Bonhams has announced that it will offer five distinguished classic car collections at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 29.
 The car that set the Brooklands outer circuit lap record in 1931 |
The Goodwood Festival, which is now in its 19th year, has become firmly established as the UK's premier celebration of motoring culture. The Bonhams auction, to be held on the second day of the event, will feature fresh to the market collections from George Daniels, Sir Anthony Pilkington, Peter Gwynn, John O'Quinn and Olav Glasius.
The George Daniels Collection will see seven cars and two motorcycles on sale, which are expected to realise in excess of £8m. The standout lot from the renowned watchmaker's collection is the ex-Sir Henry "Tim" Birkin 1929-32 Bentley supercharged single-seater, in which Birkin set the Brooklands outer circuit lap record of 137 mph in 1931.
The collection of John O'Quinn, a prominent US lawyer, will be highlighted by a rare 1938 Bugatti Type 57C, that comes with its own fascinating back-story.
Prior to the German invasion of France in 1939, factory driver Robert Benoist was so fond of the car that he drove it to a safe hideaway, narrowly avoiding capture and risking his life in the process. Thankfully, both Benoist and the magnificent car were returned to the Bugatti factory safely following the war, with the 57C becoming the favourite of the company's director general, Pierre Marco.
The 60th anniversary of the Lotus brand will be celebrated by the collection of Olav Glasius, which features 24 of the marque's finest vehicles dating back to 1953.
Bonhams' Doug Nye commented: "There are few teams that encapsulate the romance of the 'little guys beating the big guys' better than Team Lotus and Olav Glasius's remarkable collection, which he has assembled with such love and painstaking care over so many years".
Also featuring in the sale will be Elton John's 1985 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Saloon, which is estimated to sell at £65,000-85,000. Another of Elton's cars, a 1965 Jaguar E-type Series 1, sold for £82,140 in March 2012. Find out more here.
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