LONDON.- Bonhams Bond Street Sale took place in London on Saturday 2 December, and saw an impressive £8,605,940 realised from the 30 motor car entry. The top lot of the day was the 80s icon, the 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO Coupé, which achieved £1,883,333. Taking the second spot was the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 4.2-Litre Sports Saloon, originally owned by music legend Sir Paul McCartney. It achieved an incredible £1,345,500, demonstrating the power of provenance, and sold to a telephone bidder.

A second Aston Martin DB5, this time a left-hand drive 1965 Vantage Saloon, was the second most valuable lot of the day, exceeding its pre-sale estimate of £600,000-800,000 when it realised £830,300. The English marque was popular throughout the sale, with the 1962 Aston Martin DB4 ‘Series V’ Vantage Sports Saloon selling for £516,700, the 2004 Aston Martin DB7 Zagato Coupé achieving £359,900 and the 1963 Aston Martin DB4 Series 4 4.7-Litre Sports Saloon at £327,500.

The ever popular 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta proved its continued appeal, selling for £470,000.

British marques triumphed in the packed New Bond Street saleroom, with 8 of the Top 10 spots occupied by home nation motor cars. The 1929 Bentley 4½-Litre ‘Le Mans Replica’ Tourer realised £561,500 and the elegant 1947 Alvis 4.3-Litre ‘Short Chassis’ Tourer sold for a convincing new world-auction record at £505,500. More modern vehicles were similarly popular, with the mighty c.1986 Ford RS200 Evolution Group B Rally Coupé selling to a bidder in the room for £281,500, exceeding its pre-sale estimate of £180,000-240,000 by some distance.

Celebrity-owned cars soared at the sale, with the ex-Sir Elton John, 1960 Bentley S2 Continental Flying Spur Sports Saloon achieving £180,700, and the ex-Elton John/Alan Sugar Bentley S1 Continental Fastback £366,667. The unique ex-Brian Epstein, Ringo Starr, 1966 Austin Mini Cooper ‘S’ Sports Saloon will continue its celebrity ownership, as it was purchased in the room by a thrilled Geri Horner (née Halliwell) of Spice Girls fame and her husband, Christian Horner for £102,300.

James Knight, Group Motoring Chairman and the auctioneer for the sale, commented: ‘Our exclusive Bond Street Sale is always a fantastic event, and the atmosphere today was no different. Bidders from around the world came to admire and purchase some of the most beautiful and important cars on the market. Once again, Bonhams displayed the broad range of its sales, with Group B rally cars selling alongside vintage sports cars. We look forward now to our last sale of the year which takes place on Wednesday at London Olympia.’