As the hammer fell on the last lot on Saturday 19 September at Errol Airfield, auctioneers Mary-Anne, Greig and Director, Gregor Leslie walked away from the rostrum having overseen Morris Leslie Auction’s most successful and longest Classic Car Auction to date. From beloved classics such as the Morris Minor to high-performance icons like the Ferrari 599, the auction saw record-breaking bids and intense competition across the telephone, online and within the Jim Clark Hall itself.
The auction saw the return of a previously sold, non-running 1971 Land Rover Series IIA, now fully restored and back to its former glory, alongside a special appearance from BTCC driver Dexter Patterson.
Putting his driving skills to use, Dexter assisted with the procession of the sale, beginning with the 1981, limited edition, Bravo collection of the Ford Fiesta, selling for £7,095. Other unique vehicles featured were a Bond Bug 700, a two-seater microcar developed within Reliant’s Tamworth factory. This example was a ground up restoration and finalised the bidding at £9,675 in the Hall.
We saw a high volume of Americana through the introduction of the McWhinnie Collection. Examples such as the iconic Chevrolet Corvette C3, embroidered with the renowned ‘Stingray’ nameplate amassed a total of 30 bids across the telephone, online and within the hall, selling above reserve at £17,737.50.
The immaculate Porsche 911 Cabriot followed soon after, confidently selling for £43,538. The Collection included a long-wheel based Bentley Turbo R (£15,587.50), a restored and imported eye-catching blue Boss 302 Ford Mustang (£43,537.50), two Jaguar XK8’s (£10,212.50 and £12,631.25) both totalling over 15 bids and a unique high performance sports car in the Jaguar F-Type SVR. This thunderous vehicle easily counted 27 bids across the Hall and Online before finalising at £62,081.
The star of the show, and the fan favourite, was the Ferrari 599 GTB F1 Fiorano, presented towards the end of the late Mr. H McWhinnie’s Car Collection. The Italian supercar was well taken care of during Mr McWhinnie’s ownership and presented in pristine condition, having driven less than 4,000 miles. Starting the bid at £85,000, Managing Director Gregor Leslie, took a deep breath as he began counting up the bids.
A fierce battle between the Hall bidders and those Online continued for 11 minutes and 24 seconds, as 71 bids were placed, all competing to get their hands on the Grigio Silverstone painted luxury vehicle. A round of applause followed the final hammer price, as the sale finalised at £151,575 – a record high in both sale price and bids.
The 1989 Volvo 700 Series had already captured significant attention before auction day, with its Facebook listing generating 197,007 views and more than 13,069 direct interactions. That interest carried into the auction, with more than 180 online bidders active throughout Saturday and multiple bidders competing for the rare Swedish turbo-diesel before the hammer finally fell at £5,052.50, well above the expected price.
Telephone bidders successfully secured 4 lots across 25 bids, including the McWhinnie Collection’s white BMW 1 Series (£29,025), keeping Commercial Remarketer Brandyn, and Business Development Manager Bobby, busy throughout the day.
The Autumn Classic Car Sale at Morris Leslie Auctions, has seen tremendous success with 79% of all vehicles entrusted to us having sold within, or above their reserve guide prices. We appreciate all visitors and bidders, including those around the world, as well as everyone watching our live streams online.
Read press coverage in The Courier
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/perth-kinross/5582845/classic-cars-auction-morris-leslie-errol/
Consignments for our next Classic Auction on the 14th of November have begun – enter yours now.