An extremely rare 1920 Vauxhall E-Type has sold at a Bonhams auction in Norfolk, UK for a surprisingly high £242,300, reports BBC News Norfolk.
The Vauxhall E-Type, sometimes referred to as the Vauxhall 30/98, entered production in 1913 and was discontinued in 1922 after a total production run of 274 cars. Only 30 examples of the Vauxhall E-Type are thought to have survived, which likely contributed to the car selling for £60,000 more than experts’ highest estimates.
This history of the E-Type is patchy, with lulls in its documentation in certain time periods. The seller, Murray Ferguson, had it given to him by his brother who had acquired sometime after it was purchased in Manchester in 1952 for just £115.
“Although the complete history of this car is not known, it was first registered in Westmorland (now Cumbria) and it is believed in its early days it was owned by the Lings family of Bollington in Cheshire,” a Bonhams spokesperson told the BBC. “It later served King and Country in World War Two, being requisitioned for service with the Home Guard.”
Ferguson said the car has only ever had occasional outings and “rarely took it beyond the county boundary.” It has stayed in Norfolk for the past 60 years, though it is not clear if the new owner is local, or will be housing the car somewhere else.
Comment
This is the most significant Vauxhall ever made although there was a later OE 30/98 that shares the limelight. When W. O. Bentley started making his Bentley, he aimed it squarely at Vauxhall 30/98 owners. This is a worthy car and its value not unreasonable.