Yesterday

The month that was March | Gavelled!

Three very different takes on the Great British sports car netted strong results as drier months finally arrive

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Morgan Aero 8, 2010, 20.1k miles - sold for £42,880*

Morgan caused quite a stir when it launched the Aero 8 in 2001. From a technical standpoint, it was light years ahead of its predecessors thanks to a bonded aluminium and BMW running gear, while the design brought the model’s venerable looks into the 21st century. But all anyone remembers are the cross-eyed headlights, which were rectified for the Series 3 and the limited-run AeroMax. 

What we have here, though, is a Series 4 Aero 8, which heralded the introduction of a 4.8-litre version of the N62 V8 and a rise to 362hp. Morgan also improved the weight distribution and would offer an automatic gearbox for the first time, though this 2010 example comes with a proper six-speed manual. It’s also in a dashing shade of Aston Martin Almond Green paired brilliantly with a tan Yarwood Kensington Brecon interior, which is about as good as it gets. Just 178 were built, making them incredibly sought after; little wonder this one attracted a swell of bids before the hammer fell at £42,880. So they’re holding their values well, in case you were thinking of moving yours on…

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McLaren 570S, 2019, 31.6k miles - sold for £73,000*

Perhaps not enough is made of McLaren Automotive's start in life. Yes, it had worked with Mercedes on the SLR project and created the world’s fastest production car with the F1, but the launch of the MP4-12C was an entirely different ball of wax. In time, it followed that up with the substantially updated 650S in 2014, before launching its more affordable ‘Sports Series’ lineup with the 570S a year later. 

Though billed as a ‘sports’ model, the 570S was a compact supercar through and through. Despite packing a smaller 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8, it still managed 570hp and could hit 62mph from a standstill in 3.2 seconds, a tenth quicker than the 12C. It was arguably only let down by a more rounded design, though the optional MSO aero kit fitted to this example helps make it seem a bit more aggressive. With 31,582 miles covered and stacks of McLaren service history, bidding closed at £73,000 dead with the buyer’s fee included. That’s a huge amount of performance for the money, and a fantastic return for the seller on a car that can be tricky to value.

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Caterham 360S SV, 2016, 24.9k miles - sold for £25,728

Everyone will have their own take on what makes the perfect Caterham. You may prefer the outright power of a 620R, or just adding lightness with a 170. But if you’re after a bit of everything, you need look no further than a 360. Powered by a 2.0-litre Duratec with 182hp on tap means it’s more than fast enough to enjoy on both road and track, while also being accessible enough to use when the weather’s less than ideal. 

Of course, there are a hundred different ways you can spec your 360, but if it were our money we’d probably go for something like this. It’s an S, meaning it boasts a more road-focused setup than the R version, and it’s been optioned with the wider SV chassis for greater interior space. The colour choice is also superb, mirroring the old Superlight R500 press car, and it’s clearly been enjoyed, having covered 24,946 miles since it left the factory in 2016. Putting a price tag on a Caterham can be problematic with so many variants to choose from, although this makes them perfect for auction. This example fetched £25,728 including the buyer’s fee, proving again how universal (and eternal) the demand for a good Seven really is.

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Top 10 PistonHeads auction results in March*

1. McLaren 570S - sold for £73,000
2. Ferrari 355 F1 Berlinetta - £65,000
3. Morgan Aero 8 - £42,880
4. Lotus Elise S3 Cup - £40,736
5. Morgan Roadster V6 - £34,845
6. Lotus Elise S3 Club Racer - £28,676
7. Lotus Exige S2 Touring Pack - £25,728
8. Caterham 360S SV - £25,728
9. Lotus Esprit Turbo - £24,656
10. Lotus Elise S2 111R - £24,120

*Prices shown are inclusive of the buyer’s fee, which is 6% of the selling price + VAT, with a minimum of £695 + VAT

[juniorbox]

Is it me or does that Caterham look like a bit of a bargain?

[nismo48]

juniorbox said:

Is it me or does that Caterham look like a bit of a bargain?

The Morgan is pretty good value too

[Glenn63]

nismo48 said:

juniorbox said:

Is it me or does that Caterham look like a bit of a bargain?

The Morgan is pretty good value too

I was about to comment myself both had for a decent price probably suffer zero depreciation.

[MR2-No Pace-No Space]

I started out as a hot hatch guy, 80's and 90's, then later on 2 seat roadsters, up until now performance was always something craved. Not that i can afford one, but the Aero 8 really appeals, i think in these times of speed cameras and ridiculous speed limits you need something now that is just fun to be in at any speed, top down, side exit pipes etc, would be a blast at 60, much more so than a coupe semi super car, that doesn't even feel it has broken a sweat.