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Lot 13
A Rare Nineteenth-Century Iron Works Studio Catalogue Illustrated Catalogue of Statuary, Fountains, Vases, Settees, etc. For Parks, Gardens and Conservatories, Manufactured by the J.L. Mott Iron Works New York: E.D. Slater, 1875. First edition. Folio. Profusely illustrated with dozens of examples of fountains, basins, benches, and other statuary from the J.L. Mott Iron Works studio. Original full brown cloth-covered flexible boards, stamped in blind and in gilt, lightly worn; front hinge repaired; scattered wear and chipping to plates; dampstaining along top and bottom edge of front paste-down, as well as faintly present on first few leaves, and in bottom gutter at rear; rear free endpaper loose; in modern full brown cloth portfolio. Together with: "Lamp Pillars. Supplement to Illustrated Catalogue of Ornamental Department of the J.L. Mott Iron Works, 1877".J.L. Mott Iron Works was established in 1828 in by Jordan L. Mott, originally producing coal fueled cooking-stoves. Mott's son, J.L. Mott Jr., expanded the manufactoring of the company to include fountains, basins, benches, and other decorative statuary. Their grand designs were famously showcased at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, featuring a 25 foot tall cast iron fountain. Avant garde artist Marcel Duchamp memorably used one of Mott's urinals for his 1917 readymade "Fountain".
Lot 1408
A Collection of Diecast Models to Include - Exclusive First Editions double deck bus, Diecast and plastic double deck bus model by Britbus Ltd edition 1/76 model no. 6204, Britbus item no. AS1-04, Britbus double deck bus item no. AN1-23, Oxford Diecast, Vanguards Historic Rally Set special Ltd edition. three London Transport Museum Ltd edition bus sets. The Original Omnibus Company Corgi one deck bus, no. 97900 AEC Reliance Devon General, Great British Classics London 2012 bus to represent the Olympics, etc. 21 in total.
Lot 1414
A Collection of Diecast Models to include, Vanguards Salford City Police Car, Prince William 21st Birthday Bull Nose van, Matchbox Models of Yesteryear Y18 1918 Atkinson Model D Steam Wagon, Oxford Die-cast metal replica 2003, Vanguards Wolseley Ltd Edition police car, Days Gone Lipton's Teas horse and carriage, Corgi Cadbury's truck number 61206, Thornycroft Box Van no. CC09001, Exclusive First Edition De Luxe Series Blackpool v Scunthorpe coach, Lledo days gone Firestone truck etc. 22 in total. Together with a box full of unboxed trams, coaches, buses, and cars including Pickfords removers and storers, black taxi, London & North-Western Railway bus, Yelloway coach etc.
Lot 111
J K Rowling/Robert Galbraith - Harry Potter and Cormorant Strike novels and others, comprising 'Chamber of Secrets' 2002 First Edition paperback, 'The Prisoner of Azkaban', two hardbacks in child covers 2nd Edition and 30th Edition and paperback 1st 2004 Edition; 'Goblet of Fire' hardback with child covers 1st Edition, 'The Order of the Phoenix' 1st Edition x2 hardback with child covers and 1st Edition paperback; 'The Half Blood Prince' 1st Edition hardback, three in child covers, 2 in adult covers; 'The Deathly Hallows' 1st Edition hardback, one in child cover, 2 in adult covers and 1st Edition paperback; 'The Cursed Child' parts 1 and 2 1st Edition hardback; 'Fantastic Beasts and where to find them' The Original Screenplay 1st Edition hardback; 'Casual Vacancy' x 2 1st Edition hardback; 'Lethal White' 1st Edition hardback; and 'The Half Blood Prince' deluxe pop-up book 2008 (23)
Lot 654
First Edition of hard-back book Shall We Tell the President by Jeffrey Archer. Published in 1977. Book in good condition with dust jacket. 220 pages. Good Condition. All autographs are genuine hand signed and come with a Certificate of Authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £4.99, EU from £6.99, Rest of World from £8.99.
Lot 288
A Spode limited edition 'The Mayflower Plate', no.862, boxed with certificate, a Coalport limited edition 'Mayflower 1620-1970' plate made exclusively for Dingles, Plymouth, in box, no certificate, a Coalport limited edition 'The Mayflower Plate' no.1217, boxed with certificate, a Crown Ducal 'colonial Times' rectangular plate depicting 'The First Sermon Ashore - Plymouth 1621', 31 x 23cm and an Adams plate 'The Mayflower in Plymouth Harbour', a commemoration of Mayflower II built 1956, (5).
Lot 6
'Edward Bawden' by Douglas Percy Bliss,The Pendomer Press, First Edition 1979, signed by Edward Bawden, with dust jacket, and'Edward Bawden, A Retrospective Survey',Combined Arts 1988 (2)Provenance: The Estate of Robin and Patricia Pickard.Condition report: Wear and rubbing to edge of dust jacket.
