not content with taking the standing-start lap record at 112.93mph and the Class A hour record at 112.8mph, he used it for a series of assaults on the circuit's outer lap record raising it from 132.11mph to 133.16mph and finally 133.88mph before selling the French behemoth to Oliver Bertram.

Although, Cobb competed in a number of famous cars such as the TT Vauxhall, single-seater Talbot 105 and indeed BPK 203 as well as various Alfa Romeo 8Cs and Rileys, his real passion was for giant cars. Hence, few of his peers were surprised when he commissioned Thomson & Taylor to build the 24-litre Napier Railton. Powered by a 450hp aero engine and clad with polished aluminium bodywork it yielded its proud owner innumerable records at Brooklands, Montlhery and on the Utah sale flats. A truly versatile machine (at least in Cobb's hands), it was timed at 151.97mph and 88.5 mph over the flying and standing kilometres respectively, took the hour record at 152.7mph, the 24 hour one at 150.6mph and won both the BRDC 500 Miles and 500 Kilometres races.

Satisfied that he had proven his worth as a racer (making Brooklands his own in the process), Cobb had set his sights on the Land Speed Record by the late 1930s. Calling once again on the design talents of Reid Railton, he drove the resultant twin non-supercharged Napier aero engined machine to 350.20mph in 1938 before smashing his own record at 369.70mph the following year.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Cobb became the first man to exceed 400mph on land when he took the Mobil-Railton to Utah in 1947 and set a best two-way speed of 394.19mph. Like Malcolm Campbell before him (and Donald Campbell after), Cobb was drawn to the Water Speed Record. Sadly, it was in pursuit of this final dream that he lost his life at Loch Ness in 1952 aboard his jet-engined boat Crusader.

Famously unflappable - even when faced with steering gear failure on the Outer Circuit (as apparently happened on more than one occasion) - Cobb remains one of Britain's greatest Speed Kings.

PLEASE NOTE: We have received, and they are now with the car, from a very good friend of 'Robbie', the original cross-member and a prop-shaft.
 

All successful bids must be paid in full by midday the day after the auction at the latest.

You can collect your new pride and joy from our venue until 1pm the day following the sale or our partners are on hand to help arrange safe transportation:

               

Auction: The Pavilion Gardens, 28th Jul, 2005

View all lots in this sale

Do you have an item to sell?

If so, contact one of our friendly specialists for your free valuation by completing the form below and someone will get back to you as quickly as possible.

If you prefer to speak to humans, don't hesitate to call our office on +44 (0)1925 210035

Contact Us Today!

 

Images

Drag and drop .jpg images here to upload, or click here to select images.


Turning the Page: A New Chapter for H&H Classics
Goon, Goon, Gone: Unique Peter Sellers 1960 Bentley heads to auction
Eclectic 150-plus classic car auction helps round out H&H’s milestone 30th year celebrations
One of the UK’s best driving Aston Martin DB5s heads to auction
Mid-century sports car icons race to Buxton auction
Former front cover ‘star’ heads to auction
Classic British motorcycles shine as 230 lots head to the National Motorcycle Museum auction
Racing legend Patsy Burt's Jaguar XK120 speeds to Buxton auction
22-strong single owner classic motorcycle collection heads to auction
Norton's racing heritage set to ignite the auction stage
Rare Frazer-Nash BMW with rich racing history to be auctioned
“The Rolls-Royce” of the motorcycle world, heads to      auction
Martini inspired Porsche 911 ‘RSR’ Tribute to head under the hammer
Rare ‘Car on Two Wheels’ heads to auction for the first time in 30 years
More than 100 classics sold in H&H’s 30th anniversary sale
Stunning classics worth more than £9 million offered in 30th anniversary auction
Rare Aston Martin DB1 heads to anniversary auction from long-term ownership
Rare Bentleys to star in 30th celebration auction
H&H Classics 30th Anniversary Auction
H&H unveils details of its 30th anniversary celebrations
Classic car owners handed ULEZ lifeline
H&H Classics auction Hurricane X-75 Prototype to National Motorcycle Museum
Vintage and modern classics lead the way at latest H&H sale
H&H offers exceptional range of vehicles spanning 11 individual decades
Pavilion Gardens. Wednesday 26th July 2023
A whimsical blast from the past: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang recreation heads to auction
From Italy with love: auction showcasing the essence of Italian design and sprezzatura
250 Motorcycles & Vintage Scooters Set To Go Under The Hammer!
March of the Mods: Lambretta owned by Paul Weller heads to auction
Lawbreakers to law enforcers: historic scooters with infamous connections up for sale
Jaguar SS100 among £2¼  million worth of classics sold at the Imperial War Museum
British classics to shine at H&H Classics’ sale
Historic Guinness Collection heads to auction
Browse The Catalogue Now! 135 Classic & Performance Cars To Go Under The Hammer.
Robbie Savage’s Ferrari F430 to be sold at H&H Classics
RAC Rally winning ‘Jaguar’ to be sold at auction
Former MP’s Bentley and Facel Vega ‘garage find’ among £1.3m worth of classics hammered away by H&H
Pavilion Gardens, Buxton Auction Preview Video
Genuine ‘matching numbers’ 1967 Shelby GT500 Fastback among 89 strong classic car auction
Rare Facel Vega ‘garage find’ heads to auction
Indian 4 and Lambretta DL200
Golden opportunity to acquire famous limited edition Italjet scooter
H&H Classics commences landmark year with sale of 121 cars
‘Brand new’ Porsche 911 heading to auction after 21 years
Brooklands race winning Bentley to go under the hammer
Actor, Sir Michael Caine’s first car, heads to auction. £100,000 - £150,000
A Very Rare Survivor. A 1936 Indian Four. £50,000 - £60,000
A Car that will Unite Romantics and Cynics Alike. A 1937 Rolls-Royce 25/30 Limousine