Classic British car auction results range from five-figure sales for Austin, MG, Triumph, and Land Rover models to multimillion-pound and multimillion-dollar results for rare Aston Martins, Bentleys, and Jaguars. The figures below are reported sale prices and auction totals in the currencies shown by each source, with dates and locations kept explicit.
Contents
- High-value British auction benchmarks
- Aston Martin auction sale prices
- Jaguar auction sale prices
- Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and pre-war British sales
- MG, Triumph, Lotus, and Morgan results
- Land Rover and other British marque results
High-value British auction benchmarks
RM Sotheby’s reported that its Monterey sale on 18–19 August 2017 generated $132,993,810 across two evening auctions and sold 88% of all lots offered. The sale included several notable British results: a 1956 Aston Martin DBR1/1 sold for $22,550,000, a 1959 Aston Martin DB4GT Prototype brought $6,765,000, a 2006 Aston Martin DBR9 sold for $616,000, and a 1930 Bentley 6½-Litre Speed Six Sportsman’s Saloon reached $3,410,000. These are individual reported results, not estimates or exchange-rate-adjusted comparisons. (RM Sotheby’s, 18–19 August 2017)
Gooding & Company’s European Sporting & Historic Collection sale, held from 28 January to 5 February 2021, realized £8,453,500 for nine cars. Gooding reported a 100% sell-through rate and an average price per car of £939,277. The average is the auction house’s reported figure for the nine-car sale; it is not a calculated average of the other examples in this article. (Gooding & Company, 28 January–5 February 2021)
| Auction benchmark | Reported figure | Measurement period |
|---|---|---|
| RM Sotheby’s Monterey total | $132,993,810 | 18–19 August 2017 |
| RM Sotheby’s Monterey sell-through | 88% | 18–19 August 2017 |
| Gooding European collection total | £8,453,500 | 28 January–5 February 2021 |
| Gooding European collection sell-through | 100% | 28 January–5 February 2021 |
| Gooding reported average per car | £939,277 | 28 January–5 February 2021 |
Aston Martin auction sale prices
Aston Martin accounts for the highest-value British results in the supplied auction records. At RM Sotheby’s Monterey on 18 August 2017, the 1956 DBR1/1 sold for $22,550,000. RM Sotheby’s also reported that a 1963 Aston Martin DP215 Grand Touring Competition Prototype sold for $21,455,000 at Monterey 2018. The two results are from different Monterey sales and are stated in dollars as reported by the auction source. (RM Sotheby’s, The Magic of Monterey)
Gooding’s UK sale from 28 January to 5 February 2021 recorded a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT at £2,750,000 and a 1963 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible at £836,000. Gooding reported that the DB4 GT/1 result was one of two cars above £1 million in the nine-car sale. (Gooding & Company, 28 January–5 February 2021)
The 2024 Gooding London Auction listings show a wider spread among road-going Aston Martins. A 1952 Aston Martin DB2 Saloon sold for £146,250, while a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible sold for £658,125. The listing pages identify these as 2024 London Auction results. (1952 Aston Martin DB2 Saloon; 1964 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible)
Car & Classic sold-result listings add two later Aston Martin examples, but do not state each auction date. A 2005 Aston Martin DB9 Coupé sold for £17,500, and a 2011 Aston Martin DBS sold for £56,600. The results pages were accessed on 29 September 2026, so their period is undated apart from that access date. (Car & Classic results; Car & Classic results, page 2)
Jaguar auction sale prices
Jaguar results also span competition-influenced classics, pre-war sports cars, grand tourers, and more affordable saloons. At Gooding’s London Auction on 1 September 2023, a 1961 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8-Litre Roadster sold for £911,250. The same auction’s 1937 Jaguar SS100 2½ Litre sold for £202,500. (Gooding & Company 2023 auction summary; Gooding London Auction 2023 prices realized)
Gooding’s 2022 London Auction listings recorded a 1939 Jaguar SS100 3½ Litre at £495,000, a 1956 Jaguar XK140 SE Drophead Coupe at £104,063, and a 1955 Jaguar Mark VII at £28,125. The three results illustrate the difference between rare open sports cars, a post-war drophead, and a larger saloon within the reported listings. (1939 Jaguar SS100; 1956 Jaguar XK140; 1955 Jaguar Mark VII)
The undated Car & Classic sold-result pages show additional Jaguar prices: £60,000 for a 1965 Jaguar E-Type Series I 4.2 Fixed-Head Coupé, £26,000 for a 1975 Jaguar XJC 4.2 L, £7,777 for a 1956 Jaguar Mark 1 3.4 L, and £7,000 for a 1979 Jaguar XJ6 4.2 L. These listings show reported outcomes only; the pages do not provide individual auction dates. (Car & Classic results; page 2)
Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and pre-war British sales
Gooding’s 2021 UK sale included several high-value Bentley and Rolls-Royce results. A 1931 Bentley 8 Litre Pointed Tail Two Seater sold for £627,000, while a 1930 Bentley 4½ Litre Sports Tourer sold for £539,000. A 1950 Bentley B Special Speed 8 reached £214,500. (Gooding & Company, 28 January–5 February 2021)
The same sale recorded £396,000 for a 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Drophead Coupe and £286,000 for a 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental. These prices belong to the stated 2021 UK sale and are not presented as current valuations.