Lot 288
Freshly restored to '100-point'concours standard1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS CoupéCoachwork by Pininfarina/ScagliettiRegistration no. UAX 1Chassis no. 07362•One of only 498 right-hand drive UK cars•'Chairs & Flairs' model (see text)•Restored between 2017-2020•Outstanding condition•Valuable registration included Footnotes:The quite exceptional Dino 246 GT offered here comes from the private collection of a UK-based dedicated Dino enthusiast who has owned and restored some 30 of these charismatic cars over the years. Not your typical 'in-house' restorer, the vendor is the owner of an engineering company supplying machinery to the food manufacturing industry, and employs a small team of engineers who work exclusively in his Dino restoration workshop. It should be noted that it was never the intention that these cars would be sold: they were for the vendor's own collection so built without any time limits or compromise.It was the need for a production-based engine for the new Formula 2 that had prompted the introduction of a 'junior' Ferrari, the Dino 206 GT, at the Turin Motor Show in 1967. The latest in a line of Dino V6 'quad-cam' engines stretching back to the late 1950s, the new unit proved as successful on the racetrack as in the showroom, Derek Bell and Ernesto Brambilla both winning races in the European Championship, while Andrea de Adamich triumphed in the 1968 Argentine Temporada series. Building on experienced gained with its successful limited edition Dino 206S sports-racer of 1966, Ferrari retained the racer's mid-engined layout for the road car but installed the power unit transversely rather than longitudinally. A compact, aluminium-bodied coupé of striking appearance, the Pininfarina-styled Dino - named after Enzo Ferrari's late son Alfredino Ferrari and intended as the first of a separate but related marque - was powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cam V6 driving via an in-unit five-speed transaxle. The motor's 180 brake horsepower was good enough to propel the lightweight, aerodynamically-efficient Dino to 142mph, and while there were few complaints about the car's performance, the high cost enforced by its aluminium construction hindered sales. A 2.4-litre version on a longer wheelbase - the 246 GT - replaced the original Dino 206 in late 1969. Built by Scaglietti, the body was now steel and the cylinder block cast-iron rather than aluminium, but the bigger engine's increased power - 195bhp at 7,600rpm - adequately compensated for the weight gain. A Targa-top version, the 246 GTS, followed in 1972. The Dino 246 was built in three series: 'L', 'M', and 'E' respectively, these designations reflecting detail changes in the specification. While not quite as fast in a straight line as its larger V12-engined stablemates, the nimble Dino is capable of showing almost anything a clean pair of heels over twisty going. Truly a driver's car par excellence, it is still highly regarded today. Every Ferrari collection should have one. A late example (production ceased in 1974), chassis number '07362' is one of 498 right-hand drive 246 GTs built for the UK market and one of only a relative handful to have the 'Daytona' seats. The Dino was purchased in December 2000 from the estate of BRDC member the late Mike Cornwell (its owner since 1975), whose club badge comes with the car. A successful rally competitor, Mike Cornwell competed on the 1991 Classic Marathon, winning an Alpine Cup, and ran as a team-mate to Sir Stirling Moss and Rosemary Smith. He repeated that event in 1992 and also took a class win on the 1993 Tulip rally before entering two Monte Carlo Challenges, taking class wins in successive years. Mike Cornwell had the Dino converted to 'Flairs' (flaired wheelarches) soon after he bought the car in the 1970s, so in the interests of keeping true to its history it was decided to retain those during restoration as they had been on the car for the best part of its life.Typically, the owner's meticulous Dino restorations take some three years and 5,000 man-hours to complete, and this one's was carried out between 2017 and 2020. These cars are restored on a rotisserie buck to ensure that everything is correct, with 75% of the car assembled upside down so that the underneath is as good as the top. Indeed, the cars are rebuilt to better-than-factory standard; the steel used for bodywork reconstruction being vastly superior to that employed by Ferrari in period. Every rusted tube in the chassis was replaced on the jig and every cavity Waxoyled, while every rivet in the floor pan was measured to be exactly the same on both sides. Factory items being no longer available, the clips securing the rubber seal on the wheelarch mud protectors had to be produced specially. It is also worthwhile noting that the wheels are original lightweight Campagnolo sand-cast magnesium and not the aluminium replicas as seen on most cars; they are new-old-stock Ferrari hence the rough casting marks, which were left exactly as they would have been when the car was new. All the leather interior trim was supplied by Lupi in Italy, makers of the original Ferrari trim, and consists of the finest quality hides. The car spent three months in the paint shop getting every gap, panel, and line perfect, which shows by the way the doors open and close, just touching the seal. An examination of the headlight covers reveals that they too fit the body perfectly: the result of some two weeks spent shaping the covers and body lines, and then re-polishing the Perspex, etc. The engine is fully rebuilt and balanced with Cosworth high-compression pistons, and has only been run and tuned on the test-bed.Being an in-house restoration, there are no bills available, but each car comes with an album containing hundreds of photographs recording the process in full, while the history file also contains a current V5C document and numerous invoices accumulated prior to the vendor's purchase. In short: this car has been rebuilt to world-class '100-point' concours standard and is one of the very best that Bonhams has ever seen. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 222
Offered from the estate of the late John Surtees, CBE1957 BMW 503 3.2-Litre CabrioletRegistration no. BEE 46Chassis no. 69141•One of only 138 cabriolets made•One of only three right-hand drive examples•First registered to AFN Ltd for Mrs Aldington•Two owners from new•Restored while in John Surtees' ownership Footnotes:'It was evident that the factory had yet another classic in its own time as they had with the 328 two decades earlier. The wholly individual coupé or convertible was a true follower of the 328 traditions... one of the very few non-Italian body designs to be assured of classic status from the 'fifties...' - Sloniger and Von Fersen on the BMW 503, German High Performance Cars, 1894-1965.At the end of WW2, BMW was in a much worse state than Mercedes- Benz in Stuttgart because one of its major plants – the old Dixi works at Eisenach in Saxony - was within the Russian Zone and would soon be cut off from the West behind the 'Iron Curtain'. Nevertheless, manufacture of what would later be called 'EMW' cars recommenced at Eisenach under Russian control almost as soon as hostilities ceased. BMW's Munich factory though, had been badly damaged by Allied bombing and for the next few years a much-reduced workforce struggled on producing household utensils, agricultural machinery, bicycles and railway brake sets. It would be 1948 before deliveries of BMW motorcycles restarted and another four years before the first true BMW car of the post-war era emerged. BMW recommenced car production in 1952 with the introduction of the 501 luxury saloon, a strange choice for an