9 EYE-CATCHING CARS FROM THE 2026 RM SOTHEBY’S WOODCOTE PARK AUCTION

On July 8, RM Sotheby’s hosted a new U.K. sale, held in conjunction with the Royal Automobile Club and its concours at Woodcote Park, the club’s stately 350-acre estate. A little over 40 cars were on offer, most of them sports or racing cars from the prewar era to the 2000s and 2010s. RM Sotheby’s reported £15,975,765 in total sales ($21.35M), with modern exotics and vintage Aston Martins accounting for most of the top-selling lots.

Our colleague Chris Sharpe was on the ground at Woodcote Park to look over the auction cars in person and provide the valuable notes on condition and equipment that we just can’t get from the glossy catalog photographs. We dive into the most interesting and significant vehicles in detail below.

Lot 118: 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage Volante

Sold for £432,500 ($577,907)

Chassis no. DBVC3738R; Engine no. 4004208VC. Olive with black top over black leather. Older restoration, #3+ condition.

Equipment: RHD. 3995cc/325hp straight-six with triple Webers, five-speed, power steering, wire wheels, wood-rimmed steering wheel, heated rear screen, original radio, power aerial.

Condition: Reportedly one of 29 DB6 Vantage Volantes and represented as matching numbers. Original specification deleted the Vantage badge on the rear. Moved to Belgium in the 2010s and subject to a three-year restoration overseen by the consigning owner with costs exceeding €200,000. Accompanied by a heritage certificate issued by Aston Martin Heritage Trust. Very good paint finish other than a dent and paint chip to the front left edge of the hood. The grille is older with some dings on the leading edge. The hanging rear fog light is period correct but detracts and could be repositioned. The original interior looks perfectly usable and period-aged. Not a show-winner, but perfectly presentable and with very desirable specs.

Bottom line: With the DB6, Aston Martin aimed to introduce a more usable GT car that boasted two usable (if cramped) rear seats and more creature comforts than its DB5 predecessor. Given those concessions to comfort, as well as the DB5’s eternal association with James Bond, DB6s are generally worth less. But this car boasts the very rare Volante (convertible) body as well as the 325-hp Vantage engine (up from 282 hp in the standard car), the manual gearbox, and right-hand drive for British buyers. Its price is about right for the condition in the U.K. market, and it could be years before another matching numbers Vantage Volante comes to market.

Lot 109: 2002 Ferrari 550 Barchetta

Sold for £438,125 ($585,423)

Chassis no. ZFFZR52C000124416. Rosso Corsa over beige leather. Original, #2 condition.

Equipment: RHD. 5474cc/485hp V-12, six-speed manual, Fiorano handling package, Scuderia shields, red calipers, two-piece wheels, numbered and signed dash plaque, roll hoops, helmets, books and tools.

Condition: Number 438 of 448 examples built, created for Ferrari’s 70th anniversary and the final year of the 550 series. Delivered new in South Africa and imported to the United Kingdom in 2018. It has had three owners and was purchased by the vendor in 2013. Maintained by marque specialist DK Engineering between 2019 and 2025. Represented with 7936 km (4881 miles). Supplied with folio signed by Jody Scheckter. The paint finish looks original and freshly detailed, a proper concours look. The wheels are perfect. The interior is in mint condition with clean controls and instrumentation. The driver’s seat bolster edge shows the slightest signs of use but that’s it. A near-new car.

Bottom line: Soaring prices for low-production modern Ferraris have been one of the collector car market’s biggest stories this year, and at Mecum Kissimmee back in January a very yellow, 481-mile car sold for $1,265,000, over twice its condition #1 (concours) value in our price guide at the time. Another, 3400-mile car sold on Bring a Trailer in May for $1.06M. But the Barchetta fever does not appear to have spread across the Atlantic, as several examples have sold in the U.K. and Europe in the past several months for mid-six-figure prices. Indeed, this one’s £290,000-£340,000 estimate was in line with other recent European sales. Its right-hand drive limits its appeal somewhat, but the U.K. bidders apparently fancied it to an over-estimate result, just not to what American collectors are willing to pay.

Lot 110: 1956 Maserati A6G/54 2000 GT Coupe by Allemano

Sold for £325,625 ($435,100)

Chassis no. 2170; Engine no. 2170. Grigio over Bleu leather. Older restoration, #2- condition.

