Yahoo News Bonhams at the Goodwood Revival: armoured, amphibious and just plain weird – our favourite auction sales from last year
At 2016's Goodwood Revival, all eyes were on one particular auction result. We're talking, of course, about the Porsche 550 RS Spyder, which went for a whopping £4.6 million, including the buyer's premium.
It was a new record for Porsche 550s, so it's understandable that it attracted everyone's attention. But while it was doing so, there were several other lots which sold that were arguably more eye-catching.
These vehicles didn't quite have the aesthetic beauty of the other classics on sale, but they were undoubtedly among the most arresting cars to go under the hammer. Among them were an armoured car, a specially customised Land Rover, a vintage motorhome, a Porsche-built military off-roader, and even an amphibious vehicle.
1957 Porsche 597 'Jagdwagen'
Sale price: £175,100 inc. premium
Proposed in answer to a request from the German army, the 597, or Jagdwagen ("hunting car"), was passed over in favour of the DKW Munga. Without the support of the army, it was never built in any great numbers - 71 were built, of which 49, like this one, were sold for civilian use.
The Jagdwagen was powered by the Porsche 356's air-cooled, flat-four engine which was, as you might expect, situated in the rear of the car. Later 1.6-litre models were good for a top speed of 62mph on the flat, or could climb gradients of up to 65 per cent thanks to their short wheelbase.
c.1945 DUKW 6x6
Sale price: £68,700 inc. premium
You may already be familiar with refurbished DUKWs; they're in service in many cities around the world providing amphibious tours on both land and sea. But they were originally military vehicles, like this one, and played a critical role in several major conflicts.
This particular DUKW 6x6 is the last to be retired from service, and was sold directly by the Ministry of Defence, having been in service for more than 60 years. Its original GMC diesel engine had been removed and replaced with a 5.9-litre Cummins unit.
1978 Land Rover Series III 109in Ceremonial
Sale price:£44,850 inc. premium
Of the sort widely used by the Royal Family in days gone by, this Land Rover was last used in an official capacity in November 2012, for the Lord Mayor's Parade in London, during which it served as the Pageant Master's transport.
As a Ceremonial variant of the 109in Land Rover, it features a large, exposed tail with space for dignitaries, as well as a small command box which transmits instructions to proceed, stop or slow down to the driver. It had just 2,201 miles on the clock at the time of the sale, and was completely original.
1955 Daimler Ferret Mk2/4
Sale price: £19,550 inc. premium
Although it first entered service in 1952, the Ferret was a long-lived addition to the armed forces' fleet; this particular example saw service in the Gulf War in the early Nineties, in addition to spending ten years in Northern Ireland; as the previous owner put it, it was "undoubtedly shot at a lot".
Powered by a Rolls-Royce petrol engine with overhead valves and 129bhp, the Ferret was good for 60mph at full whack. This one came with a Browning M1919 machine gun and a full complement of equipment, including an unopened first-aid kit, a fully-working intercom, and even a cooker.
1936 Pontiac Six 4.0-Litre Motorhome
And now for something a little more genteel. This incredible time-warp vehicle was ordered through coachbuilder Russell's of Bexhill, which supplied the Pontiac base and built the beautiful wooden body to sit on it. It was used by its original owner to tour Southern England, and came complete with photograph albums and a host of original accoutrements.
The Pontiac was raised on blocks in 1940 and preserved with oil tipped into the cylinder bores, where it stayed until 1991, with the owner's wife turning the engine over every few months until she passed away. It was sold on in 1992, and preserved in a purpose-built showroom, until it was sold on again at last years' Revival.
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