560 SEC AMG Wide Body Mercedes stars at Bonhams' March 2021 MPH sale

With RM’s Youngtimer catalogues but a happy memory, Bonhams proved last weekend that the market still has an appetite for limited-edition, OTT machinery from the 1980s.

Top-selling car at the Bond St firm’s MPH-branded live sale at Bicester was the 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC AMG 6.0 'Wide Body' (est. £140k to £180k) that was hammered at £130,000, or £146,250 with the division’s regular 12.5% buyer’s premium. About right in today’s market.

The rest of the catalogue was a typical MPH sale: old Land Rovers, the odd Rolls Silver Shadow and cheap, more modern Bentleys, plus affordable modern classics such as Porsche 944 Cabriolet (£21,375 gross). There was also the occasional ‘proper’ classic like the 1961 Austin Healey 3000 Mk II which sold over top estimate for £45,000, and the 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider, another guide-price-busting entry at £52,875. Both values gross.

A raft of withdrawn entries dropped the catalogue down to 112 cars, but the sell-through was Bonhams MPH’s best yet: 83%, greatly aided by 26% at No Reserve.

Bonhams MPH at Bicester Heritage, 20 March 2021 – results (December 2020 sale)

Total gross cars: £1,437,833 (£1,467,940)
Number of cars not sold: 19 (32)
Number of cars withdrawn: 8 (1)
Total number of cars: 112 (118)
Number sold: 93 (86)
Percentage cars sold by number: 83% (73%)
Percentage by value average low/high estimate: 63% (51%)
Percentage of cars sold below low estimate: 43% (43%)
Percentage of cars sold not met avge of estimates: 58% (65%)
Percentage of cars sold met/exceeded top estimate: 19% (20%)
Average value of cars sold: £15,461 (£17,069)
Average year of cars offered: 1975 (1976)
Percentage of cars offered at No Reserve: 26% (19%)

Photo by Bonhams