‘Garage find’ Ford Capri 280 Brooklands makes nearly £40,000 at auction

A Ford Capri 280 Brooklands that was discovered in a garage with just 2,960 miles on the clock has fetched close to £40,000 at auction.

Registered new by Soans of Leamington Spa, the Capri is finished in desirable Brooklands Green with a ‘Raven’ leather interior. Sold by Classic Car Auctions at its Christmas sale at the weekend, the Brooklands is said to feature an interior which is in ‘time warp condition’ and that with a ‘bit of elbow grease it can be returned to showroom condition. At the fall of the hammer, the Capri had achieved a final price of £39,938.

The Christmas Sale also included a number of other standout listings. A 1978 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 Roadster with 37,080 miles on the clock went for £81,000, while a 1971 Datsun 240Z ‘Works Rally’ replica achieved a final price of £32,063.

This latter car, originally imported from California, was a particularly stand-out sale due to its full rally preparation which allowed it to take part in the London to Cape Town Rally.

Many other cars passed well beyond their initial estimates. A 1975 AC Cobra Replica, for example, was estimated to achieve between £18,000 and £22,000, but had reached £27,255 by the time the hammer fell. A 2007 Mercedes CLK 63 AMG Cabriolet, meanwhile, came with an estimate of £16,000 but smashed this to reach £30,375.

Classic Car Auctions is now inviting entries for their 2023 sales, which will kick off at the Practical Classics Classic and Restoration Show at the NEC in Birmingham on March 24-26.