Vast Private Collection To Go Under The Hammer

AN AUCTION of more than 1,000 lots all from the same collection is due to go under the hammer later this month. The collection belongs to Michael Banfield, who has amassed a huge collection covering the history of the car in the UK.

Among the earliest cars for sale are a 1904 Mors Roi de Belges, which is in perfect working order, ready to be used and is estimated to make £500,000. There are also other early motoring machines, such as a 1922 AEC S-Type double decker bus with open-top upper deck. Mr Banfield started collecting in 1959 and brought together a huge number of classic cars and automobilia.

Malcolm Barber of Bonhams, which is handling the sale, said: “Michael was a close friend and an avid automotive enthusiast with a passion for preservation. For more than 50 years he dedicated himself to the promotion and use of historic road transport as part of our national heritage. The sale of his life’s collection is a truly special occasion, celebrating his life and focus on all things automotive, stretching back through decades of motoring history.”

By Press Association reporters