Join Sam Grange Bailey (The Old Car Lady) for Part 2 of her conversation with Simon Hope, co-founder of H&H Classic Auctions. This episode centres on one of the most interesting stories in recent classic car auction history: the sale of Richard Colton's Ferrari 250 GT SWB and 275 GTB with proceeds to the RNLI, raising £10 million in a single sale for the charity. Simon also shares his thoughts on auction transparency, how to buy at auction like a dealer, and his exciting new venture Hope Classics.

Simon explains how he won the Ferrari pitch against Bonhams, why he waived his commission, and how the sale transformed the Ferrari short wheelbase market overnight. We also discuss historic racing, why the people you race with matter more than the car, and how to get into single seater racing without getting a bum steer.

Featured Stories

The RNLI Ferrari Sale - Ferrari 250 GT SWB sold for £6.6m, 275 GTB for £1.9m, nearly £10m to the RNLI

Lotus 49 at Buxton - Valued at £250k when rivals said £50-100k, sold for £367,000

The Man Who Bought Blind - NCA dealer who stood with his back to the car and bid with one hand

The Jacket That Lost the Job - Simon wore a flamboyant striped jacket to a pitch and lost the consignment

What You'll Learn

How Simon pitched against Bonhams and won the RNLI Ferrari consignment

Why he waived commission on £10m worth of cars

How the Ferrari SWB sale changed the market overnight for comparable cars

Why auction records are useful but dangerous if used as the only reference

How to buy at auction with three prices in mind

Why a car's file and history can be 50% of its value

How to get into historic racing without being taken advantage of

What Hope Classics offers and how Simon can help buyers and sellers

Key Questions

How do you value a classic car for auction?

History and file are as important as the car itself. Sam works with three prices: the best she can get with the wind behind him, what she'd be happy with, and the minimum she needs to get out. Always factor in buyer's premium before bidding. Never rely solely on auction records as a price guide because condition, color, and provenance can swing values dramatically.

What is Hope Classics?

Simon's new venture at hopeclassics.co.uk offers free advice on which auction house to use for your particular car. He can also help buyers find specific cars, especially rare single seaters and historic race cars. His time is chargeable for more detailed consultancy, but the initial guidance is free.

What's the secret to getting into historic racing?

Choose the people you race with carefully. The team looking after your car should be the best available regardless of whether you like them. But the people you spend the day with, share the dinners and drinks with, and experience the whole event with, they need to be the right fit. Networking into the right circles first is essential.

A Nod to

Richard Colton - Owner of the RNLI Ferrari collectionRNLI - Received nearly £10m, the largest single donation in their historyDK Engineering - Sold a comparable Ferrari the same day the Colton car hammeredAdam Singer - Bought the Bentley 3-litre at Buxton, did the Peking to Paris with SimonHope Classics - hopeclassics.co.uk

Get in Touch

📧 grangebaileys@gmail.com

💬 WhatsApp: 07405 813554

📸 Instagram: @the_old_car_lady

🎬 TikTok, Facebook & YouTube: The Old Car Lady

#SimonHope #HHClassics #Ferrari250GT #RNLI #HopeClassics #HistoricRacing #ClassicCarAuctions #PekingToParis #Lotus49 #TheOldCarLady #ClassicCarMarket

Produced By Worth A Listen Productions

Join Sam Grange Bailey (The Old Car Lady) for Part 1 of an in-depth conversation with Simon Hope, one of the Hs behind H&H Classic Auctions. With over 40 years in the auction world, Simon shares stories from his auctioneering career that started in the late 1980s, including setting up H&H with Mark Hamilton in 1993 and hammering a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB for £6.6 million in 2015 (still a world record for a steel short wheelbase).

This episode explores how Simon went from buying antiques at 12 years old to running one of the UK's most respected classic car auction houses. We discuss consumer protection laws for classic cars, MOT exemptions, auction fees, and why you want an ascending or descending market but never a plateau. Simon explains why dealers are essential to auction houses, the importance of lot order, and his philosophy: "People buy from people."

What You'll Learn

• How Simon started auctioneering at 12 buying antique job lots
• Why he walked into car auctions after running salvage auctions
• Setting up Hamptons first classic car auction in November 1989
• The 1989 market crash and Japanese buyers committing harakiri
• Why H&H started with 5% buyer and seller fees (revolutionary at the time)
• Finding Buxton Pavilion Gardens for £8 for four days
• Why auction houses prefer ascending or descending markets, never plateaus
• The importance of 80% sell-through rates vs industry standard 40%
• Why consumer protection laws don't work for 60-year-old classics
• Should classic cars have mandatory safety checks?

Key Questions

Should classic cars be exempt from MOTs?

Simon believes most classic car owners are responsible and check their cars regularly. The people who'd abuse the system aren't following the law anyway. He MOTs his Rolls-Royce Silver Shadows every 2-3 years for structural integrity because his kids ride in them, but it doesn't need to be an official MOT certificate.

