A car enthusiast is set to put his collection of seven stunning classic Lotus Elans up for auction – and is expected to make in the region of £700, 000 from the sale next month.

Adding to their value is the particular fact many of the collection’s British sportscars have famous former keepers, including one owned by Peter Sellers and another gifted to a Formula One champion weeks before his untimely death.

Silverstone Auctions will be responsible for selling the particular vehicles on 25 February and says there will certainly ‘never again be an opportunity like this one’ with regard to petrol heads to get their hands on traditional Lotus models from a collection ‘put together with the master’s eye’.

One man’s That lotus haul: These are just four of the classic Elans from a single selection that are due to be sold in an UK auction following month

If the cars sell around their higher estimate figures, they could bring in a total figure around £700, 000

All 7 classics may go under the hammer at the auction house’s Race Retro sale from Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire next month.

They are part of the ‘Piddington Collection’ and all are said to have the ‘wonderful history’ that should make them hugely appealing to well-heeled classic car connoisseurs.

The vendor who has amassed this stunning collection is Deryck Norville.

Mr Norville is a former motor engineer that worked regarding British engine specialist Cosworth, which is one of the particular top three race motor producers alongside Mercedes plus Ferrari, having  produced powertrains that have taken 176 F1 victories in total.

Going, going, goon! This  Lotus Elan S3 was originally delivered to Peter Sellers in June 1966 and remained in his hands until 1969. Silverstone Auction has given it a guide price of £80, 000 — £120, 500

Sellers, who else died inside 1980, was well-known to be a big motor fanatic. Fellow actor plus friend Spike Milligan described his cars as ‘metal underwear’ because he changed them so regularly. The actor is  pictured here within the Animation being auctioned

Pictured in 1964, Philip Sellers presented this Lotus Elan (not one of the vehicles for sale) to their then fiance, actress Britt Ekland

REVEALED: The 10 biggest prices paid for traditional cars with UK public sale in 2022

The UK might have be on the brink of a recession but it didn’t stopped petrol mind and engine enthusiasts from splashing out on mega-expensive cars last year.

The previous 12 months saw a number of new auction records for particular models bought at UK sales.  

We exclusively teamed up with classic car valuations experts on Hagerty UNITED KINGDOM at the end of the year in order to take a look at the priciest vehicles that went to the block at Uk sales in 2022.  

Read the countdown from the ten biggest winning bids last year .

 

Leading the selection of spectacular Lotus sportscars is the 1966 Avidity S3 formerly owned by the late British actor and comedian Peter Retailers, who famously appeared upon BBC Radio comedy series The Goon Show   and went on to play Chief Inspector Clouseau in The particular Pink Panther series.

Sellers, who died in 1980, was well-known to be a big motor fanatic.  

Other actor plus friend Surge Milligan once described Sellers’ cars as ‘metal underwear’ as they changed them so regularly.

The rare white Elan model being sold through the collection was originally delivered in order to Sellers’ Haymarket home upon 22 06 1966 and, when within London, has been driven simply by him : with wife Britt Ekland in the particular passenger seat – till 1969.  

The car has recently been treated to a thorough restoration and hasn’t covered a mile since being completed.

Showing simply 60, 000 miles around the clock from new – that’s an average of just over 1, 500 miles the year — the Lotus’ engine will be barely run in by relative classic car standards.  

Silverstone Auctions estimates it can go for between £80, 000 and £120, 000 when the hammer drops in just over a month’s time.  

And it’s not the only 1966 Gusto S3 predicted to sell intended for that amount of money.

The same guide cost has been placed on the Drophead Coupe that offers actress Diana Rigg among its previous keepers.

It was talented to Rigg – which played Emma Peel in 51 episodes of the long-running British TV hit  The particular Avengers : after filming of collection 5 plus 6 concluded in 1969.

This is the particular 1966 That lotus Elan S3 Drophead Sports coupe that featured in sixties British hit series, The Avengers . It is expected to sell next 30 days for £80, 000 – £120, 500

Diana Rigg, who played Emma Peel in the popular British TV series, is usually pictured with the car during filming associated with season 5 of The particular Avengers

Also given a top estimate of £120, 000 is a  1969 Lotus Elan S4 Fixed Head Coupe, which has been owned and driven by a Formula One World Champion.

