Two of the most storied one-off collector cars are being offered at Historics Auctioneers‘ Brooklands Velocity 2025 sale. The auction, to be held on Saturday, November 29, 2025, also includes several custom cars from the UK and California, as well as a Gulbenkian Rolls-Royce.
The first two vehicles are more than simply cars in the UK – they are folk legends for the nation’s automotive enthusiasts. For the uninitiated, we’ll have more details in the individual descriptions below, but there are further highlights among the 203 lots up for grabs at Mercedes-Benz World, located within the perimeter of the historic Brooklands circuit near London.
We’ve picked out some of the most alluring lots at the Historics’ Brooklands Velocity sale 2025 – what have you got your eye on?
The John Dodd Beast is a much-storied example of British engineering ingenuity, and represents one of the most intriguing trademark fights in British legal history. The Beast was designed and built in Britain in the early 1970s, combining an aircraft-derived engine with a bespoke chassis and distinctive coachwork. This project originated with engineer Paul Jameson, who in the late 1960s created a custom chassis to accommodate a Rolls-Royce Meteor tank engine. Transmission specialist John Dodd later joined the project. After a fire destroyed the original car, Dodd rebuilt it to a revised specification. Completed in 1972, The Beast was powered by a 27-litre Rolls-Royce Merlin V12, the same engine as was used in the Supermarine Spitfire and Avro Lancaster. Dodd also designed a heavy-duty automatic transmission to handle the engine’s torque.
The coachwork, produced by Fiber Glass Repairs of Bromley, is a two-door shooting brake approximately 19ft long, originally fitted with a Rolls-Royce radiator grille and Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, prompting legal action from Rolls-Royce. The interior is finished in leather and walnut veneer. Performance estimates suggest 750-850bhp, with reported top speeds exceeding 180mph on the German Autobahn, although no formal testing was carried out.
The Beast later accompanied Dodd to Spain, where it was occasionally driven on public roads around Malaga. The current owner has cosmetically upgraded the car with a two-tone metallic grey wrap, which can be removed to reveal the original yellow paint. The interior has been retrimmed, too. It’s estimated at between £75k and £100k when it goes under the hammer at Historics’ Brooklands Velocity sale 2025.
In the early 1980s Wolfrace, best known for its wheel designs, wanted a vehicle that would stun the world and show off its new Sonic wheel design. The result was the Sonic, a six-wheeled concept. Commissioned in 1981 by Wolfrace owner Barry Treacy, initial estimates for the build were around £29,000, although the final cost is believed to have exceeded £75k-£100k due to the complexity of the project.
The Sonic was designed by former aircraft engineer Nick Butler, and it featured twin Rover V8 engines, a spaceframe chassis with Jaguar running gear and dramatic wedge-inspired styling. It was road legal in the UK, and it took part in high-profile events including the opening of the British Grand Prix before being sold to a private collector in the 1990s.
In recent years the Sonic has been undergoing a comprehensive restoration. Approximately 80 percent complete, the work has included synchronising the twin engines, refining the six-wheel steering geometry and correcting electronics and wiring. The car starts, moves and turns, but final tasks remain including completing the dashboard, electrical integration and painting. It’s offered at no reserve at Historics’ Brooklands Velocity sale 2025, and no estimate has been set.
Historics’ Brooklands Velocity sale 2025 takes place in Mercedes-Benz World, so it always attracts interesting lots from the Three-Pointed Star. This 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser is believed to have originally been owned by German composer Herbert von Karajan. In more recent years, around £37,000 has been spent with specialist Martin Cushway, including a full engine and gearbox overhaul – 2000 miles have been covered since. The seat and window cylinders have been removed and overhauled by Mercedes 600 specialist Worle Automotive Engineering in Germany, and the cooling front armrest and the original flask and shot glassware are present and correct. It’s estimated at between £75k and £85k.