impoverished country still recovering from the ravages of war. The 501 had been announced in 1951 and first appeared with a development of the company's pre-war six-cylinder engine before gaining a much needed performance boost, in the form of a 2.6-litre V8, in 1954. Designed by Alfred Böning, this new power unit had been inspired by American V8s but was constructed of aluminium alloy rather than cast iron. Towards the end of 1955 a 3.2-litre version was introduced and the big saloon's model designation changed to '502'. Clearly, this new state-of-the-art V8 had considerable potential as a sports car engine. Sales Director Hanns Grewenig had been pressing for a V8-engined sports car for some time but it was not until Mercedes-Benz introduced the 300 SL that the project was given the green light. BMW was encouraged by Austrian-born entrepreneur Max Hoffman, at that time the US importer of various European makes, who knew just the man to style the car: Count Albrecht von Goertz, an independent industrial designer who had worked for the legendary Raymond Loewy on the latter's trend-setting Studebakers. Designer of everything from fountain pens to furniture, Goertz had never before styled an entire car and would not work for BMW again until the 1980s, by which time he had produced another classic of automobile styling: the Datsun 240Z. Goertz was commissioned to produce two different designs, both of which debuted in prototype form at the Frankfurt Auto Show towards the end of 1955. The more conservative of the two – the 503 – retained the 502 saloon's 2,834mm wheelbase chassis, suspension and centrally mounted, column-change gearbox, while the 507 was built on a much shorter wheelbase, which necessitated attaching the gearbox directly to the engine. (The Series II 503 - introduced in 1957 - used the 507-type engine/transmission arrangement complete with floor-mounted change). As installed in the alloy-bodied 503, the 3.2-litre V8 produced 140bhp, which was good enough for a top speed of 118mph (190km/h). With its long bonnet, 2+2 seating and generously sized boot, the 503 looked every inch the elegant Grande Routière. Even Pinin Farina was impressed, declaring it to be the most beautiful car in the show. Had the 507 not debuted at the same time, it would no doubt have also been the most memorable. Expensive and exclusive, the 503 was built both as a closed coupé and a cabriolet, only 206 of the former and 138 of the latter being delivered between 1956 and 1960. BMW's high-performance, V8-engined cars of the 1950s attracted a small but discerning clientele, including some very well known names from the motor sporting world. The example offered here belonged to the late John Surtees, four-time motorcycling World Champion in the 500cc class and Formula 1 World Champion in 1964. The car was registered to him on 6th August 1992 and is offered for sale now directly from the Surtees family.In an undated document on file, John states that his car was built specially for Mrs Aldington of the eponymous family that owned AFN Ltd, which had arisen from the old Frazer Nash company in 1926. One of only six right-hand drive BMW 503s made, of which three were cabriolets, chassis number '69141' was first registered to AFN Ltd, Falcon Works, Isleworth on 19th September 1957. This car's rather special registration, 'BEE 46', is a reference to Mrs Aldington's gynaecologist (a Dr Bee) who was allowed to use the car. AFN had been BMW importers since the 1930s and in 1953 began importing Porsches, becoming the official importer for Great Britain in 1956. This arrangement lasted until 1965 when Porsche Cars Great Britain was formed. Aldington family members remained on the board of this company until John Aldington sold out to Porsche in 1987.In John Surtees' own words: 'When Porsche purchased the AFN facilities one of the assets they still had was the 503. A friend of mine, who was well aware of my keen interest in BMWs, phoned me to say they had something that was ideal for me. I purchased the car and fortunately it was in very sound condition having just been stored at the back of the workshop. Working with some people well versed in German car restoration I restored the car to a condition that satisfied me. It looks superb, runs likewise and everything that was original works including the foldaway roof operated by an hydraulic pump.'Additional documentation consists of details of works carried out during John Surtees' ownership and a V5C Registration Certificate in his name recording AFN Ltd as the first owner. A rare right-hand drive example of an exclusive limited edition model, this beautiful BMW 503 Cabriolet has the unique cachet of belonging to the only man to have been World Champion on both two and four wheels. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 261
1989 Porsche 911 Turbo LE CoupéRegistration no. G471 SGOChassis no. WP0ZZZ93ZKS000803•One of only 50 LE models made•Two owners from new•10,468 miles from new•Service history available Footnotes:Much of the Porsche 911's development had resulted from the factory's racing programme, and it was the then Group 4 homologation rules, which required 400 road cars to be built, which spurred the development of 'Project 930' - the legendary 911 Turbo. In production from April 1975, the Turbo married a KKK turbocharger to the 3.0-litre RSR engine, in road trim a combination that delivered 260bhp for a top speed of 155mph. But the Turbo wasn't just about top speed, it was also the best-equipped 911 and amazingly flexible - hence only four speeds in the gearbox - being capable of racing from a standstill to 100mph in 14 seconds. The Turbo's characteristic flared wheelarches and 'tea tray' rear spoiler had already been seen on the Carrera model, while the interior was the most luxurious yet seen in a 911, featuring leather upholstery, air conditioning and electric windows. The Turbo's engine was enlarged to 3.3 litres for 1978, gaining an inter-cooler in the process; power increased to 300bhp and the top speed of what was the fastest-accelerating road car of its day went up to 160mph. More refined than hitherto yet retaining its high performance edge, the Turbo sold in the thousands, becoming the definitive sports car of its age. When Porsche revealed that the original 911 would be replaced by the new Type 964 in 1990, it was announced that a special, limited-edition 'LE' batch of 50 Turbos would be built, incorporating as standard features that previously had been available only as factory optional extras. These included rear wheel air intakes, side skirts and a front spoiler, creating a look reminiscent of the Type 935 Le Mans sports racers. A Getrag five-speed gearbox was already standard on the Turbo, to which the LE version added a limited slip differential and an extra 30bhp, making it the most powerful variant built to date.This right-hand drive Porsche 911 Turbo LE was first owned by a Mr Richard Hanreck and has belonged to the current vendor since September 2004. The car comes with a V5C document, an old-style logbook, MoT certificates, instruction manuals and its service booklet; the latter stamped on nine occasions, the last in February 2008 at 9,779 miles. The current odometer reading is 10,468 miles and this stunning Porsche is described by the private vendor as in excellent condition throughout.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 245
