A 1903 Cadillac

Sale: Veteran Motor Cars and Automobilia

Location: Bonhams, 101 New Bond Street, London W1, tel: +44 (0)20 7468 5801. Catalogue online at www.bonhams.com

Date: Friday October 30, 1.30pm. On view Thursday, 1pm-4.30pm, Friday from 9.30am.

Need to know: They may be slow, uncomfortable, cantankerous and invariably roofless but during the past decade veteran cars have enjoyed a surge in popularity. Although the term “veteran” is often used to describe all manner of old motors, it officially refers only to those built before 1905 when the roads were ruled by long-defunct names such as De Dion, Darracq and Panhard-Levassor. The growing

A 1901 Argyll

number of events designed for veterans and the fact that relatively few were made has seen prices soar: in 2007, an 1884 De Dion Bouton et Trepardoux fetched £1.7m at auction and the world’s oldest Rolls-Royce made £3.5m. It is difficult to find a desirable pre-1905 car in running order for much less than £40,000, although restoration projects are sometimes available from £10,000. This annual sale is scheduled to mark the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain’s London to Brighton run that takes place on the first Sunday in November – it is the largest gathering of veteran cars in the world.

Highlights: A shortage of supply means that no more than a handful of cars are ever consigned for this sale, this year’s quota of a dozen being about average. Top lot is a 1902 Panhard-Levassor Type A that is being sold complete with an entry for the London to Brighton run that takes place two days after the auction. Estimated at

An early 1900s Panhard

£120,000- £150,000, the car has beautiful wooden mudguards and a twin-cylinder engine that provides a heady seven horsepower. A 1903 Darracq similar to the one made famous in the 1953 film Genevieve is offered at £70,000-£80,000, while a 1901 Argyll that originally cost £258 could go for £100,000. Restoration projects include a 1901 De Dion Bouton that has been in the same family for 53 years (£15,000-£20,000) and a 1900 Marot-Gardon tricycle (£18,000-£25,000). The automobilia section includes a selection of penny farthing bicycles, a children’s half-scale replica of a 1903 Cadillac, an original Genevieve film poster and fur-trimmed Dunhill motoring boots.