Bonhams will stage a third auction in 2015 at Britain’s historic Goodwood racing circuit with the addition of a sale March 21 during the 73rd Goodwood Members’ Meeting. Bonhams already stages auctions during the Festival of Speed (in late June) and the Goodwood Revival (in mid-September).
“Bonhams auction at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting completes our trio of sales at this famous motoring location,” Bonhams’ motoring director James Knight said in a news release announcing the new auction. “The timing is perfect, allowing buyers a full season of recreational or competitive motoring for the year ahead.
“The Members’ Meeting is a fantastically revived re-enactment of Goodwood race meetings from yesteryear and provides the perfect backdrop for a Bonhams auction. Consignments are now being accepted for this newly established sale, and we look forward to presenting our customers with some exceptional entries.”
Bonhams also announced the first major consignment for the sale: the ex-Kitty Maurice 1955 Frazer Nash Le Mans coupe, which also was the last Frazer Nash to race in the 24-hour French classic. The car was ordered new by Mrs. Kitty Maurice of Castle Combe, Wiltshire, and went to Le Mans as a support vehicle for the multi-car entry by the AFN (Archibald Frazer-Nash) team. It returned to Le Mans in 1959 wearing racing No. 60 with John Dashwood as its owner and as Bill Wilks as his co-driver, but its brakes failed five hours into the event.
Pre-auction estimates have the car valued at $950,000 to $1.1 million.
Lord March launched the Members’ Meeting to recreate the “atmosphere and camaraderie of the original BARC (British Automobile Racing Club) Members’ Meetings held ‘in period’ at Goodwood Motor Circuit from 1949-1966,” Bonhams said in its news release.
“Bonhams has been a loyal partner of Goodwood ever since the first Festival of Speed in 1993 and the decision to hold an auction at the 73rd Members’ Meeting to complement the annual Festival of Speed and Revival sales is a testament to the value of our association,” said Lord March.
Bonhams will stage the Members’ Meeting auction in the Goodwood circuit’s Chicane Paddock.
