Ferrari 330 GTS sells for £1.2m at SpeedWeek

The red convertible ticked all the million-pound boxes: sexy Pininfarina curves and Borrani wire wheels, rarity – it is one of just 100 ever made – and as you might expect with a 300PS V12 under the bonnet, fast. With 150mph performance and civilised ride comfort along with an air-conditioned and leather-trimmed two-seat cabin, Ferrari at the time-called it the world's finest convertible grand tourer.

It was another rare ‘60s Ferrari, this time a 1969 365 GTC, that took runner-up spot in the behind-closed-doors auction held on the Saturday of SpeedWeek presented by Mastercard. Only 22 of the 150 GTCs built were right-hand drive and the car in the sale is one of them – making it an irresistible buy for the person who paid £531,000 for it.

Also proving irresistible was another Ferrari but from the 1970s: a ‘74 Dino 246 GTS to be exact. Pretty as a picture after what Bonhams says was a recent 100-point concours standard restoration, this surely is going to make whoever it was that paid £300,000 for it happy.

While some other big-bucks cars in the sale failed to find buyers on the day, there were plenty more highlights – with luxury British sports tourers doing well along with some curiosities like a 1958 Albatross speedboat (£11,500) and a rather special UK registration plate that sold for an impressive £126,500.

It was a good sale for Lagonda. A 1936 LG45 sports tourer, one of just 21 survivors of only 40 cars ever made, went to a new home for £172,500. The stately-but-dashing convertible spent 66 years of its life with the Lancashire Constabulary – not as a police car but official transport for the obviously very discerning Chief Constable…

The two other Lagondas in the sale were also snapped up. A 1938 Lagonda V12 'Le Mans'-style tourer sold for £207,000 while another V12-engined machine, a 1939 drophead coupe and former Pebble Beach concours class winner, went to its new home for £230,000. Surely not much for such rare British sporting elegance and a W.O. Bentley-designed V12 motor under the bonnet. Only 189 Lagonda V12s were ever made after all.

Surprisingly everyone’s favourite ‘50s Bentley, the R-type Continental, didn’t sell on the day, but a slightly later (1956) S1 Continental coupe did sell for £199,000. The top Aston in the SpeedWeek sale was a 1959 DB4 Series I that went for £276,000, including the premium.

The honour of German cars was upheld by an “evocation” Mercedes 300SL Gullwing (£207,000) and, offered from the estate of John Surtees, a 1957 BMW 503. It sold for £230,000.

Among more affordable offerings there were plenty of seriously temping cars that went to new homes, including many of the six cars for £60k of our preview story; some of them went for a bit under £60k. Cars like a splendid 1927 Rolls-Royce 20HP Brougham de Ville, one of only two cars bodied in this style. This “Twenty”, which has featured in books about Rolls-Royce, sold for £48,300.

You could have paid more than twice that for a mere number plate! It did say RR 3 though…

Images courtesy of Bonhams.