A BMW 507 leads at Bonhams|Cars Quail sale

Current cars like the Z4 and 8 Series share the 507's voluptuous lines and headlight-to-headlight shark nose grille, but the 507's interior harks back to a time when infotainment screens and chintzy trims make way for proper dials and genuine leather. You can also forget about adjustable brakes, steering, suspension, and engine performance; in the 507, you get a 152PS (112kW) V8, a four-speed manual gearbox, drum brakes and a live rear axle. It's all the tonic you'll need for modern driving. 

This car has been with the same owner for an astonishing 63 years, with just two owners in total. Its history is as documented as you'd expect of a car that has been in the same hands for over half a century and includes two restorations over its lifetime. Nevertheless, the beauty of this matching-numbers car is its originality, there can't be many more out there like this. 

A 1905 Fiat-Isotta-Fraschini Volo-6 Competition Two-Seater matches the BMW's upper estimate, but that's where the similarities end. Based on Fiat's land speed record car, it's powered by a 16.6-litre airship engine that produces 4,067Nm (3,000lb ft) of torque, enough to rotate the earth on its axis with just a touch of the throttle. It also means this behemoth can be steered mostly on the throttle, making it surprisingly accomplished on hill climbs. It tops out at a terrifying 160mph. 

For a tenth of the price of the BMW, this Mercedes SL offers a chiselled chin and reputation for nukeproof build quality, the R107 is one of the coolest Mercs around, but sadly, it's not one of the best to drive, which makes this example very interesting.

It was gone over by the legends at AMG (back when you couldn't have an AMG badge on your C200), which means it has a manual gearbox, limited-slip differential and a bespoke handling pack, while the 500's V8 engine is tuned to produce 280PS (206kW) up from the 240PS (177kW) it left the factory with. AMG's finishing touches come in the form of a body kit that’s the automotive equivalent of shoulder pads in a suit jacket. It looks great and should go great, too. It carries an estimate of between £93,000 and £140,000 but will cross the block at no reserve. 

One of the beauties of Quail is that you don't have to spend big to experience buying a car at one of the world's most exclusive auctions, relatively speaking at least. 

A 1923 Star Model C is the cheapest lot available, carrying an estimate of £12,000 – £16,000, but we'd spend a little bit more to buy ourselves a junior exotic.

Something like this 1966 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider Veloce has to be one of the prettiest cars at the sale and will cross the block without reserve, although expect it to cost well over the price of the Model C. A fizzy Italian twin-cam with a beautiful open-top body – can there be any better way to arrive at the Revival? 

I thought not, but if you want to enjoy the drive down to Chichester, you'll be better served by this Lotus Elan 2+2. As pure as driving experiences come, it's been with the same owner for nearly 40 years and is estimated to make £19,000 – £27,000 but is offered at no reserve.  

In truth, we've provided just a snapshot of a sale that includes cars like a 1979 Porsche 928 that appeared in the film Risky Business (£1,100,000 – £1,400,000), a gorgeous 1971 Porsche 911 S/T Coupé (£700,000 – £930,000) and a 1938 Talbot-Lago T150C ‘Lago Spéciale' Cabriolet (£530,000 – £580,000). We'll be back with the results when we have them.