All i want for Christmas is…

1938/9 Auto Union Type ‘D’ model by CNCThe Duchess of Cornwall reflected the woes of women up and down the land last week with her complaint that HRH is the most difficult man to buy for.

With that in mind, classic car auction specialist, Historics at Brooklands has served up the perfect antidote to those ‘same old’ Christmas gifts, with a fascinating choice of unique retro automobilia at its major sale at Brooklands, Surrey on Saturday, November 30th.

With a price range from No Reserve to thousands of pounds, the eclectic collection of 161 different automobilia lots assembled by Historics – alongside the sale of 128 fine classic motor cars – has something that will bring a smile to even the most eccentric and ‘difficult’ on the gift list…

Top billing has to be a genuine Concorde windscreen – perfect for regal high-flyers. Removed during a re-fit to one of British Airways ‘planes in the 70’s, it is sold with both serial and part number authentication. (Est: £900-£1,100).

Ford GT40For more off-the-wall gifting, the original Ford GT40 front and rear bodywork from the very early chassis P/1004 takes some beating. The car to which it was fitted was first owned by Shelby American, and was raced in Rob Walker colours by Bondurant/Magioli at the 1965 Le Mans 24 Hours. (Est: £7,000-£9,000).

To pamper those who yearn to re-live their childhood flying model aeroplanes but on a grown-up scale, two mighty, fully-working flying models aeroplanes – a US Navy Mustang Fighter plane and a twin-engine WWII Douglas Dakota are just the job. Each is superbly hand-built, with a wingspan in excess of two metres (Est: £700-£900). Flying lessons are not included.

But if more squeezed for space, the festive gift of an exquisite 1/18 scale 1938/9 Auto Union Type ‘D’ model by CNC, as driven by Nuvolari, will delight. CNC models are by far the finest 1/18 scale models available in today’s market, featuring over 1,000 hand assembled parts (Est: £240-£270).

The arrival of Prince George means finding a gift for the child who has (just about) everything, and so for the likes of the Prince – and for those who have never grown-up – Historics is also offering the greatest motoring fun you can have without needing a driving licence… a Jaguar ‘D’ Type half-scale petrol driven car by Watsonian (body number CC90), powered by a 50cc petrol engine (Est: £3,250-£3,750).

1949/50s Austin Pathfinder pedal carOr for those known to be yearning for a little light exercise – and a serious investment opportunity – an original 1949/50s Austin Pathfinder pedal car, based on a 1930s Austin 7 Special, surely hits the spot. Built by BMC, these are much sought after and increasingly hard to find. (Est: £4,250-£5,250).

Bookworms with a passion for motorsport will be kept quiet for years to come with the gift of 33 Autocourse Annuals, for each year from 1978-2011 (Est: £200-£250), while a good selection of affordable and original Ferrari brochures in fine condition are a coffee table ‘must have’ (Est: £90-£145 each).

The Historics line-up also includes a wealth of affordable, unusual and rare treasures – from racewear and helmets worn by A-list racing drivers, through a plethora of signs, badges, bonnet emblems, books, prints and photographs – and even a bespoke prototype polished aluminium bicycle.

All automobilia will come under the hammer at Historics at Brooklands’ winter auction venue, Mercedes-Benz World, near Weybridge, Surrey on Saturday, 30th November, from 10.00am, with viewing on the previous day.

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