With 175 lots to choose from ranging from a 1988 Lamborghini LM002 to a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, RM Sotheby’s brand-new Cliveden House sale certainly isn’t lacking in choice. To help you navigate the auction, we’ve tasked UK-based Car Specialist and auction reader, Will Smith, with picking seven cars to fill a seven-space fantasy garage. The catch? He only has £5,000,000 to make it happen. Check out Will’s selection below—and let us know if you think he’s made the right call!
£25,000 – 1969 Innocenti Mini Cooper MkII 1000
The Mini is as much an icon of Sixties London as a black cab or red telephone box, but not all examples were built in the United Kingdom. From the earliest days of production, the model was also made under license in Italy, with everything from the entry-level 850 to the desirable Cooper wearing an Innocenti badge.
“The fact this car was built by Innocenti definitely adds to its desirability, but it’s the life it led while in Italy that makes it really special,” explains Will Smith. “It was delivered new to its first owner, Giuseppe Sgherri, who kept it for more than 50 years. He used the car to go to and from church, and when it wasn’t in use, it sat in the garage beneath a hand-sewn cover made by his wife. Incredibly, the patchwork cover comes with the car. That’s the sort of history money can’t usually buy.
“The Mini Cooper is one of those legends that lives up to expectations. They’re not only an amazing piece of industrial design, they’re also fantastic to drive—the sort of car that puts a smile on your face every time you turn the key.
“This particular example is a real honey,” reckons Smith. “It’s finished in a lovely Verdo Medio over Beige with just over 53,000 kilometres on the clock, and it’s still riding on its correct Hydrolastic suspension. It’s a really sweet thing.”
£75,000 – 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce
“As a long-term owner of a GT Junior, I’m a card-carrying Alfa Romeo fanboy,” says Smith. “I just love the look, the sublime handling, and that fizzing 1,300-cc engine. I’ve always had a soft spot for its predecessor, the Giulietta Sprint, which offers all the same great characteristics but with a healthy dose ofla dolce vita. In Veloce trim it’s even better thanks to a bit more power and considerably less weight.
“I have another reason for choosing this particular car,” explains Smith. “That’s because it comes directly from the private collection of one of my racing heroes, Jody Scheckter, who was introduced to the model by his father, who owned an Alfa Romeo dealership in South Africa. The car was delivered new to South Africa in 1961 and was eventually restored by one of Scheckter’s friends, Dennis McCallum, who returned it to its correct colour of Rosso Alfa.
“I’m nowhere near the level of driver of Scheckter. But give me this car, a full tank of petrol, and a twisting country road… a man can dream.”
£100,000 – 2015 Land Rover Defender 110 XS Station Wagon 'V-8 LS3' by Twisted
“Every garage should have something practical, so of course I had to add a Land Rover to my fantasy collection,” says Smith. “But just because it has four doors, five seats, and room for the dogs, doesn’t mean it’s boring. For that we must thank model specialist Twisted Automotive, who pulled out the car’s original 2.2-litre oil burner before dropping in a monstrous 6.2-litre, 430-horsepower Corvette LS3 V-8.
“What I love most about this vehicle is its ability to fly under the radar,” explains Smith. “Of course, it has a few nice extras like the front-mounted winch and huge Cooper tyres, but all the badging is totally standard. It’s so discreet you would never guess it produces more horsepower than a 288 GTO. Until you fire it up, at least.
“Keswick Green is one of my favourite Land Rover colours and I love a Station Wagon,” says Smith. “There’s something very cool about these classic-shape Defenders, especially when you compare them to the new model.”
£250,000 – 2003 Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale
“It’s hard to imagine that the Ferrari 360 is more than 20 years old,” says Smith. “Somehow it still manages to look modern, even when parked alongside Maranello’s latest and greatest. To my eye it’s one of the prettiest and best proportioned Ferraris of the period.
“If you’re in the market for a 360—and you definitely should be—then the one to have is the Challenge Stradale,” says Smith. “It has all the qualities that made the model one of the best-selling Ferraris of all time, but with a real edge that makes it one of the best driver’s cars ever made. Ferrari only turned the V-8 engine up by about 25 horsepower, and focused instead on the chassis. They stripped more than 100 kilograms of weight, dropped it 15 millimetres, and fitted carbon-ceramic disc brakes and a quicker ‘F1’ gearbox. The result is as close to automotive perfection as you’re likely to find for £250,000.
