Sunbeam 3-Litre leads Bonhams|Cars Beaulieu sale

Sunbeam had been making twin-cam engines since 1914 before it built the Super Sports Tourer. With six cylinders, an eight-bearing crankshaft, twin Claudel carburettors and dry sump lubrication, the Sunbeam was one of the fastest production cars at the time. It featured a four-speed gearbox, torque tube rear axle, semi-elliptic front suspension, cantilever rear suspension, and four-wheel brakes. 

The car was registered in 1926 and had a documented history in motorsport, competing in events like the Prescott Hill Climb, the Anglo-American Rally and at circuits such as Silverstone. It was sold with an exhaustive history that included all its maintenance up to the 1950s.

Another car with a storied history was a 1937 Bentley 4¼-Litre Tourer with a 1960 body by Edmunds of Plymouth that controversial MP Alan Clark previously owned. 

The Bentley’s history included a £25,000 restoration in Clark’s hands, with receipts for £110,000 for subsequent maintenance and repairs covering an overhaul of the engine and coachwork.

Another car that caught our eye was the 2007 Ferrari Scaglietti HGTC, which went under the hammer for £63,250 and had previously starred on the company’s stand at the 2006 Paris Motor Show.

After its show appearance, the car was shipped to the UAE before returning to the UK in 2021. It combines four usable seats with a 198mph top speed and a 5.7-litre V12 based on the one in the 575M. It has covered less than 15,000 miles in total and less than 250 miles since coming to the UK.  

We go from a modern classic Ferrari to a classic Jaguar E-Type that went under the hammer for less than £40,000. The car had been with the same owner since 1989 and, with an indicated mileage of nearly 70,000 miles, is said to be in need of recommissioning.

Finally, a 1978 Mercedes 350SL showed you didn’t need much money to get in on the auction action, selling for less than £7,100. 

With its legendary build quality and powerful V8 engine, the W107 was essentially a tank with a drop-top roof and a 130mph top speed back when regular family cars struggled to crack 100. Sadly, while the price was keen, the vehicle was a Cat D write-off, having previously received minor damage that rendered it an uneconomic repair. 

With recent maintenance work and interior spruce up, the Mercedes would have made an ideal summertime starter classic and came with a sought-after five-digit number plate and a matching spare wheel.