Equipment: LHD. 1488-cc straight-six, triple Webers, four-speed, wire wheels, wood-rim steering wheel, Jaeger gauges.

Condition: From the final year of A6 production. One of just 21 examples bodied by Allemano with a design by Giovanni Michelotti, and 60 total A6G/54s built. Delivered new to California, and road tested in period by Motor Trend. An older restoration in present ownership since 2007. It completed the Mille Miglia Retrospective in 2010 and has been U.K. registered since 2021. Represented as matching numbers engine. Good modern paint but the driver’s side front wing shows paint cracking. There’s corrosion on the wire wheels but the rest of the exterior trim is superb. The leather seating is well creased but very presentable. Recently recommissioned after “a period in dry storage.” A rare coachbuilt Maserati, eligible for all sorts of great events.

Bottom line: Introduced in 1947, the A6 series was Maserati’s first postwar sports car, but it was always a low-production affair as the company spent most of the 1940s and 1950s focused on racing. The A6G/54 was the ultimate iteration, powered by a new dual-overhead cam engine and dual ignition on later models. In addition to the Allemano coupe bodywork, there were also Gran Sport Spyders and coupes by Frua, and a gorgeous fastback coupe by Zagato.

Though none of these cars are cheap, they’re way more affordable than contemporary Ferraris, and this one got a lot less expensive over the course of just a few months. Bonhams reported it sold last September for £483,000 at a London auction, but here at Woodcote it sold at its low estimate.

Lot 126: 2018 Aston Martin DB4 GT Continuation

Sold for £477,500 ($638,036)

Chassis no. DB4GT0213R. Aston Martin Green over black leather. Continuation car, #2 condition.

Equipment: RHD. 4200cc/340hp straight-six, triple Webers, wire wheels, driving lights.

Condition: Only 19 original Aston Martin DB4 GTs were built. In 1990, a further four “Sanction II” continuation examples were built, and two more “Sanction III” examples were built in 2000. In the late 2010s, Aston Martin made another run of 25 “Continuation” models, built to period specs by hand at the historic Newport Pagnell factory, and this is one of them. Specified in the style of the famous 1959 prototype, chassis DP199/1, and the only car of the 25-strong production run to match the prototype’s recognizable colors and black grille. Represented with 186 miles.

Immaculate paint finish. The driver’s door is slightly low but all other panels are superb. The wheels are in mint condition. A very attractive car in top-notch condition that looks like the original and does everything the original does but comes at a lower price.

Bottom line: Aston Martin only built 75 Touring-bodied DB4 GTs out of a planned 100 (there were a further 19 Zagato-bodied cars), and in the late 2010s decided to fill the gap with a run of 25 continuation cars.

The appeal of these continuation cars isn’t completely obvious. Sure, an original DB4 GT can run over $2M or $3M, but Aston Martin charged about $2M for the continuation, so the savings aren’t that drastic. And even though they technically aren’t replicas but rather copies hand-built at Aston Martin and given genuine Aston Martin chassis numbers, they’re not quite the real deal, either. They’re not road legal in most places, and many vintage racing organizations don’t allow continuation cars to compete. The sale price here appears to take those concessions into account, and shows that even though this car looks like an old Aston Martin, it depreciates just like a new one.

Lot 116: 1934 MG K3 Magnette Two-Seater

Sold for £511,250 ($683,132)

Chassis no. K3020. Green over green leather. Older restoration, #3+ condition.

Equipment: RHD. 1087cc supercharged straight-six, four-speed pre-selector transmission, painted wire wheels, single side-mount spare.

Condition: Represented as one of 33 K3 Magnettes built and the first one with this two-seat “Pointed Tail” bodywork. One of three prepared by Captain George Eyston for the 1934 racing season. Finished fourth overall at the 1934 Brooklands 500 miles and tons of other great period racing history in the U.K., Ireland, and Europe at Brooklands, Isle of Man, Donington Park, Brno, and even the Mille Miglia (DNF in 1935 while leading the 1100-cc class). Restored in the U.S. in the late 1960s with a correct-type replacement body and had an active life as a historic racer in the 1990s and 2000s, including appearances at the Le Mans Classic and the Mille Miglia Storica. Comes with a spares package that includes an extra engine block, cylinder head, inlet manifold, supercharger, and front axle.

