Default Car Collecting Splash

While heatwaves in Europe and the start of holiday season might have made people feel more lethargic than usual, it’s been as busy as ever on Collecting Cars, with July proving to be our fourth biggest month ever for sales.

Economic conditions mean that the price of super unleaded soared to never-before-seen levels, but that hasn’t stopped people from enjoying what’s already in their garage, and we’re still seeing plenty of enthusiasts looking to buy or sell.

It’s no secret that the best-selling brand on our marketplace is Porsche. Since launch, we’ve sold more than 1,100 Porsche cars, including more than 800 versions of the 911, spanning every era from 1965 through to the latest 992 GT3. It would certainly be fair to say we’ve sold ‘something for everyone’ when it comes to Porsche - from the likes of a smart 996 Carrera for £15,000 right through to a stunning 918 Spyder for $1.4m.

July Round-up - Heatwaves And Soaring Sales 997.2 GT3 RS 4.0

July saw a handful of particularly desirable Porsches find new homes, not least of which was the 997 GT3 RS 4.0 that sold as part of our second ‘Supercar Sunday’ event. With just 9,600 miles from new, and excellent service history, it found a winning bid of £282,500. Other rare models included a 1989 930 Turbo Cabriolet - one of just 50 UK cars with the ‘G50’ gearbox - which went to a new home for £89,000, and a superb right-hand-drive 997 GT2 for £120,500.

July Round-up - Heatwaves And Soaring Sales 964 Carrera 2

A 930 Turbo coupe in the timeless combination of silver over black, and benefiting from a marque specialist engine rebuild, looked well bought for £59,500 considering its relatively low mileage. Rounding off the month was a beautifully preserved 964 Carrera 2 in Guards Red with just shy of 29,000 miles from new. Equipped with desirable options and remaining highly original, a keen enthusiast snapped it up for £89,964.

July Round-up - Heatwaves And Soaring Sales Clio 182 Trophy

Low-mileage, well-maintained cars tend to make great auction consignments, because dedicated collectors are always seeking the ‘best of breed’. Earlier in the year, Collecting Cars sold the ex-Renault UK Clio 182 Trophy ‘001’ for a world record price, and in July another superb Clio 182 Trophy came to market with just 28,831 miles on the clock. As further testament to its condition, it had never even received a single MOT advisory, and sold for a very healthy £23,000. Cars weren’t the only things fought over last month, though. A Ducati 916 Biposto that had been kept as a display piece for 23 years, and consequently had just 4km on the odometer, sold in Australia for A$63,000.

July Round-up - Heatwaves And Soaring Sales EVO

Equally impressive was the Mitsubishi Evo VI Tommi Makinen Edition in rare Satellite Silver and with just 10,354 miles from new. A fierce bidding war at the end of the auction saw the bid rocket to an incredible £140,500. Highlighting the power of competitive auctions even more was the E92 BMW M3 Competition with just 7,107 miles on the odometer. Soaring past its previously advertised asking price, it finally sold for £62,000. It’s not all about record prices on Collecting Cars, though. At the more affordable end of the scale, a Maserati 4200 Coupe with the manual gearbox and just shy of 30,000 miles sold for £15,200. While certainly in line with results for similar cars, this model is just about the cheapest way to buy a car with a Ferrari-built V8, and it is hard to beat for sheer ‘excitement per pound’.

July Round-up - Heatwaves And Soaring Sales Renault 5 Turbo

As well as more familiar fare, numerous left-field favourites were listed in July, including a very smart example of the Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution. This model was built to homologate the most successful Dakar rally car ever made, and is instantly recognisable with its flared wheel arches, raised suspension, Recaro seats, and 276bhp 3.5-litre V6. Finished in Scotia White and fresh from a recent service, its new owner won the auction at £23,350. Another unusual find was the Renault Sport Spider in Sport Yellow. With less than 9,000 km from new and having been kept in Sweden since delivery, the hammer fell at €37,500. An equally rare 1980s classic was also sold at the end of the month - a stunning Renault 5 Turbo 1 fresh from a comprehensive restoration, which found a winning bid of €117,000.

July Round-up - Heatwaves And Soaring Sales 456

In the mid-1990s, a Ferrari with a ‘three pedal’ manual gearbox was the norm, but around the turn of the millennium that started to change with the introduction of the ‘F1’ automated manual in particular. Today, the ‘proper’ manual Ferraris are sought-after, and July saw notable sales of grand tourer models so equipped. While an automatic 456 is rarer than a manual, the latter still commands a premium. Offered by a fastidious owner of 18 years, a charming456 GT in Blu Swaters sold last month for £41,150, even though it had near six-figure mileage.

July Round-up - Heatwaves And Soaring Sales Grigio Titanio

The successor to the 456 was the 612; a model where fewer than 10% of deliveries are thought to have been fitted with the three-pedal transmission. Believed to be one of just 23 such UK cars, a manual612 Scaglietti with just 32,000 miles sold for £94,340 as part of ‘Supercar Sunday’. Despite representing around a 60% premium above an F1 gearbox car, it could prove a savvy buy given the car’s ‘manual V12 Ferrari’ cachet. Among the most sought-after manual Ferrari GT cars of this era is the575M Maranello. Just 69 UK cars were ordered with the manual gearbox, and a beautifully presented car in Grigio Titanio over Sabbia sold in July for a remarkable £170,000.

July Round-up - Heatwaves And Soaring Sales Defender 90

While the most popular brand on Collecting Cars is Porsche, one of the most popular individual models is the Land Rover Defender. Last month, we marked the milestone of having sold 250 Defenders since launch, and appropriately enough the car that took us over the line was the covetedDefender 90 Autobiography - the rarest of the Celebration Series created to mark the end of production, with just 100 examples built. Finished in Rimini Red and Santorini Black, and with just 994 miles on the odometer, this collector-quality 4x4 sold with a winning bid of £68,000. For considerably less money, a 2014 Defender 90 Hard Top with Bowler-tuned engine and Bilstein ‘fast road’ suspension sold for £25,250, which looked like a great buy considering it had just one owner and 44,000 miles from new.

Collecting Cars is not just about cars and bikes; the marketplace also sees some fascinating automobilia and number plates bought and sold. In July, an intriguingHonda RA00E V10 F1 engine stripped of internals and smartly mounted on a custom stand sold for €24,206, attracting bids from numerous motorsport enthusiasts. For the younger car fan, a fantastic911 Carrera Junior was offered from Germany. Remaining highly original and in rare two-seater guise, it sold for €15,000. Among the eye-catching number plates sold last month were ‘1 GTA’ with a winning bid of £46,251, and the very desirable ‘250 FER’ that sold for £50,500 - which will no doubt be finding its way onto a valuable 250 series Ferrari.

July Round-up - Heatwaves And Soaring Sales 250 GTO

Some great cars and bikes were sold on Collecting Cars in July, and we’re looking forward to a busy August as we continue to bring on board more buyers and sellers from around the world.

There is good momentum in the market for motivated sellers, so vehicles that are priced right are finding new homes quickly. And of course, if you want to sell your car or bike with zero hassle and zero listing fees, then speak to our team of consignment specialists today.

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