The 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith was used by the Queen during her royal visit to New Zealand. Photo / Webb's
The 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith was used by the Queen during her royal visit to New Zealand. Photo / Webb's
A collection of classic cars, including a Rolls-Royce which transported the Queen on a visit to New Zealand, has fetched almost half a million dollars at auction.
Auckland based auction house Webb's auctioned off 20 prestigious cars yesterday as part of Maxine and Terry Sutherland's First-Class Classics Collection.
There were over 300 spectators and colourful bidders in the room and phone bidding, and online enthusiasts following the auction.
The collection consisted principally of Rolls-Royces, but also featured an offering of pre and post-war classics, as well as vehicles of a more modern vintage - ranging from the $20,000 bracket to the lofty stratosphere of around $300,000.
1952 Bentley Mark VI Drop Head Coupe, priced between $250,000 - $300,000, didn't sell. Photo / Webb's
The list of exceptional vehicles included a Silver Wraith limousine used by the Queen during a visit to New Zealand, which sold for $193,775 to a proud new owner which will see the one of a kind car remain in New Zealand.
The Sutherland's collection also boasted everything from a Morris Minor station wagon, which sold for $40,250, and two Rolls-Royce Silver Clouds that went for $46,000 and $66,125.
In the pre-World War II era was a rare and painstakingly restored 1936 Auburn 654 Cabriolet, one of less than a dozen cars of a once prominent American model produced in right-hand drive configuration. It had an estimated sale price of $100,000 - $125,000 but remains unsold.
The Queen arrives by car in Wellington during one of her earlier visits to New Zealand. Photo / File
A 1993 Daimler has two previous owners and a mere 49,000km on the clock and was expected to sell between $45,000 and $55,000, but remains unsold.
Two Armstrong Siddeleys - one going for $29,900, and a steel-bodied Bentley Mark VI convertible with a fully restored aluminium body is "probably" the only one of its kind in the country and just one of 57 manufactured around the world. This was not sold at auction.
A 1971 Citroen SM, a French and Italian motoring collaboration, which was recently restored had a sale price between $165,000 and $175,000, but went unsold.
The 1959 Morris Minor Traveller sold for $40,250. Photo / Webb's
Webb's single owner specialist Caolan McAleer said, "I'm really pleased with the results and we have had a phenomenal response to the sale.
"Currently we're seeing a buoyant market for both buyers and sellers, with strong interest in entry level classics for first time buyers and provenance playing a key factor in sale prices for traditional British marques.
"We have already been approached by lots of potential sellers for future auctions and we have another sale in the works, get in touch if you have a quality classic to sell!"
Webb's said many of the cars unsold during the auction were now under post auction negotiation.
• To view the full catalogue of 20 cars, visit Collectors' Cars on the Webb's website.
