Release immediate -- 2 April 2003
A SLICE OF BRITISH MOTOR HERITAGE

The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, in association with international auction house Bonhams will hold a sale of selected museum vehicles on Sunday, 29 June 2003. For many people this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a slice of British motoring history.

The sale follows an announcement by the Trust in November 2002, that it would dispose of selected duplicate museum vehicles in order to broaden the collection and its brands in the future.

Around 80 of the museum’s motorcars will be offered for sale at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire, with estimates ranging from £100 to £45,000. These will include classic cars from the 40s through to the 90s, as well as some vintage cars, such as a fine 1910 Austin 18/24 Endcliffe Tourer. This is a typical Edwardian car with phaeton coachwork and was completely restored in 1997 by mature students from Manchester College of Arts and Technology. The unusual registration of this car FF1, predates the car as being issued in Merioneth in 1904.

Another unusual Austin in the auction is a 1928 Austin Seven Top Hat, so called owing to its upright shape, allowing room for occupants with fashionable Twenties top hats. In the late 1970s, this car underwent extensive restoration work, incorporating specially woven fabric, made to match the original seating.

Not all the lots are early twentieth century, there are also some virtually new models included in the auction. A 1999 special edition 40(superscript th) Anniversary Mini, direct from the Longbridge factory, has only 52 miles on the clock.

Bonham’s auctioneer James Knight said “We are delighted that we have been appointed to conduct this unique auction. With effectively the entire spectrum of evolution of the British Motor Car we will offer vehicles from the Edwardian era to the present day, from restored vehicles, to those still requiring attention, and there will even be the chance to buy sectioned ‘cut-away’ cars. We expect plenty of interest from all kinds of people, making this a thoroughly enjoyable day out.”

Visitors to the Heritage Motor Centre may preview the auction cars, free of charge on Saturday 28 June, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and on the day of the sale (Sunday 29 June). Admission into the auction will be on presentation of the official auction catalogue, which admits two people and costs £12, available three weeks prior to the auction from Bonhams, 101 New Bond St, London W1S 1SR.