Italian mob

Latin marques head the run-up to New Year

1. Cunningham Coupe 
Previously, Bonhams’ Gstaad sale has majored on Ferraris, but this year’s has broadened to embrace some memorable racing Maseratis. Chief among these is the Briggs Cunningham Tipo 151, the ill-favoured coupe which crashed at Le Mans in 1962 (top estimate £590,000).

2. Brief life
In the same sale is the rear-engined Maserati Tipo 65 `Supercage’ which Jo Siffert and Jochen Neerpasch drove at the Sarthe in 1965. Sadly it retired early – after just three laps; top estimate is £400,000.

3. Record breaker
Heading the list at Bonhams’ annual Olympia sale on December 4 is the impressive recreation of the V8 Darracq which broke the LSR in 1905. Later, Sir Algernon Lee Guinness reached 121mph in it. Built round the original 1905 200hp engine, thought to be the oldest V8 extant, the car ran at the Goodwood Festival. Refer to Bonhams for an estimate. A Lotus XI in the same sale comes with successful period history — six wins in 1956 — and interesting recent owners: both Steve O’Rourke and Nick Mason have raced it. Recently restored by Ten-Tenths, it’s ready to race and expected to fetch £70-80,000. Tel: 020 7468 5801.

4. Alesi option 
It seems to be Ferrari season: Coys’ Nuremberg sale boasts an ex-Jean Alesi F92A, the last Barnard-designed Fl Ferrari, estimated to reach £400,000, and an F4OLM which is looking at more than £200,000. At the other end of the scale, £3500 might bring you an Austin 7 Ruby race special. Tel: 020 8614 7888.

5 Livestock report
A new sale venue for H&H, Kempton Park racecourse, brought a sale total of more than £500,000. One rare item was a Connaught sports racer, a 1948 L2 which has recently entered historic rallies and raced at Goodwood; it raised £32,000. Formula Juniors are now in demand, helped by a healthy racing scene, so a pretty Stanguellini went well over estimate at £23,000.