One of only six 60th Anniversary LE Special Editions, each representing a different decade of Aston Martin.2015 Aston Martin AM Works 60th Anniversary LE Vanquish VolanteRegistration no. KM15 WXNChassis no. SCFFPLCGU7FGK02481•One of only three 60th Anniversary LE Vanquish Volantes made•One owner from new•Delivery mileage•Professionally stored•All books and toolsFootnotes:'Vanquish sits proudly at the top of the Aston Martin model range. As our flagship Grand Tourer it represents the height of our design, engineering, technology and craftsmanship. ...it is a car of unprecedented ability, it is the very essence of Aston Martin.' – Aston Martin.An entirely new Aston Martin for the 21st Century, the original Vanquish debuted at the Geneva Auto Show in March 2001. Styled by Ian Callum, the man responsible for the DB7, the V12-engined Vanquish took over from the Vantage V8, the Newport Pagnell factory undergoing an extensive multi-million pound refurbishment to accommodate it. For the successor, '2nd Generation' Vanquish, production shifted to Aston Martin's new factory at Gaydon, from whence deliveries commenced in 2012. Seeking to end Aston Martin's reliance on outside coachbuilders, then company boss David Brown had purchased Newport Pagnell-based Tickford Ltd in 1955. Within ten years, the Newport Pagnell site had become Aston Martin's home. At its height, the factory built more of its cars 'in-house' than almost any other manufacturer, including chassis, engine, bodywork, and trim. Even after production moved to Gaydon in 2007, part of the Newport Pagnell site was retained by Aston Martin Works, and the association between the town and the marque continues to this day.To commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the association, Aston Martin Works commissioned six special cars (three Vanquish coupés and three Vanquish Volante convertibles), each representing a particular decade. Each limited edition Vanquish was styled by the design team at Aston Martin Lagonda working with the company's bespoke personalisation service: 'Q by Aston Martin'. Uniquely, these cars use authentic materials carefully selected from each era of the last 60 years to create a celebration of the past, present, and future of Aston Martin Works at Newport Pagnell.The first car, a white Volante, was unveiled just before Christmas 2014 to specially invited customers at the annual party; the remaining cars were built during the first few months of 2015. Five of the six cars were, for the first time, brought together in May 2015 for the AM Works/Bonhams auction, and the following day in a special class at the AMOC Spring Concours.This unique 60th Anniversary Vanquish Volante was sold new by Aston Martin works to the current vendor in 2015 and has been professionally stored since then, covering delivery mileage only. Presented in effectively 'as new' condition, this highly collectible limited edition Aston Martin is offered with all books and tools. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 285
One owner from new2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren CoupéRegistration no. WV05 GNZChassis no. WDD 199 3761 M000524*Exclusive, limited edition supercar*2,880 miles from new*Full service history with McLaren BrooklandsFootnotes:Manufactured between 2003 and 2010, their new supercar allowed Mercedes-Benz and its then Formula 1 partner McLaren to showcase their collective experience in the development, construction and production of high-performance sports cars and, just like its legendary 300 SLR predecessor of 1955, it incorporated technological developments that were ahead of their time. Yet the term 'supercar' does not do full justice to the SLR, which, its peerless performance notwithstanding, is a luxurious and finely engineered Gran Turismo in the best traditions of Mercedes-Benz. The heart of any car is its engine, and that of the SLR McLaren is truly outstanding. Produced at Mercedes-Benz's AMG performance division, it is a 5.5-litre, 24-valve, supercharged V8 producing 617bhp, making it one of the most powerful engines ever found in a series-produced road-going sports car. Impressive though this peak horsepower figure is, it is the torque produced by this state-of-the-art 'blown' motor that is its most remarkable feature. The torque curve is almost flat: there is already 440lb/ft by 1,500 rpm and well over 500lb/ft between 3,000 and 5,000 revs. As Car & Driver magazine observed: 'This lends mind-boggling elasticity to the SLR, with passing performance that has to be felt to be appreciated.' In the interests of maximum fuel efficiency, the screw-type compressor is controlled by the engine management system and only activated when the driver floors the accelerator. Needless to say, the SLR McLaren delivers performance figures that are still among the best in its class; taking just 3.8 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100km/h (62mph), it passes the 200km/h (125mph) mark after 10.6 seconds and from a standing start takes just 28.8 seconds to reach 300km/h (186mph). The two-seater has a top speed of 334km/h (207 mph).A front-engined layout was chosen in the interests of optimum weight distribution, handling dynamics and braking stability, the motor's dry-sump lubrication system enabling it to be mounted lower in the chassis. The five-speed automatic transmission was specially optimised for very high torque and also offers the driver the option of choosing between different shift characteristics using the Speedshift system.Reflecting the long-term technological collaboration that Mercedes-Benz and McLaren enjoyed in Formula 1, the SLR's carbon fibre composite monocoque body/chassis structure was produced in the latter's then all-new facility in Woking, England. Clearly showing its Formula 1 parentage, the suspension is by means of double wishbones all round. The power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is speed sensitive, while the SLR's Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC) and Electronic Stability Program (ESP) enable its sporting nature to shine through while maintaining the usual safety standards. The pioneering use of composite technology has also been extended to the brake discs, which are manufactured from a fibre-reinforced ceramic material capable of withstanding extremely high temperatures and offering a level of fade resistance hitherto unattainable in series-produced road cars. Topping off this technological tour de force is the electronically controlled rear spoiler, which rises to an angle of 65 degrees when the driver brakes heavily, boosting the braking effect by increasing aerodynamic drag and lending the SLR outstanding stability when braking from high speeds. The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was launched in South Africa and introduced for the 2005 model year priced at $455,000, although choosing from the lengthy list of options could add considerably to the total. Finished in black with red leather interior, and equipped with 19' Turbine wheels, this superb example was first registered on 14th April 2005 and has had only one owner from new. Offered with ten expired MoTs, a V5C document, fresh MoT and full service history with McLaren Brooklands, it represents a rare opportunity to acquire a low-mileage example of this exclusive, limited edition supercar.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 289
