The Bonhams Goodwood Revival collector car auction produced a diverse top five led by a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 Series III, with notable results for Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and a competition-prepared pre-war Aston Martin.
The Bonhams Goodwood Revival 2026 auction results produced a remarkably eclectic leaderboard spanning 64 years of motoring history. A 1961 Aston Martin DB4 Series III claimed the top spot at £402,500, while an important pre-war Aston Martin racer took second and a long-term-owned Ferrari Dino 246 GTS placed third. A Mercedes-Benz CLK developed for the revived DTM and a comprehensively reimagined Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 tied for fourth at £253,000 apiece.
Held on September 19, the Bonhams Goodwood collector car auction was the company’s only Goodwood sale of 2026, following the decision to combine its former Festival of Speed and Revival fixtures. Following the withdrawal of two cars initially featured in the catalog, 94 vehicles crossed the block at Bonhams’ Goodwood auction with a 73% sell-through rate.
Bonhams Goodwood Top Five
- 1961 Aston Martin DB4 “Series III” Sports Saloon – £402,500
- 1936 Aston Martin 2-Litre Speed Model Competition Two-Seater – £345,000
- 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS – £310,500
- 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM Competition Saloon – £253,000
- 1971 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 Berlinetta – £253,000
DB4 Takes the Crown - £402,500
The highest-priced car in the Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale was chassis DB4/718/R, a right-hand-drive 1961 Aston Martin DB4 Series III. Its £402,500 result edged beyond Bonhams’ £350,000-£400,000 estimate, an encouraging outcome for an elegant road-going DB4 in a sale where several higher-estimated headline cars failed to reach the same level.
The car’s story adds meaningful provenance. Factory records show it was delivered on July 27, 1961, through dealer C. Williams, finished in Snow Shadow Grey with Dark Blue Connolly leather and equipped with Smiths mph instruments, a heated rear window, Marchal fog lamps and a Motorola radio. Castrol acquired it for senior director John Windridge as an executive car, and Aston Martin’s records document factory servicing through 1969-70. Its matching chassis and engine numbers – DB4/718/R and 370/755 – further strengthened its appeal.
That combination of restrained styling, traceable early history and matching-number identity helped the Series III outperform its upper estimate. It also reinforced the enduring strength of a standard DB4 when a well-documented example reaches the collector car auction market.
Pre-War Aston Martin Result - £345,000
Only £57,500 separated the top two most expensive cars at Bonhams Goodwood, but the runner-up represented a very different side of Aston Martin history. The 1936 2-Litre Speed Model Competition Two-Seater, chassis L6/713/U, sold for £345,000 including premium.
One of only 15 2-Litre Speed Models built, it began life in December 1936 as a Sports 2/4-seater. Racing driver T.A.S.O. “Taso” Mathieson subsequently prepared it for competition and replaced its original coachwork with a body from a 1½-Litre Aston Martin Ulster. Its résumé included continental competition in 1938, the 1939 Junior Car Club Rally and an unsuccessful start in the 1948 Spa 24 Hours with Jack Fairman and Richard Stallebrass.
Later ownership added another layer of celebrity provenance: Pink Floyd drummer and noted historic-car racer Nick Mason acquired it in the late 1970s.Restored by marque specialist Ecurie Bertelli and held by the consigning ownership since 1992, it offered the blend of rarity, period competition history and enthusiast stewardship that traditionally resonates at Goodwood.
The result, however, fell well short of its £500,000-£600,000 pre-sale estimate. That gap suggests bidders valued the car’s story and eligibility but applied discipline to its altered body configuration and broader market positioning.
Ferrari Dino Secures Third - £310,500
The 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS auction result was £310,500 including premium, placing chassis 06628 third among the leading Bonhams Goodwood sales. It was a right-hand-drive example with only five owners from new, and the late owner had retained it from December 1984 until the sale – a provenance profile likely to reassure buyers seeking long-term continuity.
The Dino’s history file recorded diligent maintenance as well as two significant engine episodes. A dropped exhaust valve prompted an engine rebuild in the 1980s, followed by another rebuild during the 1990s. Rather than detracting from the car, that transparency – combined with more than four decades in one ownership – gave bidders a clear picture of its mechanical history.
