Aurelia at Bonhams Goodwood sale

[Sliding Pillar]

There are two Aurelia B20 coming up at the Bonhams Goodwood sale, both 3rd series, one for restoration guide £15-18K the other a well known restored car £50-70K

[Aurelia Adam]

The Bonhams website are showing both as unsold ... anyone know what happened on the day?
Adam

[lanciab20]

The Mike Jennings car is the one I bought from John Maltby in the early 70s.  It had dropped a valve at some point and the engine rebuild had been done by Tony Amato in his workshop in New Cross.  John did not get round to collecting it for a few years, but then Tony rang to say the area was being redeveloped and his workshop was to be demolished.  John and I towed the car back to Hendon, and got it started again by towing.  It had been unused for so long that the exhausts blew away as soon as it started, much to the disapproval of John's neighbours as it was getting on for 11 pm.

[Sliding Pillar]

Both were unsold, Mikes car got to £40K and the restoration project to only £12K, a poor result as similar cars have been selling on ebay for 24K.

[ColinMarr]

Stuart (lanciab20),

I meant to respond to this at the time, but got distracted and then forgot.

I was interested to know that Mike’s car is ex-you and ex-John Maltby, and was graced by what was probably a long rest in the care of Tony Amato.

I was amused by the idea that at some time in the 70s “Tony rang to say the area was being redeveloped and his workshop was to be demolished”. The truth is that Tony Amato never had a telephone of his own – whenever he needed to contact by phone he used the phone downstairs at the Step Inn (greasy-spoon on New Cross Road) where he took all his meals. The story about the workshop being threatened with demolition was a joke and as of last year the decrepit old stables lock-up is still standing.

During the 80s when I spent a lot of time with Tony it sometimes fell to me to telephone customers to tell them their car was ready, or more frequently that it was time to pay some money – the pressure being that the workshop is due for demolition and they had better get a move on.

Somewhere I have photos - must dig them out.

Happy days…

Colin