This 1955 Triumph TR2 is an ex-Works car that took part in the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hours. One of three Works entries, number 29 was driven by Ken Richardson and Bert Hadley to 15th place. After its only race, it was sold for road use and passed through several owners, and it was eventually found sitting in a yard in Darlington by a founding member of the TR Register in the 1970s. The buff logbook confirmed the first owner was Standard Triumph, which was corroborated by marque expert Graham Robson.
The car remained in storage for decades due to financial constraints restricting restoration efforts, until it was purchased in 2016 and fully restored. The process involved inspections by marque specialists, and documentation has been retained in a detailed history file. PKV 375 holds FIA Historic Technical Papers valid until 2028, retains its original Works registration and has been displayed at Brooklands Museum since 2016. It also appeared at the Vernasca Silver Flag hillclimb in 2025. Some preparation would be needed for a return to competitive racing. It’s estimated at between £150k and £210k at Historics’ Brooklands Velocity sale 2025.
This 1970 Maserati Ghibli 4.7 Campana Spyder was delivered new to Switzerland. It later became part of a well known Brussels collection and was subsequently acquired by a Calvados producer, who installed a functional crystal decanter between the seats. It was restored in 2020; the suspension and braking systems were renewed, including all bushes and shock absorbers, and there are new brake pads.
Additional recent upgrades comprise a replacement clutch, a refurbished master cylinder, a high-torque starter motor, dual heavy-duty cooling fans, new stainless-steel manifolds and a full exhaust system, a high-output alternator and a contemporary head unit. In 2022 the car was imported into the UK by the vendor, having been purchased from Gallery Aaldering, and it has recently been tuned by Colin Clarke Engineering. It’s estimated at between £265k and £300k at Historics’ Brooklands Velocity sale 2025.
This 1951 Mercedes-Benz 170S Cabriolet was used by the MI6 in Berlin during the 1950s. From 1956 onwards it was owned by agent Howard Greville, whose neighbour was George Blake, who later became known as a Soviet double agent during the Cold War. The car was imported to the UK in the late 1950s and remained in a deteriorated state for several decades before being acquired by Kenneth Foat, who restored it to a concours standard. Since then, it has received multiple awards, been displayed at Mercedes-Benz World and appeared in a Mercedes history film. It’s estimated at between £60k and £70k at Historics’ Brooklands Velocity sale 2025.
Historics’ Brooklands Velocity 2025 sale incorporates a number of restomods, including the above 1963 HELM E-type Series I Coupé – one of six built out of a proposed 20-strong run. Each car underwent a full rebuild using a reinforced monocoque structure that retained about 30 percent of the original base, combined with a handmade aluminium bonnet and doors. Engines were 3.8- or 4.2-litre XK units upgraded to fast-road specification with fuel injection, electronic management and revised cooling. The cars were fitted with adjustable suspension, modern vented brakes with six-pot front calipers, electric speed-sensitive power steering, bespoke wire wheels and a stainless-steel exhaust.
This example is chassis number one, completed in March 2021 and used for promotional and magazine work. The base price at launch was £420k, rising to £447k, with further costs for optional equipment. The car has covered about 2400 miles, including development mileage at Silverstone. It is finished in Opalescent Silver metallic and trimmed in burnt orange leather by Bill Amberg with a matching luggage set. Features include triple-nickel-plated brightwork, soft-close aluminium doors, a 300bhp 3.8-litre engine with a five-speed gearbox and limited-slip differential, upgraded cooling, air-conditioning, Bluetooth audio, adjustable suspension with polybushes and a stainless-steel exhaust. It’s estimated at between £215k and £280k.
Other restomods in the Historics’ Brooklands Velocity 2025 auction include a 1989 Ferrari 328 GTB with a 3.7-litre engine on Jenvey throttle bodies that delivers 340bhp (est £53k-£63k) and a QST 20v RR-converted Audi Quattro (est £38-£48k).
This unique 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith LWB was commissioned by Nubar Gulbenkian, oil magnate and son of Calouste Gulbenkian. Nubar, educated at Harrow and Cambridge, was well known for extravagant living and bespoke Rolls-Royces that were, like their owner, larger than life. Designed for use on the Côte d’Azur, this car is a one-off and features a transparent Perspex roof with an electrically operated fabric blind to reduce heat inside the cabin.
