RM Sotheby’s Cliveden 2025 sale is to provide a feast of pre-war and vintage cars – although mid-century machinery leads the line-up on pre-sale estimate.
To be held at Cliveden House and Spa near Taplow in Berkshire, UK, on Tuesday July 8, this is the second time RM Sotheby’s has used the venue. Last year’s sale report can be seen here.
This year’s lot list is so far very focused on vintage and pre-war cars – in fact, so far there’s only one model built post-1970. We’ve picked out ten of our current consigned favourites. What do you have your eye on?
The British Icons Collection is one of two in the RM Sotheby’s Cliveden 2025 sale, and it is led by this 1920 Rolls-Royce 40/50HP Silver Ghost Alpine Eagle Tourer by Barker. The car was originally delivered to cotton manufacturer TA Stuttard with chassis notes “built for speed with a High Speed Alpine Eagle engine” to Brae Cottage – the former home of Sir Henry Royce. By 1951 it had covered 10,000 miles, and it was later owned by Rex Broughton of Cheshire. It joined the British Icons Collection in 1969. It’s covered 35,000 miles, is described as largely original and has been used for long journeys in Europe and the US. It’s estimated at between £350k and £450k.
This 1929 Bugatti Type 44 Cabriolet by Lavocat et Marsaud was originally delivered to France, and it remained there until 1934. After being stored and run intermittently, it was acquired by its second owner, a DM Thompson, in 1960. It passed through a Dr S Bayliss of Welwyn, Hertfordshire before being acquired by the vendor, with whom it has remained for 57 years. Other than the upgraded hydraulic brakes, it is described as being original. It’s estimated at between £150k and £200k.
This 1914 Rolls-Royce 40/50HP Silver Ghost ‘Colonial’ Limousine by Hooper is described as one of few pre-World War One ‘parallel bonnet’ Silver Ghosts to still have its original bodywork. It was first delivered to New York banker Mortimer L Schiff in France for a spot of European touring, but with the war taking hold it was commandeered by the British military in France. King George V would use the car for inspections on the Western Front, and once the hostilities were over it was auctioned off by the Ministry of Munitions in 1919.
Lieutenant Colonel Donahue of London was the next owner, followed by a P Fontanels and A Portarella of Spain. It returned to the UK in 1979 via an Alfred Essex of London, and was acquired by the current owner in 1989. Although the engine was replaced early in its life, the only other modifications have a been a dynamo and a starter for ease of use. It’s estimated at between £200k and £300k.
Another member of the British Icons Collections up for sale at RM Sotheby’s Cliveden 2025, this 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Drophead Coupé by James Young was ordered by Samuel J Harris, managing editor of To-Day’s Cinema magazine and a theatre owner. A regular Rolls-Royce and Bentley buyer, he specified options such as Hartford Telecontrol shock absorbers, built-in jacks and special extended pedals. Suitably equipped, the Rolls-Royce took part in the 1933 RAC Rally and a concours in Hastings, where it won its class.
Subsequent UK owners included Richard Fairfax Cartwright in 1937 and Dennis James Attenborough in 1958. In 1962 Canadians Fred Dietrich and Milton Tisdale shipped it across the Atlantic, and in 1967 Robert W Goodwin took it to the US. Two American owners followed before a JM Mooley returned the car to the UK in 1982, fitting a replacement engine soon after.
The British Icons Collection acquired the Rolls-Royce in 1989; P&A Wood soon fitted an overdrive unit. Over the next 35 years it would take part in the London to Istanbul Trial in 2000, and tours of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Austria. It’s estimated at between £190k and £250k.
Moving to more modern cars up for grabs at RM Sotheby’s Cliveden 2025 sale, this 1964 Aston Martin DB5 convertible leads the lot list by pre-sale estimate. One of 84 built in right-hand drive, it was first delivered to Clearmount Limited of New Bond Street, London. In 1987 it was acquired by a Philip Barton-Wright in Essex. The vendor, based in Germany, acquired the car in 1999 and despatched it to the Aston Workshop in County Durham for a full restoration. The bodyshell was acid treated and repainted in Silver Birch, the dashboard was restored, a new black mohair roof and wire wheels were fitted, the gearbox and rear axle were rebuilt and upgraded anti-roll bars were added.
