Ecurie Ecosse collection brings in millions

Wed, 04 Dec 2013

It's rare to see an entire racing team's collection go up for auction at once, but that's just what happened this past weekend at Bonhams' new headquarters in London, where there Ecurrie Ecosse collection brought in top dollar (or pound, anyway).

The collection, whose consignment we first reported on back in September, included a smattering of Jaguars, other classic racers and an iconic transporter truck, all decked out in the same blue and white livery of the Scottish flag. After reportedly feverish bidding on Sunday, the 1952 Jaguar C-Type sold for £2,900,000 ($4.75m), the '56 short-nose D-Type for another £2,600,000 ($4.26m), and the transporter for a shocking £1,800,000 (nearly $3 million) – all to the same unnamed American collector. A 1952 Jaguar XK120 roadster went to another buyer for a record £707,000 ($1.16m).

With Ringo Star's Facel Vega selling for £337,500 ($550k) and Michael Schumacher's Benetton B194 fetching another £617,500 (just over a million), the auction total skyrocketed to £16,861,630 ($2.75m), which Bonhams described as "a roaring success". Scope out the press release below for more info.

ECURIE ECOSSE GLORIES AGAIN AS BONHAMS SELLS SCOTTISH TEAM COLLECTION FOR £8.8M
1 Dec 2013, The December Sale

All eight cars in British connoisseur Dick Skipworth's collection from the legendary Scottish team that won two consecutive Le Mans 24-Hour races in 1956 and 1957, sold at Bonhams today (1 December) for record prices.

Just as they did in the 1950s, four of the Ecurie Ecosse Jaguars raced ahead of their rivals.

The team's 1952 Jaguar C-Type sold for no less than £2,900,000, amid auction-room applause, while their 1956 Jaguar 'Shortnose' D-Type sold for £2,600,000. Both went to a buyer in the United States.

Meanwhile, the packed saleroom resounded to further applause as the Collection's Jaguar XK120 Roadster made a record £707,000.

Million-pound mark-up for two-stroke truck

However, it was the Ecurie Ecosse three-car Transporter, their unique 1960 Commer TS3 immortalized for many by the Corgi toy, which exceeded all expectations as it was sold to the same US buyer for £1,800,000 after a telephone bidding war that lasted almost 20 minutes.

The 800-strong crowd in Bonhams' £30-million New Bond Street headquarters – opened by London Mayor Boris Johnson on October 24 - erupted as auctioneer Robert Brooks' hammer sealed this sale of the most valuable historic commercial vehicle ever sold at auction.

Following the Ecurie Ecosse Collection's sale excitement, the spotlight turned to Ringo Starr's Facel Vega, which sold for £337,500 while seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher's Benetton-Cosworth Ford B194 went to a German museum in Boeblingen for £617,500, bringing the auction total to £16,861,630.

James Knight, Bonhams' Group Motoring Director, said: "We always knew that today's Sale had the potential to be a roaring success, but nobody quite anticipated the incredible atmosphere in the saleroom that saw so many truly historic cars go for such astounding prices.

"The Jaguars especially were exceptionally popular, and I am delighted that the Transporter will still be carrying two of its original Ecurie Ecosse racing cars."

By Noah Joseph