Spring Fever And Another Record Price

Early April saw bidding close on The Brunt Collection; the very first private sale of its kind on the platform, and which resulted in a remarkable 100% sale rate. The month ended with a record number of cars live on the platform, and saw the number of registered members grow to more than 35,000.

Are green cars becoming more popular? The online enthusiasts behind the ‘Make Green Great Again’ movement would certainly hope so, and some of the recent results on Collecting Cars might support that.

One of the star lots of The Brunt Collection was the Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, which left the factory finished in the one-off special order hue of Brewster Green. Well documented and presented in superb condition, it sold for £223,000 after no fewer than 115 bids, and found a new home in New Zealand.

Porsche is one of the most popular models on Collecting Cars, and the 993 is particularly sought after thanks to its ‘final air-cooled model’ status. Sold in April was a 911 Carrera 4S from 1997 with just 39,314 miles from new, and finished in the handsome Forest Green metallic colour. With the wider Turbo body, VarioRam engine, and equipped with desirable options including composite-shell sport seats and a sunroof, this 993 found a winning bid of £100,000.

Another highlight of our April sales was a wonderful 1960 Aston Martin DB4 Series III ‘Lightweight’ finished in AMR Racing Green - one of only around 25 such cars developed from the late 1970s through to the early 1980s to make classic Aston racing more accessible. It had been gradually upgraded over the years to its current 400hp straight-six configuration, boasted outstanding provenance, and sold for £225,000 - a great route into historic racing for the money.

A striking consignment from our Australia team was a 1996 Mercedes-Benz C36 AMG, believed to be the only car in the country finished in vibrant Vivianite Green. Used and enjoyed as intended, but well-maintained and remaining highly original; it found a winning bid of A$16,300.

Representing the most recent era was a limited-edition Jaguar F-Type Project 7, one of only 80 UK right-hand drive cars, which was specified in British Racing Green. This modern-day homage to the iconic D-Type had just 467 miles from new, and was sold for £122,000.

While it may not be painted green, the 'green' credentials of the Fisker Karma EcoSport consigned by our European team give us license to mention it here. A rarely seen modern electric hybrid sports saloon on this side of the world, this example had low mileage and sold for €29,500 - arguably a great value 'eco' car.

The Collecting Cars team is proud to have achieved a number of leading prices, and in the last six months alone has achieved world records for the likes of the Renault Clio V6 Phase 1, Audi 80 Avant RS2, and the Land Rover Defender Works V8 70th Anniversary.

In April, a stunning 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL ‘Pagoda’ came to the platform, which benefited from a full restoration at leading specialist Silchester Cars, and which counted TV presenter Chris Evans among its previous owners. After an extraordinary bidding war, the hammer finally fell at £135,000, demolishing the European market auction record in the process.

Away from record six-figure prices, there are some fantastic affordable modern classics finding new homes on Collecting Cars every day. Chief among those is arguably the humble hot hatch, and there continues to be a great range to choose from.

Despite being a few weeks away from celebrating a full two years of our online auctions, the platform has already sold 20 examples of the Peugeot 205 GTI, with two examples of the 1.9-litre model selling in April. Our ‘Sold’ section gives prospective buyers a great overview as to what to expect to pay for one of these legendary ‘everyman’ performance cars.

At the classic end of the spectrum, a wonderful 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S Mk1 - arguably the precursor to all modern-day hot hatches - was sold on the platform in April. Restored to period ‘Appendix J’ specification, it was a great candidate for historic rallies and racing, and found a winning bid of £30,500.

For many, the Golf GTI is still the definitive hot hatch, and last month saw us sell a remarkable Mk2 in desirable three-door 16-valve specification. With just 56,000 miles from new, it remained exceptionally original, with original body panels, paint, glass, and gently worn interior trim. It found a new home with a winning bid of £13,351.

At the time of writing, Collecting Cars has now sold more than 2,600 lots, totalling more than £85 million. As ever, we are grateful to all of our members, who we hope will keep enjoying themselves on the platform; whether selling, bidding, or just browsing. Our growth continues apace, and next month we will bring you news of our first US auctions, not to mention a round-up of the incredible Leonard Collection.