Pick of the saleroom: our favourite cars heading to auction in April, May and June

Spring has sprung – and fascinating lots have come out of the woodwork in search of new homes. From an ex-TV star TR7 to a gigantic Dutch barn find, the coming weeks have a great deal to offer historic vehicle fans, collectors and pundits, on a local and international level.

Star lots: Palmen Barn-Find Collection – Gallery Aaldering/Classic Car Auctions – 19 May onwards

Barn-finds still exert a huge sway over the classic car market; for good or bad, a classic is only original once. There’s also human nature to consider: the rare (perhaps never repeated) chance to get your hands on a car (or cars) that haven’t been publicly available for decades.

For many of us, amassing a large collection of classics is a dream – and one that former Dutch exotic car dealer, Ad Palmen, was able to fulfil for more than 40 years, bringing 230 historic vehicles together under one roof in Dordrecht, Western Netherlands.

The collection started with a Lancia Aurelia B20; soon, Palmen had collected other Italian marques, like Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati and Ferrari, later moving into American, British, French and German cars spanning the immediate pre-war period through to the early 90s. Notable British cars in the collection include a 1952 Austin A90 Atlantic, several MGAs, and a 1954 AC Aceca-Bristol.

Recently, however, caring for the cache of classics became too much, so he sold the lot to historic vehicle specialists, Gallery Aaldering, which in turn entrusted the sale to Classic Car Auctions, which is where you should head for a full list of the cars available.

Detailing the vast Palmen collection would take more space than is available here; the Gentleman Racer visited the barn and compiled a collection of images to further whet your appetite.

Budget star: 1977 Triumph TR7 DHC (ex-The Detectorists) – Mathewsons – 28 April (£4-£5,000 estimate)

Think Triumph TR7 on screen and you might recall The New Avengers or early episodes of The Professionals, but more recently, an Inca yellow FHC played a prominent role in The Detectorists, owned by the character Lance.

That very car is now listed at Mathewsons for its April Classic Vehicles and Memorabilia Auction with a £4-£5,000 estimate, the auction house describes it as a ‘use and improve’ rolling restoration, with 73,623 miles listed and an MoT current until 23 August.

Mathewsons revealed that the ‘boot interior has been signed by the cast’ of The Detectorists, too.
During the walkaround video it’s noted that there are a few runs in the paint, that one door edge is rough, and that the drivers’ seat bolster needs repair.

Film star: Ben-Hur’s Jaguar MkII – Brightwells – 6 May (£4-£6,000 estimate)


Performers have long been attracted to Jaguars – but many, like Clark Gable, preferred its roadsters over the traditional saloons, though the likes of the late Queen Mother (MkVII) and George Formby (Mk1) would disagree!

Brightwells, however, is firmly in the ‘star saloon’ camp, offering a 1962 Jaguar MkII owned by late Ben-Hur actor, Stephen Boyd. Billed as a ‘rock solid’ repatriated example, the 3.8-litre engine, listed as a non-runner, is coupled to an automatic gearbox.

Boyd, who played the antagonist Messala in the 1959 epic, was clearly fond of his role; he had a personalised ‘MESALA’ number plate put on the Jaguar, which it still wears, along with its distinctive Opalescent Bronze paint.

Specially ordered from Brown’s Lane, the MkII stayed with Boyd until his death in 1977; his widow, Elizabeth Mills, kept it for another 30 years, before the current vendor’s aunt inherited upon Mills’s passing. It’s been in the UK, as part of the Boyd Trust, since 2008, and has lived in a heated garage for at least 15 years.

It has all of its original paperwork and some documentation bearing Boyd’s name – but a new buyer would have their work cut out mechanically. All of its import duties, including NOVA, are paid, and it would qualify for tax and MoT exemption once put back on the road and re-registered.

Wildcards: Albert McNea’s Ford sketches – ACA – 10 June


It's rare that designer sketches make it into our listings – but Anglia Car Auctions’ collection of work from former Ford designer Albert T. McNea is well worth a look. Best known for his work on the 1969 Mustang facelift, as well as period design studies into the Mercury Cougar, Ford Thunderbird and various Lincolns, for any of this work to escape the design studios is unusual.

Nevertheless, ACA has 94 pieces from McNea on offer at no reserve; thought to originate from his private collection, they date from the late 60s and early 70s; aside from the aforementioned models, there’s also studies for a mid-engined Mustang (beyond that of the original Mustang I concept) and various Ford motor show stands promoting specific models.


Of particular interest in the collection is McNea’s work on the Bearcat, one of many mid-engined sports car programmes instigated by Ford throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s (including the Mach 2, GT70, AC-Ghia and GN34). The Bearcat made it to a full-size clay model, and remains a fascinating ‘what might have been’, the influence of Italian design houses clear to see in its frontal treatment.