“The Argento Nürburgring paintwork and graphite wheels of this car are super fresh and exactly the way I’d specify it today, which only makes it more special when you realise that it was ordered new by Jean Todt. With just 36,000 miles on the clock and full Ferrari service history, this car would be as well suited to entering a collection as it would being driven as its maker intended.”
£550,000 – 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback Sports Saloon by H.J. Mulliner
“If you want a pre-war Bentley then you’ll be spoiled for choice at Cliveden House,” says Smith. “The Le Mans-style cars are always popular and will do well, but for me the choice is between a glorious 1929 6½-Litre Sedanca de Ville that retains its original saloon coachwork and a stunning 1954 R-Type Continental with an unbroken chain of provenance.
“Ultimately, it’s the Fastback Saloon that wins the day,” explains Smith. “It has to be one of the most elegant cars of the post-war period, and it perfectly embodies Bentley’s qualities of speed and luxury. I judge a car by how it makes you feel, and when you’re sitting behind the wheel of this Bentley you feel a million dollars.
“Any one of the 206 cars built is special, but this one is especially appealing to me. I love the Pacific Green paintwork and the Beige hide interior, and the care that’s clearly been lavished on it over the years. It’s also a fantastic specification for driving and enjoying, having been specified in right-hand drive and with the desirable four-speed manual gearbox.
“This car is a really special thing that would be just as at home rolling through Knightsbridge on a summer’s evening as it would thundering down to Le Mans with all your mates in the back. That would be my plan anyway!”
£1,500,000 – 1963 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso by Fantuzzi
“Rank the most beautiful cars of all time and chances are the Ferrari Lusso will appear somewhere in the top 10. This one is a little bit different though,” explains Smith. “It started out life as any other 250 GT/L Berlinetta, with Pininfarina-designed Scaglietti-built coachwork, but its first owner had other ideas. He owned the Tecno Racing Team, and through that relationship was friendly with Medardo Fantuzzi, a coachbuilder in Modena. He commissioned Fantuzzi to rework the car’s nose to stunning effect, narrowing the grille and fairing-in the headlamps.
“I’ve seen a period photo of the car after it had been modified by Fantuzzi and it really was a beautiful thing,” says Smith. “Though that’s no surprise given the quality of Fantuzzi’s work.
“The bonnet and side vents were eventually added by a later owner, and the car was painted red, giving it something of a 250 GTO/330 LMB flavour. I would be sorely tempted to return the car to its 1967 specification, pairing the more subtle Fantuzzi coachwork with the car’s original Grigio Argento over Nero colour scheme.”
£2,500,000 – 2014 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse
“Supercars like the Ferrari F50 and Jaguar XJ220 were the poster cars when I was growing up, but I’ll never forget the Bugatti Veyron being unveiled in 2005,” says Smith. “It was so fast, so extreme, it just felt like the bar had been raised forever. Even now there’s a magic about these cars that’s difficult to describe—the sheer power and the way it’s delivered is unforgettable.
“If you’re going to put a Veyron in your garage, you could make a very strong case for the Grand Sport Vitesse,” he explains. “It was the final run-out model before the arrival of the Chiron, so featured all the upgrades that made the 267-mph Super Sport so special—but in Grand Sport Vitesse trim it boasted a removable targa-style roof and full carbon bodywork.
“All Grand Sport Vitesses are impressive, but this car is particularly special, benefitting from more than €375,000 of factory options. The first owner didn’t just throw money at it—it’s beautifully specified, with exposed blue and black carbon bodywork offset against a gorgeous Tangerine interior. Pictures just don’t do this car justice. It’s so striking when the sun catches the exposed weave of the carbon, it could probably stop traffic.
“Despite being 10 years old the car has covered just over 4,000 kilometres, and as well as having full Bugatti service history, it was subject to a £27,000 service in April. If you want a landmark hypercar that stands out from the crowd, this car is a great option.”
