Big Spenders Flock To Bohnams Festival Of Speed Auction

GOODWOOD’S Festival of Speed might be famous for the action on its famous hill, but there’s more to the self proclaimed ‘world's largest motoring garden’ than just the racing.

And just to prove the point, this year the annual Bonhams sale earned a staggering £22.6 million on the Friday of the event.

The star attraction was a 1954 Ferrari 375-Plus, as used in iconic road races such as the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio and Carrera Panamericana, which sold for £10.7 million following a fierce battle between bidders.

A 1902 De Dietrich - formerly part of the Michael Banfield Collection - achieved at Goodwood a considerable £998,300.

Few cars can have come to light as spectacularly as this veteran, which was discovered during World War Two when a German bomb demolished the stable in which it had been on blocks since 1912. With just four owners from new, the De Dietrich is identical in specification to the works racers built for the 1902 Paris-Vienna challenge.

From ancient to modern, the Bonhams sale supplied all tastes. One of the most iconic sports cars of the 20th Century - a 1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 ‘Periscopio' Coupé - sold for a new world record of £953,500.

Commenting on the sale, Bonhams and Goodwood racing car historian Doug Nye, said: "This sale has offered a phenomenal range of really special and important cars with their various classes.

“Above all, each of the prime cars offered has links with some of the greatest racing drivers of all time. Names like Jim Clark, Graham Hill, John Surtees and so many more. It's always a pleasure to see new owners' delight as the gavel falls. After all, they're winners too."

By Press Association reporters