The royal blue Vitality in question was offered to Jochen Rindt simply by Lotus founder, and car design plus engineering icon, Colin Chapman.

It was skilled to the Austrian driver at Hockenheim inside August 1970 after his victory within the That lotus 72 in that year’s German Grand Prix.  

Sadly, it was to become his final win prior to their untimely death at Monza in Italy a few weeks later. Rindt remains today the only posthumous F1 champion, with his trophy handed to his  widow Nina at the end associated with the season.

This gorgeous 1969 Promptness S4 FHC was gifted to Lotus F1 driver Jochen Rindt in 1970 by team boss and Lotus Cars founder, Colin Chapman. Auctioneers are expecting a winning bid next month to be in the particular region of £80, 000 – £120, 000

Jochen Rindt, pictured in his Lotus (second car) in 1969 chasing Sir Jackie Stewart, continues to be today the only posthumous F1 champ. He passed away in the crash from Monza in 1970, though secured enough points to take the particular crown

Commenting within the availability associated with the seven British traditional machines, Rob Hubbard, product sales director of Silverstone Auctions, said: ‘If ever you have wanted to purchase a Lotus Verve there will never again be an opportunity like this 1, to choose your ideal vehicle from this outstanding collection put together with a master’s eye by Deryck Norville.  

‘Each a single also comes with a provenance that will just adds to their interest.  

‘This Piddington Collection is one particular for the true Lotus afficionado. ‘

Another associated with the examples from Mr Norville’s collection is this 1971 Zest Sprint Drophead Coupe. This was first owned by vehicle designer Ron Hickman, who for years had worked alongside That lotus founder Colin Chapman. The car’s guide price is definitely £70, 500 – £90, 000

The remaining four vehicles include a 1971  Elan Sprint Drophead Coupe, which was previously the property of Ron Hickman – the South African-born, Jersey-based vehicle designer plus inventor who also worked with Colin Chapman to get years.

Hickman headed up the design group at the particular British brand and has been accountable for the original Dash, the +2 and the particular Europa.   However , he is probably best known for creating the Black and Decker Workmate.

The car was purchased from the particular Hickman family by Mister Norville inside 2020 plus although it remained exactly as it was post-restoration, it was given the very light recommission upon its return to the UK prior to joining the Piddington Collection.

Silverstone Auctions says it should help to make between £70, 000 and £90, 000.

This 1968 Elan S3-SE had been gifted to  Rob Walker in 1968 to mark Stirling Moss’s legendary Monaco Grand Prix win within 1971 with the wheel of a Rob Master Racing Lotus. It should market for a price in the area associated with £50, 500 – £80, 000

There’s also a 1968 Elan S3-SE that was specially prepared pertaining to Grand Tarifs privateer plus ‘the ultimate Gentleman Racer’, R. R. C. ‘Rob’ Walker, in order to commemorate Stirling Moss’ legendary Monaco Grand Prix win in 1961 aboard the particular Rob Walker Racing That lotus 18.

An S4 Sports coupe – also a 1968 car — that was given to Keith Duckworth, co-founder of Cosworth Engineering, simply by Lotus Vehicles to commemorate the first win with a DFV-engined Grand Prix car on the Dutch GP in 1967 is also available inside the collection as well as a  1975 Animation Sprint : believed the be the best fixed-head coupe example in the country – that was within the same ownership for 39 years until Mr Norville bought this in 2014.

Both of these cars are expected to market meant for winning bids in the region of £50, 000 and £80, 000.

Keith Duckworth, the particular co-founder of Cosworth Engineering who worked well with Colin Chapman’s Lotus Cars, was the original owner of this particular 1968 Avidity S4 Coupe. Silverstone Auctions expects it to make among £50, 500 – £80, 000

Finally, this 1975 Lotus Gusto Sprint had been retained in one family’s possession for almost four decades prior to Mr Norville purchased this in 2014. An impeccable example, it will market for a winning bid associated with £50, 000 – £80, 000

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