Anthony Hamilton auctions classic car collection for £1.7m
Anthony Hamilton, the 66-year-old father of Formula One star Lewis Hamilton, has parted with 19 vehicles from his prized classic car collection, raising £1.7m at auction, reports BritPanorama.
The sale took place at Silverstone through Iconic Auctioneers, where the predominantly British lineup of 27 motors had carried a combined pre-sale estimate of roughly £3m. Eight lots failed to find buyers. The collection, assembled over multiple decades, featured an eclectic mix including five classic Minis, five Triumphs, three E-type Jaguars, and three Aston Martins.
Silverstone holds particular significance for the Hamilton family, as Lewis has claimed a record nine British Grand Prix victories at the circuit. The headline lot was a 1994 Jaguar XJ220 capable of reaching 217mph, which fetched £506,250. Hamilton senior had owned the green sports car since it was new, and it had covered just 3,277 miles.
A David Brown Automotive Speedback GT also changed hands, going for £202,500. Among other notable sales, a 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series I 4.2-Litre Roadster achieved £119,250, while a 1961 Mercedes-Benz 190SL brought in £104,625. Several high-value lots went unsold, most notably a Jaguar XKSS Tool-Room Copy that had been estimated at £400,000.
Two C-Type Continuation cars also failed to attract sufficient bids — the first a recreation of the iconic XKC001 that triumphed at the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours, valued at £192,000, and the second modelled on the XKC003 that Sir Stirling Moss and Norman Dewis drove in the 1952 Mille Miglia, carrying an estimate of £190,000. A 1955 Swallow Doretti, the oldest vehicle in the collection, was likewise among those that did not sell.
Lionel Abbott, Car Specialist at Iconic Auctioneers, described the collection in glowing terms: “The Anthony Hamilton Collection is a superbly curated group of cars with real depth, quality and personality.” He added: “From the Jaguar XJ220 and XKSS recreation to the Triumph prototypes, Aston Martins and Mini Cooper S models, it reflects a clear passion for British motoring at its most characterful.” Abbott noted that presenting the cars at Silverstone, alongside the Hamilton Straight, felt “entirely fitting.”
Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, revealed last year that he had disposed of his own multi-million-pound car collection, saying he was now “more into art.” The Ferrari driver remarked: “If I was going to get a car, it would be the F40. But that’s a nice piece of art.”
As the gears of nostalgia grind to a halt in the auction room, one can’t help but ponder how the legacy of past glories races ahead, reshaping the future of a family intertwined with the drama of motorsport.
