Racing and RAF Icons Star at Bonhams Goodwood Revival

Bonhams’ annual sale at the Goodwood Revival is taking place on September 9, and as you might expect of an event at Goodwood, racers and historic fliers are set to star in the auction.

The headline lot is a 1973 Porsche Carrera RSR ‘R7’ Endurance Racing Coupe, ex Martini Racing. This 1973 3-litre ex-works Martini-Porsche RSR Coupe – known to the factory team as ‘R7’ – is the actual car driven into a memorable fourth place at Le Mans, only being beaten by three open-cockpit thinly-disguised Formula One sports-prototype cars in that year’s 24-Hour race. Bonhams expects it to fetch between £3.75m to £5.75m.

“We at Bonhams|Cars are truly delighted to present this highly significant example of the Porsche racing tradition,” said Mark Osborne, Global Director of Motorsport, Bonhams|Cars. “Examples of the sensationally-evocative Martini Racing factory-team RSRs rarely appear on the open market and here is a really exciting opportunity to acquire not just one of them, but the 1973 Le Mans car itself – ‘R7’. 

“So here we present a legendary Martini Racing Carrera 3.0 RSR, a prototype from the Porsche Racing Department, no less, and one of the most revered building blocks of Porsche’s fabulous racing reputation.” 

Additionally, the auction will also present a 1983 Lancia Rally 037 Evoluzione 2 — a Group B racer from the golden era of rally racing. As a works entry for the 1984 Italian Rally Championship (CIR), this car had the most successful competition history of any Lancia 037 Evo 2, with a total of nine victories during the Group B era. It’s had three owners since 1985, and the current owner has kept it for 17 years. This car recently had a full mechanical restoration.  Bonhams estimates it to be worth £750,000 to £950,000.

Beyond that, the Goodwood sale will also be offering a 1943 Vickers Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX Single-seat fighter, s/n MH415 — a plane with 95% original parts. This plane was delivered to 129 (Mysore) Squadron at Hornchurch in August 1943, and within a month, Flight Officer Desmond Ruchwaldy used it to shoot down a German Focke-Wulf Fw190 on an escort mission over Amiens, France. It was used in several films after the war, including 1969’s The Battle of Britain. Bonhams estimates it to be worth £3.5m to £4.5m. 

Another lot to watch is the 1920 Avro 504 L. Built in March 1920, the 504 L was the earliest commercial aircraft manufactured by the British company, Avro. Following the war, the military K model was modified into the civil L model with three seats and certified for commercial flying. This model would go on to carry over one million passengers plus freight and mail during 20 years of civilian service. The Avro 504 L, registration no. G-EASD, represents the beginning of the international airline industry, and while over 100 years old, is presently nearing completion to potential flying condition. 

The sale takes place on September 9 starting at 10:30 BST. Learn more here.

Images: Bonhams

About The Author

Jim Pickering

See author's posts