Chevron B19 goes under starter’s orders at Sandown Park

A different type of horsepower will be seen at Sandown Park racecourse, as four-wheeled thoroughbreds go under the hammer at Barons, which is celebrating a decade of successful sales at the Surrey track. Barons’ calendar for 2008 includes an auction of classic, collectors’ and historic racing cars on March 18th, one of the highlights of which will be an ex-Jo Siffert 1971 Chevron B19 racer. Entries are now invited for this sale. And Barons starts its year with an auction on February 12th that includes another rare beast - a right-hand-drive Triumph TR8 convertible.

Historic racers for March
In his capacity as a Chevron agent, Jo Siffert supplied this particular B19 in 1971 to Frenchman Cyr Febbraio, who campaigned it extensively for some years. It was then sold to Jean-Pierre Damais, well known for his race preparation. Subsequent owners continued to race the car, which is currently maintained by Adams Mcall Racing on behalf of the present owner, 2007 Le Mans LMP2 winner Allen Timpany. The B19 has full FIA homologation papers for historic racing. Notable results include a fastest lap at Jarama and a 3rd overall at Spa Francorchamps in 2006, 2nd overall at Nurburgring in 2005 and 2nd overall at Valencia in 2007. The car has been the subject of over £33,000 worth of expenditure in the last few months, and comes complete with set-up information for many European circuits. It carries an estimate of £100,000-£120,000.

Laurence Sayers Gillan, Barons’ MD, said, “We are delighted to be able to offer this rare historic racing machine at Sandown Park in March, and invite owners of similar cars to consign them to the auction.”

Another early entry for March 18th is a 1958 Jaguar XK150S roadster restoration project. The original owner is believed to have raced it at Laguna Seca raceway in California, and specified an alloy-louvred bonnet. It is in very original condition and offers a rare opportunity to acquire and restore a highly desirable vehicle (estimate £16,000-£21,000).

Rare RHD TR8, British classics, American muscle and ex-Eastenders’ Taxi for February
Prior to the March auction, Barons kicks off with a sale at Sandown Park on February 12th. In spite of the chill in the air, spring is just around the corner, and it’s a great time to buy a soft-top. Barons has plenty on offer for February, including two Jaguar E-Types, a Jaguar XJS Cabriolet, Porsche 944S2 Cabriolet and a charming 1939 Rover P2 open tourer.

One exceptionally rare convertible is the ex-factory, RHD 1981 V8 Triumph TR8, one of just 18 RHD models built in 1980/81. The TR8 was often called the ‘English Corvette’, and most were sold in the United States. Very few genuine TR8s exist outside the USA, except for pre-production examples, and this particular car was originally supplied to the Quality Control and Reliability Department of British Leyland. Estimate £10,000-£12,000.

Those who appreciate more transatlantic styling can decide between two 1960’s American classic convertibles - the 1965 Lincoln and the 1965 Ford Thunderbird - or the more recent 2000 Ford Mustang.

Other tempting lots include a stylish 1991 Aston Martin Virage (a lot of car for the money, with an estimate of £15,500-£17,500), a 1983 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur - intriguingly described as ‘ex-Royalty’, having been owned by a prince and princess since new - and a unique 412bhp Volkswagen Touareg ABT conversion. There’s also that quintessentially British icon, a London taxi cab. This particular FX4 isn’t the faithful steed of a London cabbie, however - the property of Shepperton and Pinewood Studios, it’s ‘acted’ in a number of London-based TV programmes, including Eastenders and The Bill. Fans of the 1970’s TV series Starsky & Hutch have the opportunity to acquire their own red and white 1975 Torino, while Mini enthusiasts can bid for a highly original 1969 Cooper S, described - rather poignantly - by the vendor as “an unwanted gift” (estimate £6,000-£9,000).

Barons’ eight-sale calendar includes a Jaguar Heritage auction on April 28th, Classic Italia on June 17th, Classic Americana on July 22nd and a British Heritage sale on September 9th, all at Sandown Park. Full information can be found on Barons’ website barons-auctions.com.