Offered with Ferrari Classiche certification and only 17,000 kilometres from new1991 Ferrari F40 BerlinettaCoachwork by PininfarinaRegistration no. F4 ODNChassis no. ZFFGJ34B000088446*Delivered new in Milan, Italy*Non-adjustable suspension*Known ownership history*Service history*Present ownership since 2017Footnotes:'The take-up into the next gear is flawless and, with the turbos cranking hard, the blast of acceleration just goes on again and you seem to be in a blur of time conquering distance, gearshifts and noise. It has the tonal quality of an F1 engine, if not the sheer ferocity. From outside, if you stand and listen, you hear the frantic whoosh as the turbos start to drive oh-so-hard.' - Autocar magazine, May 1988.Introduced in 1988 to celebrate Enzo Ferrari's 40 years as a motor manufacturer, the F40 was the ultimate supercar and is historically significant as the first production passenger car to have a claimed top speed of over 200mph. It is also the last Ferrari to be personally approved by Enzo Ferrari prior to his death in 1988. A mid-engined, two-seater berlinetta, the F40 was a development of the limited-production 288 GTO and like the latter - but unlike the preceding 308 series - mounted its power unit longitudinally rather than transversely. Much had been learned from the development of the Evoluzione version of the 288 GTO - intended for the soon-to-be-abandoned Group B competitions - which enabled Ferrari to take the F40 from drawing board to dealers' showrooms in just 13 months. A 2,936cc quad-cam V8 with four valves per cylinder, the F40 engine employed twin IHI turbochargers to liberate 478bhp (approximately 352kW) at 7,000rpm. For the seriously speed-addicted, this could be boosted by 200bhp by means of a factory tuning kit. Of equal, if not greater, technical interest was the method of body/chassis construction, the F40 drawing on Ferrari's Formula 1 experience in its use of composite technology. A one-piece plastic moulding, the body was bonded to the tubular steel chassis to create a lightweight structure of immense rigidity. The doors, bonnet, boot lid and other removable panels were carbon fibre. Pugnaciously styled by Pininfarina, the F40 incorporated the latest aerodynamic aids in the form of a dam-shaped nose and high rear aerofoil. Despite the need to generate considerable downforce - and with a top speed of 201mph, higher than the take-off speed of many light aircraft, the F40 needed all the downforce it could get - the result was a commendably low drag coefficient of just 0.34. The F40's interior reinforced its image as a thinly disguised race-car, with body-contoured seats, an absence of carpeting and trim, and sliding Plexiglas windows. When it came to actual competition, race-prepared F40s more than held their own and in the Global GT series proved quicker on many circuits than McLaren's F1 GTR.Autocar concluded its test thus: 'on a smooth road it is a scintillatingly fast car that is docile and charming in its nature; a car that is demanding but not difficult to drive, blessed as it is with massive grip and, even more importantly, superb balance and manners. You can use its performance - the closest any production carmaker has yet come to race car levels - and revel in it. ...there's little doubt it is the very personification of the term sports car.' Even today the F40 has the power to impress. Launched in the UK with an asking price of around £185,000, the F40 was changing hands at the height of the late '80s supercar boom for up to half a million pounds. When production ceased in 1992 only 1,311 of these quite exceptional cars had been completed, all of which were left-hand drive and finished in Rosso Corsa when they left the factory. Today, much of the F40's enduring appeal is the fact that it is one of the last great 'analogue' supercars, designed and built at a time when the driver was expected to be in full control and before the introduction of electronic interventions in the form of anti-lock brakes, traction control, stability control, and paddle-shift automatic gearboxes, which have since become the norm. It also lacked a brake servo, air conditioning, interior door handles, and power steering... As Ferrari marketing executive Giovanni Perfetti explained: 'We wanted it to be very fast, sporting in the extreme and spartan. Customers had been saying our cars were becoming too plush and comfortable. The F40 is for the most enthusiastic of our owners who want nothing but sheer performance.' Even so, the F40 could not remain unaffected by the march of technological progress, gaining refinements such as ABS, glass side windows, catalytic converters, and adjustable suspension as development progressed. A desirable non-adjustable model built to European specification, this particular F40 was delivered new in Italy via the official Ferrari dealer Crepaldi Automobili in Milan and registered on 17th February 1991 to a Mr Benedetto, a local industrialist. Registered in Milan as 'MI 1 T 0114', the car was delivered with air conditioning, glass side windows, and a catalyst-equipped exhaust but is currently fitted with a non-cat sports exhaust system. In 1993 '88446' was sold to its second owner, Oliviero Busetti, another Milanese, who passed it on to the third owner, a resident of Monza, in 1998. '88446' remained in Italy until it came to the UK in July 2012 and was registered as 'H470 JLF'. That same month the F40 was seen in the Cub Ferrari France parking during the Le Mans Classic, and in 2015 was displayed at the Classic & Sports Car Show at Alexandra Palace. In October 2017 the Ferrari was sold by Graypaul to the current vendor and reregistered as 'F4 ODN'.The most recent annual service was carried out by Graypaul, Nottingham in September 2018 at 17,507 kilometres (invoice on file). Previously, in 2017, Graypaul had replaced both fuel tanks and the cam and ancillary belts as part of a major service. Importantly, '88446' also comes with its original tool kit as well as the original handbooks and service book in their original tan leather wallet.Reacquainting himself with the F40, F50, and Enzo Ferraris for Octane magazine (July 2014 edition) racing driver Mark Hales declared: 'The F40 is for me, the special one. Not just because I have spent so much time in them, but because it was such an explosive, other-worldly creation when it first appeared, and it still retains much of that character.' Enough said.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 278
Offered from The Alps to Goodwood Collection1931 Invicta 4½-Litre S-Type Low Chassis Sports 'Simplon'Coachwork by CarbodiesChassis no. S90*One of the finest sports cars of the Vintage eraInvicta works car*Ards TT and Brooklands race history*Known history from 1931 to the present day*Present ownership since 2000*Extensively campaigned*Extensive professional restoration in 2011*Highly eligible for the most prestigious events worldwide, including the Mille MigliaFootnotes:In an era when most cars stood tall, the 4½-litre S-Type Invicta, with its dramatically lowered chassis, caused a sensation: few sports cars before or since have so looked the part. The Invicta Company's origins go back to 1924 when Noel Macklin and Oliver Lyle, both of whom had motor industry experience, got together to create a car combining American levels of flexibility and performance with European quality and roadholding. Like the contemporary Bentley, the Invicta was produced to an exemplary standard. Price was only a secondary consideration, a factor that contributed largely to both firms' failure to weather the Depression years of the early 1930s. The final Invicta left the factory, appropriately enough, on Friday 13th October 1933, though a handful of cars was assembled at the company's service depot between 1934 and 1936. It is estimated that approximately 1,000-or-so Invictas of all types were made. Apart from a handful of prototypes, all Invictas were powered by the tireless six-cylinder engines made by Henry Meadows. Launched at the 1930 Olympia Motor Show, the S-type featured an new under-slung chassis that achieved a much lower centre of gravity by positioning the rear axle above the frame rails instead of below as was normal practice at the time. Like most low-revving engines, the 4½-litre Meadows delivered ample torque in the lower and middle speed ranges. Indeed, the Invicta can be throttled down to 6-8mph in top gear, despite its relatively high 3.6:1 final drive ratio, and will then accelerate rapidly and without complaint when the accelerator is depressed. The popular '100mph Invicta' tag notwithstanding, standard cars had a – still impressive – top speed of around 95mph with more to come in racing trim. However, it must be stressed that the S-type Invicta was primarily a very fast but comfortable high-speed touring car, its greatest attribute being an ability to cover a substantial mileage at high average speeds with no strain, either to driver or the machinery. Invictas are about as indestructible in normal use as a car can be. Approximately 68 of the 75-or-so S-types built are known to survive and most are in excellent order, testifying to the fact that they have always been regarded as high quality motor cars. Indeed, in pre-war days there was a club dedicated exclusively to the model and members famously christened individual cars with names like 'Scythe', 'Scrapper' and 'Sea Lion'. 