On 30 August, 2024, Gooding & Company will host an exclusive London Auction at Hampton Court Palace for the 12th anniversary show of the Concours of Elegance. With classic English and European models on offer, the auction is especially notable for its selection of pre and postwar Italian cars from Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia, including some with no reserve. Here are six not to miss:
Register to bid on these cars here.
Discover the full catalogue of the London Auction here.
1936 Lancia Astura Series III Cabriolet 'Tipo Bocca' (Estimate: £800,000 - £1,000,000)
In 1907, engineer and race car driver Vincenzo Lancia introduced the first Lancia car in Torino. Over the next decades, legendary Lancia models followed, including the Astura in 1931. This particular Astura is one of as few as two short-chassis Bocca Cabriolets of just six built in total. This 1936 Astura has an anthracite metallic exterior and oxblood leather interior powered by a 2.6 liter, narrow-angle V-8 engine, and the car features an Art Deco-style cockpit. After its discovery in 1982 in New York by a Lancia collector, the Astura underwent a 38-year restoration.
1928 Lancia Lambda 8th Series Torpédo (Estimate: £550,000 - £650,000)
This 1928 Lancia Lambda was one of just nine cars assembled for the 1928 Mille Miglia, the thousand-mile Italian road race established in 1927. This is the only known surviving model of those nine and retains the original body, engine, and special Mille Miglia features; it also has a continuous history from new. It passed through various international collectors over the following century before performing perfectly at the 2019 1000 Miglia retrospective and winning the FIVA Award at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Since then, this Lancia has been extensively mechanically restored. The Lambda is UK-registered with its long-term number “MP 4770” and comes with an extensive history file, including a copy of the Anniversary Edition of Automobile Magazine, which features an article on the car. With its history and originality, the car has vast event eligibility.
1939 Alfa Romeo GT 6C 2300B 'Corto' Cabriolet (Estimate: £450,000 - £550,000)
One of just two examples known to still exist, the 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Corto Cabriolet is a star of Alfa Romeo’s repertoire. The coachwork was designed by Swiss coachbuilder Carrosserie Worblaufen and features a restored dark blue exterior and the original red leather interior. Boasting a short chassis and Gran Turismo (GT) engine with elegant open Worblaufen coachwork, this beautiful Alfa Romeo is poised to be the perfect entrant for concours events.
1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer (Estimate: £300,000 - £350,000)
The Ferrari 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer, launched in 1973, was a new innovation for the iconic Italian car company. The mid-engine, 12-cylinder road car with an aerodynamic, low-slung design was constructed with perfect weight distribution to optimize performance. This example, chassis 17649, from 1974 is one of just 58 examples with the right-hand-drive configuration for the U.K. market. It underwent a six-year restoration in 2014 and still sports its original Blu Chiaro livery.
1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport Freccia d’Oro (Estimate: £250,000 - £350,000)
After the end of World War II, Alfa Romeo revived one of its pre-war models, the 6C 2500. Between 1947 and 1952, Alfa Romeo built 680 Freccia d’Oro 6Cs, which differed from the standard models by welding the body to the chassis rather than affixing it with bolts. This particular Freccia d’Oro was built in May 1949 for Carlo Alberto Braccini of Rome, the Italian ambassador to Greece at that time. This car has now been repainted in its original Verde Esmeralda color and outfitted with an English cloth interior.
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider (Estimate: £80,000 - £120,000| Without Reserve)
In 1954, Alfa Romeo launched the Giulietta chassis, the compact car that helped define the postwar era. This 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider was purchased by an Italian collector in Siena, who stored it in his barn, where it remained untouched until its rediscovery in 2015. The car was remarkably well preserved and showed just 27,577 Km at the time of cataloguing It retains its original paint, engine, mechanical components, interior, and hood. The Spider is now offered at auction without reserve and is the perfect vehicle for classic rallying, road tours, and concours.
The auction is taking place on Friday, 30 August 2024 at 15.00 BST. Bidding is available both in person and online. Register to bid here!
![Photo by Michal Matlon via Unsplash [detail]](https://images.prismic.io/barnebys/738766d7-2cc7-4258-9028-f5c634a4d9d3_Cover+final.jpg?auto=compress,format)