‘La Gombe’ meets his maker. Osenat sells his cars

Eccentric collector Gérard ‘La Gombe’ Gombert, who died earlier this year, kept himself to himself. He also kept the car collecting world at bay, forever resisting offers for the rusting piles of cars in the grounds of his ramshackle smallholding in Provence, ‘L’Hacienda’.

On 10 November in Fayence, French auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat will sell what remains of Gombert’s collection, an eclectic mix of motorbikes and cars – with the odd boat thrown in – all in the most terrible condition.

A past motorcycle racer and rally driver, in the early 1970s Gombert specialised in glassfibre repairs and restorations, so it’s no surprise the catalogue is littered with the remnants of various Elans and Alpines, estimated from as little as €200 – though cough up €2,000 and you can be the owner of an Elan S2. It even has a chassis number.

‘La Gombe’ owned some interesting cars in his time; more than one Miura was stored at ‘L’Hacienda’. However, much of his collection was stolen over the years and the remaining 1970 Miura P400 S is just a burnt-out engine compartment with badly corroded V12 (it does ‘match’, apparently). For €20,000, it could be yours.

Despite all the thefts and decades of neglect, the collection still has a couple of gems. There’s an AC Bristol bought new by French playwright, novelist, and screenwriter Françoise Sagan. Yes, it’s seen better days, is not complete and today sports a mock-Cobra body knocked up by a French coachbuilder in the 1960s, but it has its original engine, and it’s estimated at €50,000. British restorers have made cars from less... The other is also an unlikely find: the ex-Works Alpine A210 Le Mans Prototype (pictured, top). The car has three outings at the famous 24-hour race to its credit, usually fitted with sub-1500cc engines. Estimate: €80,000.

The spares are also worth a look, as they include many hard-to-get pieces such as original Gotti and Campagnolo alloy wheels.

Finally, on the basis that ‘everything must go’, there are six caravans that will be sold complete with contents for €100 each – if anything defines the expression ‘lucky dip’, it must be these. And the buyer collects...

See www.osenat.fr and do factor in Osenat’s mind-bending 25% buyer’s premium (plus French VAT on top of that).

Osenat 'Gérard Gombert Collection, 10 November 2016

Selected motor car entries:

Lot | Make/Model | Estimate
300 1970 Lamborghini Miura P400 S €20,000
301 1957 Alpine A 106 €1,000
302 1965 Alpine A 110 Cabriolet « Jaune »  €6,000
303 1962 Alpine A 108 €15,000
304 Alpine A 210 Prototype Châssis # 1725 3 Participations aux 24 Heures du Mans €80,000
305 1964 Alpine A 110 Cabriolet Modifiée Avec Hard Top Et Pare Brise Renault Floride €6,000
306 C.1969 Alpine A 110 Competition Client €15,000
307 1971 Alpine A 110 1600S €6,000
308 1970 Alpine A 110 1300G  €10,000
309 1968 Alpine A 110 1300S €8,000
310 1962 Renault Dauphine 1093 €3,000
311 Alfa Romeo Montreal €20,000
312 Alfa Romeo Coupe Bertone €1,000
313 Fiat Abarth Lombardi €500
314 Renault R12 Gordini €1,000
315 Renault 8 Gordini €500
316 Renault R12 Gordini €800
317 1958 AC Ace Bristol €50,000
318 Lotus Elan +2 €2,000
319 Lotus Elan S2  €2,000
320 Lotus Eclat €1,000
321 1932 Citroen C4 Torpedo €6,000
322 BMW 700 Coupé Sport  €1,000
323 1958-1961 Land Rover Serie Ii, 88  €500
324 Morris Mini Moke €500
325 Caravane 1  €100
325.Bis Caravane 2  €100
326 Caravane 3  €100
327 Caravane 4  €100
328 Caravane 5   €100
329 Caravane 6  €100
330 Bateau Avec Moteur In-Board 6-Cylindres €100
331 Volkswagen Coupe 1600 Tl €500
332 Peugeot 304 Cabriolet €500
333 Renault Rodeo €500
334 BMW 2800 Cs €300
335 Lotus Elan €200
336 Lotus Elan  €200
337 Citroen 2 Cv Gb €200
338 Citroen Ami 6 Berline €300
339 Austin Mini Break €200
340 Volkswagen Type Iii Variant Break €200
341 BMW Coupe  €100
342 Lot De 2 Peugeot 504 Cabriolet €150
343 Amc Gremlin €200
344 Lot De 2 Peugeot 404 Coupe €300
345 BMW Coupe €200
346 Lot De 5 Peugeot 504 Coupe €500
347 Lot De 6 Peugeot 504 Coupe  €500
348 Lot De 2 Peugeot 203 Pick-Up  €200
349 Austin Taxi Anglais Le Fx4  €100
350 BMW Coupe  €200
351 Peugeot 403 Berline  €100
352 Peugeot 403 Pick-Up  €100
353 Volkswagen Type Iii Variant  €100
354 Lot De 4 Renaut 4 L  €200
355 Rover Berline  €100
356 BMW Coupe  €100
357 Citroen 2 Cv Fourgonnette  €200
358 Lot De 4 Fiat 500  €250
358bis Fiat 500 Abarth Unknown
359 BMW Farmobil €150
360 Lot De 2 Autobianchi  €150
361 Lot De 3 BMW Coupe  €150
362 Lot De 3 Peugeot 404 Pick-Up  €150
363 Lot De 2 Peugeot 204 Cabriolet  €100
364 Alfa Romeo Gtv  €100
365 Alfa Romeo Giullia Nuova Super 1600 €100
366 Fiat 127 Sport €100
367 Lot De 3 Honda  €150
368 Austin Mini  €100
369 BMW 520I E28 €50
370 Chevrolet Camaro  €100
371 Lot De 5 Mercedes Benz  €100
372 Peugeot 404 Break  €100
373 Ford Taunus Break  €100
374 Lot De 2 Renault Estafette  €100
375 Lot De 1 Simca 5 Et 1 Citroen Rosalie  €100
376 Lot Comprenant : 1 Renault 15, 1 Renault 16, 2 Renault R18 Break, 1 Renault 12 Break €150
377 Lot De 3 Renault Galion  €150
378 Lot De 2 Matra Bagheera  €150
379 Renault R10  €80
380 Citroen U 23 Plateau  €100
381 Peugeot Dma  €100
382 Lot De 2 Fiat Cinquecento  €50
383 Fiat 124 Coupe  €50
384 Tracteur Pony  €50
385 Volvo Coupe €50

Photos by Christian Martin for Osenat