Bonhams offers up the ‘Somerset Hoard’ at their Golden Age of Motoring Sale

London – Bonhams has confirmed a wonderful selection of fine veteran cars, known as ‘The Somerset Hoard’, will be offered at the Bonhams Golden Age of Motoring Sale on Friday, October 30. The sale will take place at the company’s head office on New Bond Street, London, ahead of the start of this year’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

The Bonhams Golden Age of Motoring Sale will be led by a beautiful 1904 Darracq Twin-Cylinder 10HP Swing-Seat Tonneau. Also consigned to the sale, outside of ‘The Somerset Hoard’, is a 1910 Brasier 12/18HP 12C Toure, being sold without reserve.

‘The Somerset Hoard’ Collection, known thanks to the English county where the cars spent most of their lives, has been hidden away and untouched since the outbreak of World War 2. The Collection ranks amongst the most important finds of period veteran cars in recent times. The Collection of seven cars was acquired in the 1930s and has subsequently been passed down through many generations.

The most recently used car in the collection is a 1905 Humber (Coventry) 8/10HP two-seater with rear platform deck, complete with a distinctive shaped radiator. The original supplier’s plate is for the Humber depot at 27-33 Leece Street, Liverpool. The car offered is no. 355 and is presented with registration number YD 5598 - a 1932 Somerset issue, having replaced the original Liverpool registration plate in period.

Another car of great interest is a c.1903 Baker electric car. Originally registered as Y 311 to a Bristol owner, the registration number was re-assigned in 1915 to the Bristol Carriage and Wagon Works Co., when the car was re-registered as Y 3907. The car is a genuine English import model with right hand tiller, controls etc, and today displays traces of over writing on the front leather dash panel. A well-travelled example, the Baker is noted as being in Scotland in 1915 before returning south to Tewksbury in 1918.

Also offered is a rare c.1902 Progress built by the Progress Motor Co. of Bishops Green, Coventry. The Progress was a short-lived model configured with open top two-seat bodywork with platform deck back. ‘Progress’ is noted on the hub caps, and the vehicle is fitted with a De Dion Bouton engine no.10258, possibly an 8 or 9HP model.

The most ‘modern’ car in the ‘The Somerset Hoard’ Collection is a 1913 Belsize 10/12HP four-cylinder.

Rover is represented in the Collection with an 8HP, two seat plus 2 occasional seats. Originally launched at the February 1905 Crystal Palace show, it was presented alongside a prototype that had covered 10-11,000 miles in the latter months of 1904 to demonstrate its robustness. The Rover’s monocoque construction carries the engine, gearbox, and suspension, and the original steel cable steering is still present, as are the Bowden cables operating the steering wheel controls. Other features include wire spoke front wheels and wood spoke rears, with the wood being an optional extra when new.

The c.1903 Swift has a two-seat configuration plus an interesting groom’s seat that’s detachable at the rear, by Hollick and Pratt of Coventry. It’s fitted with a 6HP De Dion Bouton engine, number 12075, and carries registration number FX 7944. It displays several unusual drivetrain features, even for those times, including its rear axle and starting handle at the rear.

Finally from the collection is a Darracq 12hp Twin-Cylinder model from c.1904 with a Four-Seat, Rear-Entrance Tonneau body. It was registered A 3367 from the London County Council and has an engine numbered 3231.

Confirming the initial consignments to the Golden Age of Motoring Sale,Tim Schofield, Head of UK Business Development Sales at Bonhams, said: “The Bonhams Golden Age of Motoring Sale is the traditional curtain raiser to the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run weekend. The Sale is set to offer the largest selection of cars that are eligible for the event, anywhere. We look forward to seeing successful buyers setting off from the start line in Hyde Park, near our New Bond Street saleroom, with their prized veteran vehicles in the years to come.”

1904 Darracq Twin-Cylinder 10HP Swing-Seat Tonneau

1910 Brasier 12/18HP 12C Toure

1905 Humber (Coventry) 8/10HP

c.1903 Baker electric car

c.1902 Progress built by the Progress Motor Co.

1913 Belsize 10/12HP four-cylinder

1905 Rover