'S90' was named 'Simplon'.'Simplon' was built in the early summer of 1931 and retained by the works as a competition car for regular Brooklands competitor Dudley Froy. In a letter to Motor Sport (June 1988 edition) A F Rivers Fletcher, who had first-hand knowledge of the works Invictas in period, says he believes that Froy's S-Type was completed using components taken from the car Sammy Davis had crashed at Brooklands. Although prepared for Dudley Froy, the Invicta was driven to a class win in the Ards TT on 22nd August 1931 by Tommy Wisdom and L Cushman, Froy having been sidelined with a broken arm. In October of that year 'Simplon' was driven in the BARC Closing Meeting at Brooklands by Mrs Wisdom. At the 1932 Easter Norfolk Lightning Mountain Handicap, Froy lapped Brooklands at 108.03mph on his way to a brace of 3rd place finishes, and later that year at the Brighton Speed Trials the famous lady racing driver Mrs Kay Petre set the fastest time of the day. Froy then rounded off a successful season with a 4th place finish at Brooklands on 10th September. On 6th December 1932 Froy registered the Invicta for the first time, the number allocated being 'JJ 332'. In 1933, 'Simplon' was offered for sale by William Arnold in Manchester (copy advertisement on file) and sold to dealer Jack Elliot. The car next belonged to David Lewis of London in 1936, followed by R Wyman, London in 1939. Major Granville Taylor then took 'Simplon' to the USA where it was owned by Hollywood superstar Tyrone Power. Offered for sale by Lubrication Automotive Service of Los Angeles, California, the Invicta was next owned, from the mid/late-1940s, by John H Haugh of Tucson, Arizona. The car's next four owners were Charles P Smith of Tucson, Arizona (2nd January 1955); Edverne B Harrington of Phoenix, Arizona (30th January 1959); Walter H C Boyd of Toronto, Canada (April 1959); and Dr John Robson of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (November 1985, bill of sale and CoT on file). There are two letters on file from David Lewis to Dr Robson, both written in 1988, concerning the car's early history, and another from John Haugh to Walter Boyd dated 21st August 1960 which relates the Tyrone Power connection (perusal recommended). Boyd was restoring the 'Simplon' at the time. As well as the aforementioned correspondence, there are numerous copies of in-period photographs on file. During the war a Buick engine had been installed, and it was Edverne Harrington who replaced it with with current engine, '7411', which had left the factory in chassis number 'S33'. (The original engine's number is not known.) This engine was replaced in 2000 during the ownership of Dr Robson for the current engine numbered '7348'. A full report on the car's provenance, compiled in 2001 by marque expert Derek Green, is on file. By this time Dr Robson had relocated to the UK, settling in the Isle of Man where 'Simplon' was registered in 1999. In March 2001 he offered the Invicta for sale at a UK auction, and later that same year the car was acquired by the current vendor, a prominent private collector in Switzerland. Upon arrival in Switzerland the car benefitted from extensive work by well-known specialists Garage Portmann in 2002 and again in 2004. Since then Simplon has been extensively campaigned throughout Europe, participating in prestigious events such as the Mille Miglia (2002, 2003, 2004); Ralllye des Alpes (2002-2006); Gran Premio Nuvolari (2003); Rallye Sanremo Rally (2003-2007); Grand Prix Suisse, Bern (2009); Rallye Solitude (2011); and the Gaisberg Hill Climb (2014). In total there are some 70 events listed in the massive history file, the last of which was the Invicta Tour of July 2019. Such a demanding schedule has required careful ongoing maintenance, and in 2011 extensive work was undertaken by vVintage car specialist David Ayre of Berkshire, UK. The Low Chassis Invicta S-Type is now regarded as one of the most desirable pre-war sports cars, sought after by collectors for its exceptional driving abilities, style and sheer presence. A guaranteed entry at the most prestigious rallies, concours events and race meetings around the world, the Low Chassis has an enviable reputation amongst connoisseurs and examples are to be found in some of the most important private collections.Should the vehicle remain in the UK, local import taxes of 5% will be added to the hammer price.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * N* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.N If purchased by a UK resident, this machine is subject to a NOVA declaration, undertaken by Bonhams upon a successful sale, to facilitate the registration of the machine here in the UK.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 276
Offered from The Alps to Goodwood Collection1926 Bentley 6½/8-Litre 'Le Mans' TourerChassis no. WB2565*2007 Peking-Paris Rally Gold Medal winner*Matching engine*Known ownership history*Present ownership since 2000*Extensively campaigned worldwide*Accompanied by an extensive selection of spares and rally adaptationsFootnotes:With characteristic humility 'W O' was constantly amazed by the enthusiasm of later generations for the products of Bentley Motors Limited, and it is testimony to the soundness of his engineering design skills that so many of his products have survived. From the humblest of beginnings in a mews garage off Baker Street, London in 1919 the Bentley rapidly achieved fame as an exciting fast touring car, well able to compete with the best of European and American sports cars in the tough world of motor sport in the 1920s. Bentley's domination at Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930 is legendary, and one can only admire the Herculean efforts of such giants as Woolf Barnato, Jack Dunfee, Tim Birkin and Sammy Davis, consistently wrestling the British Racing Green sports cars to victory. W O Bentley proudly unveiled the new 3-litre car bearing his name on Stand 126 at the 1919 Olympia Motor Exhibition, the prototype engine having fired up for the first time just a few weeks earlier. Bentley's four-cylinder 'fixed head' engine incorporated a single overhead camshaft, four-valves per cylinder, and a bore/stroke of 80x149mm. Twin ML magnetos provided the ignition and power was transmitted via a four-speed gearbox with right-hand change. The pressed-steel chassis started off with a wheelbase of 9' 9½', then adopted dimensions of 10' 10' ('Standard Long') in 1923, the shorter frame being reserved for the TT Replica and subsequent Speed Model. Rear wheel brakes only were employed up to 1924 when four-wheel Perrot-type brakes were introduced.In only mildly developed form, this was the model that was to become a legend in motor racing history and which, with its leather-strapped bonnet, classical radiator design