Police Pursuit Vehicle Provided Pace At The H&H Classics Sale At Buxton On July 24th Which Made £1.3m With 70% Sold

The H&H Classics TR4 had been the subject of a painstaking restoration by Marque experts Revington TR. It came complete with working signs, Winkworth bell, air horns and spot lamps, a VHF Pye Vanguard radio in the boot, extended wing mirrors, Dunlop RS5 road speed tyres all round, plus overdrive and a tonneau cover. It still carried its original registration number.

The British police often used sports cars as pursuit vehicles in past decades, Daimler Darts and cars like this Triumph. Today, sadly for the police, it is more usually a high-performance BMW estate with strengthened suspension and beefed up brakes. Italy of course, where things are done differently, you will still see cars gifted by Lamborghini in police livery. Almost worth it to have a high-speed chase with the Italian Carabinieri for the story it would provide.

This TR4 was supplied to the Southend-on-Sea Constabulary in May 1962 as a fast pursuit vehicle. It comes a copy of the Police book ‘Advanced Driving Explained’ by Inspector W H Jobson (which it graced the cover of) together with a host of letters, photos and emails from the officers who drove the car whilst in service.

Damian Jones, Head of Sales at H&H comments: “The Triumph TR4 Police Car was among the best viewed lots in the auction. We would normally expect a well-restored TR4 to fetch mid / high twenties so the police history added a sizable premium. That said there are few classic cars which you can buy for £35,000 or so, which will attract so much attention!”

The car received a comprehensive restoration by Revington TR at which point all the correct Police items were refitted. In 2013, the TR Register confirmed a restoration of this magnitude would cost in excess of £60,000. This was surely a unique opportunity to acquire a TR4 Police car with superb history.

1965 JAGUAR MK2 OWNED FROM NEW BY A MAN WHO ESCAPED FROM GERMANY ON THE EVE OF WW2 – SOLD FOR £14,605.00

Another car with a story to tell was this 1965 Jaguar MK2 2.4 Auto which had had just one owner from new. It was estimated to sell for £8,000 to £12,000 but made £14,605 all told topping its expected price estimate handsomely.

The 90 year-old seller was lucky enough as a young boy to be on one of the last flights out of Berlin on the eve of World War Two arriving in England on 1st September 1939 where he has lived ever since. Maybe it is no coincidence that he had had a lifelong love affair with such an iconic British car.

Purchased from Jaguar's Piccadilly showroom the 2.4 Auto in metallic British Racing Green with beige leather and original tool kit, the Jaguar had just 78,127 miles on the clock.

Garaged all its life, ‘ELF 543C’ displayed excellent panel fit and had avoided the ravages of rust suffered by most other unrestored survivors although it would now benefit from some cosmetic tidying. Maintained by the same mechanic for many years it is understood to drive well and was only being offered for sale due to the vendor's need to stop driving after reaching his 90th year.

1957 MORGAN PLUS 4 RACE CAR SOLD FOR £23,288

This British Racing Green 1957 MORGAN PLUS 4 race car seen above and in action below was built in RHD but supplied new to America and raced there by its first and subsequent owners at Laguna Seca and other West Coast tracks. It was estimated to sell for £18,000 to £22,000 but made £23,288.

1957 Morgan Plus 4 Racer in action

According to correspondence on file from the Morgan Motor Company, chassis 3831 was completed on 21st November 1957. Finished in Green with Black leather upholstery, its specification included: 'tuned engine, wire wheels, full tonneau and luggage rack'. Road registered as 'THX 941', the Plus 4 was despatched to California on 4th February 1958, where it began a long and successful competition career. Raced by first owner George Pridmore in Sports Car Club of America events (1958-60), his successor - Irv Cox - entered the two-seater for various auto cross and hill climb meetings. Uprated with disc front brakes during the early 1960s, the Morgan resumed circuit racing with the SCCA in 1963 thanks to new owner, Robert E. Crussell.

Mr Crussell campaigned the Plus 4 in regional and national events up and down the West Coast until 1970. Interestingly, that same year also saw chassis 3831 contest a support race during the October 16th-18th Castrol Monterey Grand Prix meeting (one of two International level events on its competition CV). Uprated by engineer Roy 'Grump' Pogue to the maximum extent allowed under SCCA Class E regulations, the two-seater acquired the oil cooler from a F86 Sabre fighter jet, the limited slip differential-equipped back axle from a Triumph TR3 (reputedly ex-Works), tie rods and wider steel wheels/wings. Laid up from 1971-1984, the Morgan resumed racing with John Burks, Lynn Powell (for owner Barbara Killeen) and Norm Martin before being repatriated by Ken Johnstone during 1995.

Entering the vendor’s ownership the following year, chassis 3831 was treated to an extensive 'chassis up' restoration. Despite decades of competition usage, California's clement climate meant that the Morgan was found to pleasingly retain its factory-fitted chassis, engine and body tub, plus much of its original woodwork. Boasting a welded-in roll cage, stainless steel fuel tank, full flow oil filter and electric cooling fan, the Morgan contested the second Goodwood Revival meeting in 1999, but has otherwise been enjoyed as a fast road car. Benefiting from a re-core of its original radiator and carburettor overhaul in 2015, last year saw it gain a new starter motor.

Damian Jones of H&H Classics comments: “This is a well developed, smartly presented and unusually original old warhorse that surely has the potential to accumulate yet more silverware!”