Set of rare and unusual vehicles to be auctioned in March
From a vintage Rolls-Royce to a horse-drawn hearse, this remarkable collection is sure to impress even the most discerning rare car enthusiast.
The impressive set of vehicles was assembled over 50 years by tycoon Kingsley Curtis, the pioneering chairman of refrigeration company, HRP. It is set to fetch more than $3.7m when it goes under the hammer at Goodwood Members' Meeting in Chichester, West Sussex, in March.
Leading the collection is the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, which could be sold for as much as $2.2m. It was one of the earliest models built and the third to be delivered to the UK. The vintage motor remains an iconic example of engineering thanks to its distinctive wing-like doors.
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. Picture/ Bonhams Car Auctions.
Other big ticket models in the lot include a 1960 Maserati 3500 GT, which is expected to go for as much as $488,000, and a 1923 Bentley 3-Litre TT Replica, which could fetch as much as $622,000.
Perhaps the most unusual offering is a horse drawn hearse from 1880, which is expected to be auctioned for between $4,500 and $8,900.
Mr Curtis, who died last September, purchased his first classic car in 1963 when he spotted a 1924 Bean 11.9 parked outside a pub in Richmond. He snapped up the car on the spot, beginning a lifelong passion for rare and unusual vehicles.
Tim Schofield, Bonhams UK Head of Motoring, said: ' Each car in the collection had a purpose; the 1923 Bentley 3-Litre TT Replica, his favourite car, was used for local touring, the Maserati for long drives, and the Aston Martin as a summer car.'
Bonhams Members’ Meeting sale will take place at Goodwood Motor Circuit, Chichester, on Sunday 20 March 2016.
-Daily Mail