Good repainted finish for a car that has seen lots of action. The chassis looks strong and well-preserved. The suspension looks more original and period. The chrome and windshield are in nicely preserved condition. The seat leather is that thicker top-quality material that’s creasing and aging beautifully. There’s an air of history about the car which you just sense and admire.

Bottom line: The K3 was the racing variant of MG’s venerable prewar K-series and it found much success in small-displacement sports car racing in both Britain and Europe despite a production run of fewer than three dozen examples. Survivorship of prewar racing cars in general is quite low, and there can’t be more than a handful of these supercharged K3s left. In fact, the three most expensive MGs ever sold at auction are K3s, with this car now slotting in at the number two spot. Another one, with a more enviable period race history, sold for £525,000 (about $690K) back in 2024.

Lot 136: 1990 Ferrari F40

Sold for £3,605,000 ($4,817,001)

Chassis no. ZFFGJ34B000084642; Engine no. 21492. Rosso Corsa over red cloth. Unrestored original, #2 condition.

Equipment: LHD. 2936cc/527hp twin-turbo V-8, five-speed, OZ Racing wheels, Tubi exhaust, books and tools.

Condition: A European-specification non-cat, non-adjustable-suspension example. Sold new to French motorsport legend Jean Sage via Paris agent Charles Pozzi, then modified at Sage’s request by Michelotto in 1994 to CSAI GT-inspired specification with improvements such as lightweight front and rear clamshells, a power increase of 49 hp and 200 lb-ft over stock, and upgrades to suspension and brakes. Represented as matching numbers and showing 22,699 kilometers (14,105 miles). Sold with its Schedoni leather folio, original service and warranty book, a Massini report, maintenance invoices, and MoT certificates dating back to 2003.

Very good paint. The headlight units are clean on the inside and clear of dust. The engine bay looks all original with slight dust and heat aging. The wheels are immaculate with good tires. The doors protrude slightly, which is perfectly correct. The dash and controls all look original and have commensurate use for the mileage. The seats have the look of not being new and just right for the year. This is a very-good-condition F40 that has all the signs of careful ownership, but it also has tasteful period modifications.

Bottom line: Prices for F40 and other halo (288 GTO, F50, Enzo) Ferrari models have shot up this year. If this condition #1 price for a car with miles and mods is any indication, F40s are still very much in demand.

Lot 133: 1948 Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica

Sold for £297,500 ($397,520)

Chassis no. 421/100/004; Engine no. 3071. Silver over black leather. Older restoration, #2- condition.

Equipment: RHD. 1971cc Bristol straight-six, four-speed, centerlock steel wheels, roll bar, Smiths gauges.

Condition: Represented as the fourth postwar Frazer Nash built, and one of four “High Speed” competition models made. The precursor to the famous “Le Mans Replica” sports cars built by Frazer Nash after its performance at the French track in 1949, and distinguished by its low-set headlights compared to the later cars’ high-mounted ones. Shown at the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show and sold new to Czechoslovakian racer Frantisek Dobry. Raced in period in Czechoslovakia and at Silverstone. Pulled out of a Prague garage in 1969 and sold back to the U.K., then restored and regularly raced in historic events.

Impressive paint finish for a race car, and wearing nicely refinished wheels. The seat leather is well-used but still looks good. The dash and controls all look well-maintained and functional. A very presentable and interesting vintage racer, eligible for many of the most prominent historic racing events, including the Goodwood Revival, Monaco Grand Prix Historic, and Le Mans Classic.

Bottom line: Frazer Nash isn’t a household name, but it was a prominent sports car maker in the 1920s and 1930s, and in the 1930s Frazer Nash imported and assembled BMWs in Britain, branding them Frazer Nash BMW. Racing activities continued after the war, with its cars powered by the famous BMW-derived Bristol straight-six engine. Highlights included third place at Le Mans in 1949 and overall wins at the 1951 Targa Florio and 1952 12 Hours of Sebring, and Frazer Nash used these track names in its model range. The Le Mans Replica is the most famous, and this one sold on the modest side for its history, rarity, and event eligibility.