and British Racing Green livery, has become the archetypal Vintage sports car. Early success in the 1922 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, when Bentleys finished second, fourth, and fifth to take the Team Prize, led to the introduction of the TT Replica (later known as the Speed Model) on the existing 9' 9½' wheelbase, short standard chassis. However, by the middle of the decade the 3-Litre's competitiveness was on the wane and this, together with the fact that too many customers had been tempted to fit unsuitably heavy coachwork to the excellent 3-Litre chassis, led to the introduction in 1926 of a larger car: the 6½-Litre. Known as the 'Silent Six', the latter perpetuated the 3-Litre's mechanical theme but with greatly increased refinement. Although the 6½-Litre had been conceived as a touring car to compete with Rolls-Royce's New Phantom, in Speed Six form it proved admirably suited to competition: in 1929 Barnato/Birkin's Speed Six won the Le Mans 24 Hour Race ahead of a trio of 4½-Litre Bentleys, while Barnato/Kidston repeated the feat in the following year's Grand Prix d'Endurance at the Sarthe circuit ahead of similarly-mounted Clement/Watney. Small wonder then, that the fast yet refined 6½-Litre Speed Six was W O Bentley's favourite car. The 6½-Litre was produced for four years, during which time 544 chassis were completed, the standard/Speed Six split being 362/182. According to Dr Clare Hay's authoritative work, Bentley: The Vintage Years, this particular 6½-Litre, registration number 'YP 7937', is one of 97 erected on the ST2 (12') standard chassis; most (242) of the standard cars being built on the longer (12' 6') frame. Chassis number 'WB2565' was completed in August 1926 and bodied as a saloon by the obscure coachbuilder, Surbiton Bodies. The car was supplied via Jack Withers & Co of North London and the first owner was one Ulrich Charles Pusinelli of London. Early in its life 'YP 7937' was one of a group of Bentleys photographed on the seafront at Cannes (copy on file). The car continued to be serviced by Bentley until the outbreak of war, the last entry in the record (copy on file) being dated 2nd March 1939. By this time 'YP 7937' belonged to J O Kastner-Walmsley (its fourth owner), the second and third owners being T Miller Jones and S K Troman respectively.The next three known owners are, in order: H A Booth (1968); Paul Bentley (1972); and J C Wardell (1976). The Vanden Plas-style 'Le Mans' tourer body was fitted in 1972, and the car was in this form when it appeared in Clarendon's advertisement in Thoroughbred & Classic Cars magazine's June 1977 edition. Clarendon described the car as a 'Vanden Plas type 4-seater. Open Tourer coachwork, magnificently well finished. Tonneau and weather gear supplied. The overall appearance and performance of this vehicle are outstanding'. 'YP 7937' was next owned by David Findlay (1986) followed by Spencer Flack (1989-2000) and from then onwards by the current vendor, a prominent Swiss private collector. Restored in 1988, the Bentley is finished in British Racing Green with matching upholstery, while the original engine ('WB2562') has been enlarged to 8 litres. Figures quoted for this engine are a maximum output of 240bhp at 4,550rpm and 334lb/ft of torque at 2,950 revs, while the car is said to have a top speed in excess of 110mph. 'YP 7937' has been campaigned extensively while in the vendor's care, taking part in some of the toughest historic motoring events worldwide. These include the Peking to Paris Rally in 2007 (class winner, VSCC Award, Gold Medal); Carrera Sudamericana (2006); Vintage Bentley Tour of South Africa (2001 and 2006); and the New Zealand Vintage Tour (2002). It has also participated in the Liège-Rome Rally; Grand Prix de Tunis; Gran Premio Nuvolari; Rallye des Alpes; Ennstal Classic; Copperstate 1000; and the California Mille. The Bentley's most recent outing was at the Rotary Rally in September 2019. 'YP 7937' comes with a comprehensive history file, which among other items includes photographs of HRH Prince Charles driving it at Brands Hatch.The car is accompanied by numerous accessories designed and built with endurance rallying in mind, including but not limited to: tool cases built for the running boards; secondary water radiator and fans; custom made seats; desert air filters; and a customised bonnet. A full list of the adaptations and spare parts is available on request. In addition, the car is fitted with a 140-litre safety fuel tank. As legend has it, Ettore Bugatti once dismissed W O Bentley's products as 'the world's fastest lorries', but their inherent robustness made them ideally suited to the arduous long-distance events of their era. This car's exceptional rallying career in the hands of its current enthusiast owner amply demonstrates that W O got it absolutely right. Was there ever any doubt?Should the vehicle remain in the UK, local import taxes of 5% will be added to the hammer price.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * N* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.N If purchased by a UK resident, this machine is subject to a NOVA declaration, undertaken by Bonhams upon a successful sale, to facilitate the registration of the machine here in the UK.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 61
Quantity of Antiquarian and Later Books on The Scottish Borders and Scotland, To include Upper Teviotdale And The Scotts of Buccleugh by J. R. Oliver, Dated 1887, Aunt Janets Legacy To Her Nieces by Janet Bathgate, In Leather Half Calf, First Edition of The Drove Roads Of Scotland by A. R. B. Haldane, New Ways Through The Glens by A. R. B. Haldane, The Early Maps of Scotland to 1850, Volumes 1 and 2, The Road of Medieval Lauderdale by R. P. Hardie, Dated 1942, Illustrations of Scottish History Life by William Gunnyon, Dated 1879 etc, (33)
Lot 64
Quantity of Antiquarian and Later Books on the Scottish Borders and Scotland, To include Change at St. Boswells By Lieut.-Colonel Frederick G. Peake, Dated 1961, First Edition Beattock For Moffat And The Best Of by R.B. Cunninghame Graham, Dated 1979, Clovenfords Hotel Guide Book for Surrounding District by A. D. Reid, Dated 1906, Annals Of Three Dumfriesshire Dales by W. A. J. Prevost, Dated 1954, Border Reminiscences Annals of Thornlea, First Edition of Edinburgh & The Borders In Verse by Alan Massie, Poetry of the Scottish Borders Edited by Alex Cameron, The Call Of The Pentlands by Will Grant, Glimpses of Peebles or Forgotten Chapters in its History by Rev Alex Williamson etc, (37)
Lot 65
Quantity of Antiquarian and Later Books on The Scottish Borders and Scotland, To include The History And Poetry Of The Scottish Border by John Veitch, Vol II, Pentland Days & Country Ways by Will Grant, Peebles And Its Neighbourhood by W. And R. Chambers, Dated 1856, Chronicles From Peebles Briggate by James Grossart, Dated 1899, First Edition of Tweeddale by Will Grant, Dated 1948, In Praise Of Tweed by W. S. Crockett, Printed by James Lewis, Selkirk 1899, The Stow of Wedale (Gala Water) by Thomas Wilson, Dated 1924, The Merrick And The Neighbouring Hills by J. McBain, The Roxburghshire Word-Book by George Watson, Dated 1923, England Under Queen Anne Ramillies And The Union With Scotland, by George Macaulay Trevelyan, Dated 1932 etc, (25)
Lot 272
A collection x3 original German Steiff ' Danbury Mint ' edition soft toy teddy bears. The bears each having the gold button tag to the left ear. The first a golden fine curled mohair example with felt padded paws, black glossed eyes, stitched brown nose and medallion to the neck dated 2002. The second a dark brown mohair example with 2005 medallion and the third a blonde short mohair example with 2010 medallion. A great collection.
