The 1963 Fiesta Red Aston Martin DB4 Convertible, entered in the H&H sale at Buxton, surpassed even its top estimate - returning a whisker under £300,000. One of just seventy made, the suave four-seater soft-top was originally the property of Sefton Myers, the property developer and theatrical agent who fostered the careers of Sir Tim Rice and Baron Andrew Lloyd-Webber. Restored some thirty years ago, it was one of five splendid cars from the Midlands-based MJF Collection, all of which were hotly contested.

Bearing in mind H&H’s recent run of success with AC Aces, it was perhaps no great surprise to see the wonderfully patinated, 100D2-engined, metallic red, 1959 Ace Bristol fetch £170,500. Pleasingly sharp, MJF’s 1989 Ferrari 328 GTS had covered a mere 12,800 miles and had little trouble finding a new home for £37,400. The red 1977 Triumph Stag had been part of the collection from new and, though it had covered 120,500 miles, it was nicely presented and made £8580. The last member of the MJF quintet was a bronze 1980 MG B LE Roadster. With just 2500 miles to its name, it sold for £7700.

Another delightful lot was the 1958 Aston Martin DB Mark III. A former entry in the Louis Vuitton Concours, the dark green example offered was knocked down for £93,500. The dark blue 1959 Jaguar XK150 S 3.4-litre Roadster was on the money at £56,100, while the stunning metallic blue 1962 E-type that had been converted from fixed-head coupe to roadster returned £43,450. The prize for the biggest surprise of the sale must surely go to the Sky Blue 1966 Lotus Elan S2 Convertible that had lain untouched in a garage for the last 10 years. A non-running project in need of restoration, it carried an estimate of £1000 - £2000 yet finally sold for £16,060.

The undoubted star of the motorcycle lots was the 1951 Vincent Black Shadow which, though not perfect, was a fine example of this highly sought-after British classic and fetched £46,750. The delightful maroon 1921 Indian Powerplus Combination made £18,700, while the rare 1939 Excelsior Manxman realised way over estimate at £17,600.

The June 9 sale was also notable for the return of an online bidding facility (i-bidder) which added a welcome extra dimension to proceedings, not to mention a flurry of bids and purchases from some far flung time zones.

The company’s next auction of collector cars, motorcycles, bicycles and automobilia will take place at the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton on July 21.

Further details on this and other H&H sales can be found at www.handh.co.uk.