The interior woodwork and dashboard are finished in walnut, and a speedometer is fitted for rear passengers. Gulbenkian also specified air-conditioning, electric windows and a television, although the television is no longer present. After he parted with the car, it featured in the 1964 film Les Félins, released as Joy House in the United States and The Love Cage in the United Kingdom, starring Jane Fonda and Alain Delon. It was sold again in 1968 to René Gourdon, proprietor of the La Belle Étoile dance hall in Nice. He had the car repainted bright yellow and stored it in the venue’s basement, where it was reportedly used as a seating feature.
It remained there for 30 years, until it was extracted via the removal of a wall of the nightclub. The car then underwent a comprehensive restoration by Frank Dale and Stepsons, completed in late 2007. The work included a full retrim and repaint to its original specification, renewed chrome and a complete mechanical assessment. Around 2009 the car was sold to a new owner, who later commissioned Rolls-Royce to repaint it in a metalflake finish costing more than £18,000 in 2013.
Rolls-Royce also carried out further interior work, including a new leather dashboard and revised wood trim, at an additional cost of £31,800. The car subsequently changed hands in a private poker game, along with several other vehicles, and has since been kept in a private collection in London. At Historics’ Brooklands Velocity sale 2025 it’s estimated at between £200k and £325k.
Historics’ Brooklands Velocity sale 2025 includes several custom cars from the US – including this, Sand Draggin. Built by California Show Cars, it’s believed to have been produced around 1970. It has spent recent years in a private collection, during which the current owner arranged a restoration approximately 15 years ago. The work was carried out by David Woodfield, who rebuilt the 455ci big-block engine and the automatic gearbox, and rewired the car. The engine and gearbox originally came from a 1969 Oldsmobile Toronado before being fitted to this Bob Reisner design. The engine runs on four 48 IDA Weber carburettors and is reported to produce around 670bhp. No estimate has been revealed and it’s offered at no reserve.
Another of the custom cars on offer at Historics’ Brooklands Velocity 2025 sale is the 1971 George Barris Sidewinder Trike. Built essentially around its sideways-mounted Buick 329ci V8 engine, the machine incorporates an Iskenderian camshaft and Jahn racing pistons. Power is sent through an automatic gearbox, with drive transmitted by a double chain and sprocket. The front forks were designed and produced by George Barton of Randy Enterprises, while the magnesium rear wheels and their tyres were sourced from a Douglas DC-6 airliner. The front wheel is a 20-inch laced-spoke motorcycle design. It’s believed Steve McQueen demonstrated it at least once on the main straight of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Part of a private collection for two decades, it has not been run or driven by the vendor, who has kept it as a static display on its dedicated trailer. No estimate has been given, and it is being offered at no reserve.
This 1980 Rover SD1 is the only works racing car built to Group 2 specifications by David Price Racing. It was built for the Tourist Trophy at Silverstone, where Jeff Allam and Tiff Needell shared driving duties. After qualifying seventh out of 44 entries, the V8S climbed as high as third during the race before retiring due to engine failure. The car was extensively restored in 1996-1997 and painted in Unipart colours. It’s currently running a Rover-derived TVR Tuscan 4.5-litre V8 with a dry-sump oil system producing 380-400bhp. It’s estimated at £120k-£150k.
Here’s another of the custom cars at Historics’ Brooklands Velocity 2025 sale. Called the The Pool Hustler, it was built by Paul Tansey, best known for his work with the Batmobile, Ecto-1 used in Ghostbusters and the Black Beauty used in The Green Hornet. The vehicle features a pool table, believed to be around 100 years old, mounted above a non-running V8 Hemi engine with an automatic gearbox. The exhaust exits via four pipes on each side of the table. The design incorporates pool-themed elements including wheel caps styled as pool balls, sunken balls at the front, and cues stored in the bodywork. Steering is managed through a V-shaped handle with a central pool ball. Offered at no reserve, and no estimate has been released.
Further details
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