The original three-speed automatic has also been replaced with a five-speed manual. Aston Engineering of Derby overhauled the engine in 2008, boring it out to 4.2 litres and fitting Cosworth pistons. A replacement clutch and flywheel were also fitted. It’s estimated at between £580k and £680k.
This 1957 Aston Martin DB4 is prototype DP114/2, developed in-house before Touring Superleggera insisted on a new chassis for the DB4. This particular car had a tubular perimeter chassis developed by Aston engineer Harold Beach, with Frank Feeley-designed bodywork. It was abandoned as a prototype project, and was subsequently used by David Brown’s wife as personal transport. She would maintain stewardship until 1962, when it was acquired by a Mr Sarant. A later owner would be Group Captain William Dennis David of the Ministry of Defence, an RAF squadron leader and holder of the CBE and Distinguished Flying Cross.
Former Aston staffer Ivor Howells acquired the car in the 1970s in a poor state, and would restore it over the next two years. In 1980 James Joseph Murray converted the DB4 for historic rallies, a role it would continue to play for its next owner. It was then bought by Aston Martin Lagonda and treated to a five-year restoration. After finding a new owner in the 2000s, it returned to Aston Martin Works for recommissioning and a repaint in Almond Green, plus overhauls for the braking and suspension systems. It’s estimated at between £385k and £425k.
This 1953 Aston Martin DB2 Drophead Coupé is one of 98 examples built, and it was originally specified in Botticelli Blue over a blue interior and featured a grey soft-top roof. It was sold to Chan Hin Cheung of Chan Wing & Sons Ltd in Singapore; a subsequent owner in the country was a JB Evans. Its next owner was a JM Hardman, and then a Peter Read, who lived in West Sussex and Berkeley, California.
The car was overhauled in the early 2000s by RS Williams and Nicholas Mee, before being sold to a new owner in Pöcking, Germany. The current custodian has had the Aston since 2008; it now has a dark blue over tan colour combination and a replacement Vantage-specification engine. According the auctioneer, the chassis number appears to be restamped. It’s estimated at between £180k and £220k.
This 1963 Maserati 3500 GTi Spyder by Vignale, one of 242 built, is a late production model with fuel injection and a five-speed manual ZF gearbox. First delivered to Antonio Turati of Milan, it remained in the city via its second owner before being exported to Sweden. It stayed there under the care of Uno Lingmark for 15 years before coming to the UK and being repainted silver. In 1988 it was acquired by Jack Levy of North Devon and restored by Bill McGrath, and then sold to New Jersey’s Larry Auriana.
It subsequently spent time in Stamford, Connecticut before returning to the UK. It would then head back across the Atlantic in 2008 for its new owner, based in Houston, Texas. Its next stop was Vienna, where it was restored by Frantz Classic Cars of Vösendorf, with the bodywork restored by Carrozzeria Autosport of Modena. In 2018 Bacchelli & Villa returned the car to its original Nero colour, and in 2022 it again returned to the UK via a new owner. In 2023 it was sent to McGrath Maserati for extensive work. It’s estimated at between £425k and £475k.
RM Sotheby’s Cliveden 2025 sale sees 18 cars from the collection the late Jim Boland, all offered at no reserve. A founder member and past president of the Irish Vintage Vehicles and Classic Cars Club, the collection takes in marques such as Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lagonda, Napier, Renault, Daimler, Alvis and Sunbeam, among others. The leading lot is the above 1929 Bentley 6½ Litre Tourer in the style of Vanden Plas, estimated at between £300k and £400k.
This 1957 AC Aceca-Bristol was first sold to a Jack Fernandez in Venezuela, but it would remain in the country only briefly. By the end of the year it was back in the UK, and where it would stay for 35 years being used for a variety of motor sport endeavours. It was purchased by Adrian Hall and used in the 1991 Carrera Panamericana, and then bought by a West Coast US collector in 1994. It would continue to compete at events such as the Copperstate 1000 and California Mille, plus the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival.
It returned to the UK in 2017 via the current owner, who had the car restored by Stanton Motorsports of Berkshire. Once the restoration was complete, it was entered into the West Highland Cloverleaf rally and the Royal Automobile Club Rally of the Tests. It’s estimated at between £90k and £130k.
Further details
For more information on RM Sotheby’s Cliveden 2025 sale, click here.
