The big story at H&H's last sale of 2009 was that the sports cars led the way out of the door. Topping the results list was a splendid 1924 Bentley 3/4.5-litre Sports. A team prize winner in last year’s Le Mans Classic and His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent’s mount for the 1995 Mille Miglia Storica, CX 6596 was bang on the money at £220,000.

ACs are proving a big sale for H&H at the moment, with its four most recent auction offering high-profile examples. Two more of these Tojeiro-penned classics were entered for this event. Both sold, with the 1956 Ace Bristol (currently sporting a 289 cu in Ford V8 engine) making £107,800 and the 1955 AC-powered version being knocked down for £94,600.

A selection of Jaguar two-seaters also made good money, the best performer being a silver 1950 XK120 Roadster which once raced at Bathurst – it fetched £77,000. Next in line was a delicious dark blue 1974 V12 E-type Roadster (one of seven cars entered from a private Yorkshire collection all of which sold). Described by H as ‘one of the nicest we have encountered’, it changed hands for £50,600. The former concours winning white 1960 XK150SE Fixed Head Coupe returned £41,800.

The sale included no less than seven MGs. The pretty TC that had spent much of its life in America cost its new owner £22,000, while the tidy red 1960 MG A 1600 Coupe made an impressive £11,000.  The white 1969 MKIII Midget needed recommissioning but doubled its estimate at £3,410.

There was an attractive selection of high performance saloons on offer too. The two relatively recent Bentleys on offer were both snapped up - the red 1994 Continental R sold for £37,400, while the high specification 2001 Arnage Red Label made £26,400. With less than a 1,000 Lotus Carltons produced, they are inevitably a rare sight at auction – the green 1993 one on offer sold well at £15,400. Even more select was the bright red 1985 Renault 5 Turbo 2. One of only 200 such homologation specials made, it went for £14,850.

Of considerably more modest pace but even rarer still, were the c.1927 Austin Heavy 12/4 Tickford ‘All Weather’ Saloon and the c.1942 Dennis Merryweather Turntable Fire Appliance both entered by the Donington Collection. Absent from the sale due to its sheer size, the latter nevertheless exceeded estimate at £11,275, while the former also left its price guide behind to reach £10,120.