The result also underlined the continued desirability of the open 246 GTS. Its combination of Pininfarina form, removable roof panel and 2.4L V6 places it among the most recognizable and usable Ferraris of its period.
Mercedes CLK DTM Result - £253,000
A sharp turn from 1970s Italian road cars brought a fourth-place tie in the Goodwood Revival auction results. The 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM Competition Saloon, chassis RS00-001, sold for £253,000 including premium. Bonhams had estimated it at £220,000-£280,000, so the result landed comfortably within expectations.
RS00-001 was built by HWA as a test-and-development car for Mercedes-Benz’s return to the DTM and did not race in period. The works program proved dominant: Mercedes fielded eight newly developed CLK DTM cars in 2000, and Bernd Schneider secured the championship.
The car later belonged to former Formula 1 driver Pedro Diniz, who used it at his private circuit. Its sole race came in the 2006 Mil Milhas at Interlagos, where Tony Kanaan, Raul Boesel and Pedro Lamy drove it to second place. More recently maintained in the UK, the CLK underwent a workshop refresh and airfield shakedown before appearing in its distinctive D2 livery.
Its result demonstrates the widening collector appetite for landmark touring cars from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Even without a period race record, first-chassis status, HWA provenance and later competition history gave RS00-001 a compelling identity.
Ferrari 365 GT Result - £253,000
Matching the Mercedes at £253,000 was the 1971 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2, chassis and engine number 13937. The front-engined V12 grand tourer had undergone a bare-metal rotisserie restoration completed in 2021 and was described by the auction catalog as immaculately presented.
This was not a strictly factory-standard restoration. ADP Classic Racing incorporated bumpers patterned after the Ferrari 500 Superfast, rear lights inspired by the 365 GTC/4, matt-black leather dashboard trim and discreet modern connectivity, including Bluetooth. The modifications were intended to preserve the spirit of the original design while sharpening the car’s visual details and usability.
Such personalization can narrow the audience for a blue-chip Ferrari, where factory correctness often commands a premium. Yet the tied fourth-place result indicates that bidders responded to the quality and coherence of the work. Bonhams presented chassis 13937 as a rare opportunity to acquire a 365 GT 2+2 subjected to an unusually detailed restoration and upgrade program.
A Market Led by Stories
The top five most expensive classic car auction results reveal a collector market rewarding distinctive provenance rather than adhering to one era or category. The DB4 combined matching-number identity with corporate-period history while the pre-war Aston brought a competition pedigree and celebrity ownership. The Ferrari Dino offered remarkable long-term provenance, coming from more than 40 years with its most recent owner. The Mercedes factory development DTM car highlights the marque’s racing history, and the 365 GT 2+2 appealed through restoration quality and individuality.
Aston Martin took the top two spots, while Ferrari were well-represented with two cars in the top five and Mercedes-Benz supplied the sale’s modern competition outlier. Just £149,500 covered the entire group, from the £402,500 DB4 to the pair at £253,000 – a relatively compressed spread that made history, condition and usability especially important differentiators.
Next: Bonhams Zoute Sale 2026
Following the Bonhams Goodwood Revival auction, the company’s next major collector car auction will be the Bonhams Zoute Sale 2026, scheduled for Sunday, October 11, 2026, at Knokke-Heist, Le Zoute, Belgium. The live auction is due to begin at 12:00 CEST as part of the Zoute Grand Prix, with previews taking place from October 7-10.
Among the early highlights is the 12-car Keller Collection, which will be offered entirely without reserve. Its headline entry is a 1970 Lamborghini Miura P400 S estimated at €1.6 million-€2 million, joined by a 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, five 1970s Ferraris and two Porsches. A 1965 AC Cobra 289, estimated at €700,000-€900,000, is another notable consignment as the international collector-car auction calendar moves from Goodwood’s competition-rich atmosphere to one of continental Europe’s most prominent concours and auction gatherings.
View the Bonhams Zoute Sale catalog here.