Lot 131: 1966 Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brake by Radford

Sold for £848,750 ($1,134,100)

Chassis no. DB52014R; Engine no. 4002013V. Silver over gray pattern cloth. Older restoration, #2 condition.

Equipment: RHD. 3995cc/325hp Vantage-spec straight-six, five-speed, wire wheels, Blaupunkt radio, Webasto folding panoramic roof, later Becker Mexico stereo, power windows, wood-rim steering wheel.

Condition: One of just a dozen DB5 shooting brakes commissioned by the factory and bodied by Harold Radford in London. Just eight of them came in right-hand drive. Represented as a matching-numbers engine, believed to have been upgraded to Vantage specs at a later date. Offered from almost 20 years of family ownership and sold with service invoices totaling £105,000, much of it from RS Williams of Cobham.

Immaculate paint finish and good panel gaps. The front grille is very good and the chrome is, too. The wheels look great, but the interior looks older and possibly original with well-used cloth seats. The controls and dashboard also look commensurate with the car’s age. A genuine example of the rarest DB5 variant.

Bottom line: The story goes that Aston Martin’s chairman, David Brown, wanted a car that would fit his hunting dog and instructed his engineers to build it. The shooting brake built on the DB5 chassis was the result. It required serious modification from the windshield back, but the finished product looked great, sacrificed little of the standard DB5’s lively performance, and offered 40 cubic feet of payload space with the rear seats folded down. A further eight or nine shooting brakes were completed on the DB6 chassis and Aston Martin has revisited the shooting brake theme repeatedly over the years, with more low-production sporty wagons than any other manufacturer.

This example is impressive, and its more potent Vantage engine is a nice bonus. The price is impressive, too, though any variant of DB5 is a high-six- or low-seven-figure car. This result is near low estimate and another, standard DB5 coupe sold for £792,500 earlier in the day at the same auction. The high-water mark for vintage Aston shooting brakes is $1,765,000 achieved by a left-hand drive, Swiss-market car sold in Monterey seven years ago.

Lot 148: 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.8 “Strassenversion”

Sold for £3,492,500 ($4,666,679)

Chassis no. WP0ZZZ96ZPS496107; Engine no. 63R80551. Polar Silver Metallic over Guards Red leather. Original, #2 condition.

Equipment: LHD. 3746cc/380hp flat-six twin-ignition “Le Mans” engine, five-speed, 120-liter fuel cell, air jacks, locking rear differential, gold brake calipers, Speedline RS wheels with Amethyst Metallic centers, Matter roll cage, Schroth harnesses.

Condition:

Bottom line: One of only two “Strassenversion” (road version) examples of the Carrera RSR 3.8 built by Porsche Motorsport, and regarded as the ultimate road-going 964-generation 911. Part of a special order of six cars ordered by one client from Porsche’s Exclusive Manufaktur department. Essentially untouched from delivery with 10 km on the odometer. Stored for two decades prior to being rediscovered in 2015. It still has the factory-applied Cosmoline coating, though at this point the car just looks barn-find dirty from a short distance. All the panels look straight, true, and dent-free. The exterior trim all appears well-preserved. It is nearly impossible to tell if the interior has held up well from storage as the glass has the factory wax all over it and the car was roped off, but the photos show the cockpit looking perfectly preserved.

Bottom line: As one of just two 964s with these sky-high, race-car-for-the-road specs, this car is always going to get Porsche people excited, and its never-driven, just-discovered presentation is intriguing. But it wasn’t exactly just discovered, and it’s been to auction before. RM Sotheby’s sold it at Villa Erba in 2017 for €2,016,000 ($2.25M), and Bonhams sold it in Abu Dhabi in 2023 for $2,127,500. RM Sotheby’s surely had those numbers in mind when they placed a £2.2M high estimate on the car for the Woodcote auction, but despite being the last car of the auction, it brought the most bidding excitement of the whole sale, with a slog lasting over 20 minutes between two determined Porschephiles. This is a unique car, and two people who both had money to spend just really wanted it.

The post 9 Eye-Catching Cars from the 2026 RM Sotheby’s Woodcote Park Auction appeared first on Hagerty Media.

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2026-07-14T17:09:10Z