Do consumer protection laws work for classic cars?

"Total bloody nonsense bollocks." Treating a 60-year-old Cadillac the same as a Currys fridge freezer doesn't work. The laws protect buyers from bad sellers, but bad sellers will be bad anyway. Good sellers get caught in the crossfire. Classic cars need ring-fenced consumer protection that protects both buyer and seller.

Why do auction houses prefer moving markets?

"Earn on the turn." Whether prices go up or down, auctions facilitate transactions. On a plateau, if a car's worth £20k, you can't get £22k plus premium because five dealers have it at £20k. Descending markets bring more cars (people offloading) but lower commissions. Ascending markets are numerically better, but both work better than stagnant.

A Nod to

H&H Classic Auctions

National Car Auctions

Get in Touch

📧 grangebaileys@gmail.com

💬 WhatsApp: 07405 813554

📸 Instagram: @the_old_car_lady

🎬 TikTok, Facebook & YouTube: The Old Car Lady

#SimonHope #HHClassics #ClassicCarAuctions #Ferrari250GT #AuctioneeringStories #BuxtonPavilion #MarkHamilton #ClassicCarMarket #ConsumerLaw #MOTExemption #TheOldCarLady #40YearsAuctioneering

Produced By Worth A Listen Productions

Join Sam Grange Bailey (The Old Car Lady) for a special auction episode recorded on Friday 13th February 2026, predicting results for Manor Park Classics' sale the following day.

Sam goes through her shortlist from a dealer's perspective, estimating hammer prices, then reveals actual results with insights from Jim Gregory (Sales Director at Manor Park Classics) and Richy Barnett (Markets Editor for Classic Car Weekly).

This episode explores where the classic car market is heading in 2026. From a £5,750 Rover P6 V8 to a £10,350 Jaguar XJS that smashed estimates, Sam analyses what sold, what didn't, and why. We discuss the death of E-Type values, the rise of modern classics (1980s-2000s), and whether XK8s will leapfrog XJS as the affordable Jaguar.

Featured Cars & Results

• Rover P6 3500 V8 (1972) - Mexico brown, single family ownership, sold £5,750
• Triumph TR7 Drophead (1981) - 30k miles, hammered £6,400
• TVR S2 (1989) - British Racing Green, sold £6,900
• Bentley Arnage Red Label (2000) - 146k miles, £31k service history, bargain at £8,280
• Jaguar XJS 4.0 (1995) - Guided £5.5-6.5k, smashed estimate at £10,350
• Mercedes 560 SEC (1989) - Sold £20,460
• BMW 328i Sport (1998) - Sold £7,590
• Alfa Romeo 156 - Sold £8,500, having a moment

What You'll Learn

• Why service history matters with higher mileage cars and why high mileage cars can be a better bet than low mileage.
• How to spot auction bargains (Bentley Arnage at £8,280)
• Why E-Types have fallen and won't bounce back
• The sweet spot: £7-25k for monthly sales, £50-100k struggling
• Why 1980s-2000s modern classics are the hot decade
• How finance deals put exotic cars everywhere
• Why leggy but maintained cars beat garage queens
• The importance of MOTs even on exempt cars

Key Questions

What's hot and what's not in 2026?

Hot: Modern classics (1980s-2000s BMWs, Japanese cars), Porsche Boxsters/Caymans, XJS straight-sixes, TR7s, Alfa 156s. Not: Pre-war to 1950s British cars, E-Types fallen and won't recover, £50-100k cars struggling. The market shifted from cash buyers to finance deals making exotics accessible to everyone.

Are XJS values finally rising?

Yes! The £10,350 XJS (guided £5.5-6.5k) proves the market is waking up. Jim Gregory and Richie Barnett agree they're having a moment. Question: will XK8s leapfrog them as the affordable Jaguar, or will XJS become the E-Type successor?

What makes a good auction buy?

Single-family ownership, full service history, current MOT (even if exempt), regular use, original spec, right colors. Avoid: cars needing recommissioning, anecdotal mileage, wrong colors (beige Mercedes 190E didn't sell despite being perfect), high estimates leaving no trade margin.

A Nod to

Manor Park Classics Runcorn Cheshire

Jim Gregory and Richy Barnett.

Get in Touch

📧 grangebaileys@gmail.com

💬 WhatsApp: 07405 813554

📸 Instagram: @the_old_car_lady

🎬 TikTok, Facebook & YouTube: The Old Car Lady

#AuctionSpecial #ManorParkClassics #ClassicCarAuction #JaguarXJS #BentleyArnage #RoverP6 #TriumphTR7 #Mercedes560SEC #ClassicCarMarket #2026Market #ModernClassics #TheOldCarLady

Produced By Worth A Listen Productions