Government Auction of 135 Obscure Cars Seized in U.K. Is a Utopia of Rare Rides
British authorities seized a parcel of land with several barns containing some properly eccentric vehicles.
On November 2, British surplus auction consignor NCM Auctions and Asset Management will sell off over 130 obscure, rare, and downright bizarre cars and trucks recovered from an extensive property seized by a local court.
According to NCM, the massive collection of cars and miscellaneous parts was stored "for quite a few years" in several barns located on the same piece of land. For reasons unspecified, authorities seized the property and, in the process of preparing it for sale to real estate developers, discovered 135 cars, four Vespas, and 39 sets of random car components. All of them have to be gone before the property's buyer can take possession and the former landowner's loss could be your chance to pick up a quaint classic for no money whatsoever.
We've collected the auction's most unusual vehicles in a list below, and included links to some of the more interesting lots.
- 4x BMW 635 CSi
- BMW 750i tuned by Hartge
- Carmichael Commando (a 6x6 two-door Range Rover)
- Daimler Double-Six Vanden Plas (effectively a rebadged Jaguar)
- Ford Cortina GT
- 2x Humber Scepter
- 3x Humber Super Snipe
- A Hustler (not the magazine)
- Jaguar E-Type Hotrod
- Jeep Wrangler
- Jensen Interceptor III
- Mercedes-Benz 220SE Coupe
- 10x MG MGB GT
- 2x NSU R090
- 6x Range Rovers (miscellaneous)
- 3x Scimitar GTE
- Toyota Celica GT-Four
- 4x Vespa
- 15x unidentified kit cars
While you may be tempted to place bids on many of these vehicles, take note that all of them are located across the Atlantic and that you'd need to pack a bag posthaste to get to Britain by the time the auction starts on Saturday. On top of that, should you win any of the lots, they won't be in drivable condition, let alone restorable in some cases. Many have fogged-up windows that suggest water has gotten in, implying potential mold problems, and those not coated in a thin layer of algae sport unenviable patches of rust.
Take it from us: There are some gems in there, but also some piles of scrap. And it's up to you to tell the difference between them.