Bonhams’ 2012 Patrick Collection Part III sale provides earlier British benchmarks. A 1931 Invicta 4½-litre S-Type Low-Chassis Tourer sold for £466,300, a 1938 SS100 Jaguar 3½-litre Roadster sold for £250,140, and a 1950 Rolls-Royce-engined Land Rover Prototype sold for £47,150. (Bonhams, 2012 Patrick Collection Part III)
At the more accessible end of the supplied pre-war results, a 1938 Austin Big Seven sold for £5,350 on a Car & Classic results page. The auction date is not stated; the page was accessed on 29 September 2026. (Car & Classic results, page 2)
MG, Triumph, Lotus, and Morgan results
The supplied sold listings show a broad middle range for British sports cars. A 1969 MG MGC GT with overdrive sold for £17,750, a 1972 MGB Roadster with factory overdrive sold for £10,101, an MGB Roadster sold for £7,950, and a 1981 MG MGB LE Roadster sold for £7,200. The individual auction dates are not stated on the Car & Classic pages. (Car & Classic results; page 2)
Triumph results in the same undated listings range from £3,300 for a 1971 Triumph Stag automatic to £37,500 for a 1968 Triumph TR5. A 1974 Triumph Stag with a Rover V8 sold for £5,100, while a 1964 Triumph TR4 sold for €19,000. The currencies are retained because the source reports them that way, with no conversion applied. (Car & Classic results; page 2; page 3)
The Lotus and Morgan listings provide two further reference points: a 1970 Lotus Seven S4 sold for £9,500, a 1962 Lotus 22 historic race car sold for £35,000, and a 1996 Morgan Plus 4 sold for £14,250. These are sold-result figures, not price forecasts. (Car & Classic results, page 2; page 3)
Land Rover and other British marque results
Bonhams reported that a 1949 Land Rover Series I 80-inch sold for £20,250 in its MPH sale at Bicester Heritage on 25 July 2020. Car & Classic listings show £9,500 for a 1970 Land Rover Series IIA 88-inch, £11,000 for a 1972 Land Rover Series III 88-inch, and £7,450 for a 1967 Land Rover Series IIA 88-inch. (Bonhams, 25 July 2020; Car & Classic results; page 2; page 3)
The later Land Rover example in the supplied listings is a 1991 Land Rover Range Rover Classic 3.9L V8 Vogue SE, which sold for £8,801. The earlier Bonhams prototype result was £47,150 for a 1950 Rolls-Royce-engined Land Rover Prototype, while the 2020 Series I result was £20,250. Those three figures come from different sources and periods, so they should be read as separate reported outcomes rather than a time series. (Bonhams 2012 Patrick Collection; Bonhams 2020 MPH sale; Car & Classic results, page 2)
Other British marque listings include £8,100 for a 1968 Daimler V8 250 automatic and £8,200 for a 1963 Rover 110. Both are from Car & Classic’s sold-result pages, which show that the auction ended and the car sold but do not state the individual auction dates. (Car & Classic results, page 2; results)
Taken together, these reported auction results cover a market with sharply different segments: rare Aston Martin competition cars above $20 million, prestigious Bentley and Rolls-Royce examples in the hundreds of thousands of pounds, and numerous usable British sports cars, saloons, and utility vehicles below £40,000. The figures are descriptive auction outcomes in their original currencies and periods, not a standardized valuation index.