Lot 212
The Great Book Of Corgi 1956-1983 - by Marcel Van Cleemput - 1989 First Edition - a fabulous large coffee table reference book detailing the history of Corgi and their respective diecast models. Beautifully illustrated with photographs and artwork. With dust cover. Generally an excellent condition copy. Along with the accompanying Pocket Book. Rare.
Lot 1201
A volume - "The RSPB Book of Garden Birds" by Linda Bennett with 36 plates in colour by C.F. Tunnicliffe R.A. and line drawings by Robert Gilmore, damage to spine; a "Breeding British Birds in Cage and Aviary" by R.B. Bennett, first edition (some foxing and discolouration to front board) and ''Mule and Hybrid Birds'' by V.A.V. Carr, first edition (some foxing) - three in all
Lot 102
VINYL - THE 6THS - "WASPS' NEST". Limited edition PROMO COPY, 1995 first pressing 4 x 7" singles box set by this supergroup that includes members of THE MAGNETIC FIELDS, YO LA TANGO, DINOSAUR JTR., FOLK IMPLOSION, SUPERCHUNK, YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS, MITCH EASTER, ANNA DOMINO, CHRIS KNOX, BARBARA MANNING, GALAXIE 500 and many many more. THIS WAS A PROMO COPY and remains UNOPEN and all vinyl is in MINT condition, and box set is also in MINT- condition.
Lot 13
LÉONARD TSUGUHARU FOUJITA (1886-1968)Femme allongée, Youki signed and dated 'Foujita 1923' and further signed in Japanese (lower left); signed 'Foujita' and further signed, inscribed and dated in Japanese (on the stretcher)oil on canvas50 x 61.2cm (19 11/16 x 24 1/8in).Painted in Paris in December 1923Footnotes:ProvenancePrivate collection, ParisPrivate collection, Paris (a gift from the above in the 1930s).Thence by descent to the present owners.ExhibitedParis, Palais à la Porte Maillot, Salon des Tuileries, 1924.Paris, Musée de Montmartre, Léonard Tsuguhuaru Foujita et l'Ecole de Paris, 10 April - 23 June 1991, no. 14 (later travelled to Tokyo). Dinard, Palais des Arts du Festival, Foujita, le maître japonais de Montparnasse, 27 June - 25 September 2004, no. 51.Kawamura, Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art, Léonard Foujita et ses modèles, 17 September 2016 - 15 January 2017, no. 16 (later travelled to Iwaki, Niigata & Akita).Paris, Musée Maillol, Foujita, peindre dans les années folles, 7 March - 15 July 2018, no. 79. LiteratureF. de Miomandre, 'Foujita', in L'Art et les artistes, Paris, Vol. XXIII, no. 120, October 1931 (illustrated p. 14; titled 'Femme couchée' and dated '1924').S. Buisson, Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita, Vol. II, Paris, 2001, no. 23.30 (illustrated pp. 29 & 187).In the three decades from the Meiji Restoration until the turn of the century in 1900, Japan had changed in the most profound way. Closed off to the Western world throughout the Tokugawa shogunate, Japan had maintained the purity of its traditions in a way that seemed unimaginable to its contemporaries in the melting pot of central European culture. This was certainly true of the Arts, as painters and craftsmen revived and refined the ancient styles of painting, wood-blocking and porcelain production. When Japan threw off this self-imposed isolation in the 19th Century, a new wave of painting was promoted by the government to reflect the cultural rebirth and global reintegration: yoga, or Western, style. Artists were now encouraged to travel to Europe, seeking an exchange with their French, Dutch and Italian counterparts, returning to Japan well-versed in the aesthetic developments they had encountered there. One young artist who set off on this journey of discovery was Tsuguharu Foujita. However, he did not return to Japan shortly after his training in Paris: he went on to become one of the leading figures of the European avant-garde. By blending both Eastern and Western canonical traditions, and elevating them with a talent entirely of his own, Foujita remains one of the most significant figures to emerge from this period of cultural exchange. Born not long after the reopening of Japan to the West, Foujita trained as a yoga painter at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, and shortly thereafter moved to France with the intention of immersing himself in the art and culture of Paris, the epicentre of the international art scene. Perhaps Foujita's intentions were never to return to Japan bringing with him an understanding of the current French practice, but it soon became clear upon his arrival that he would not be satisfied with mere artistic reportage. Within a decade of his arrival in 1910, Foujita had attained critical success, and was a leading light of the Montparnasse scene, alongside his friends and fellow artists Amedeo Modigliani, Chaïm Soutine, Pablo Picasso and Fernand Léger. The end of the First World War in 1918 brought with it a new dawn in Paris. As Fernand Léger described it, 'man could finally lift his head, open his eyes, look around him and enjoy once again a taste for life' (Léger, quoted in S. Buisson, Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita, ACR Edition, Vol. I, Paris, p. 80). The Grand Palais reopened the following year, after spending the war as a barracks, and a Salon d'Automne was organised in which Foujita took part alongside some of the great names of the day: Matisse, Bonnard, Marquet. Foujita became a regular fixture at the annual Salons, and through these occasions he began to gain greater and greater acclaim. After the heartache of losing his close friends Amedeo Modigliani and Jeanne Hébuterne in 1920, Foujita threw himself ever more fervently into the practice of his art. He gained critical success for his serene still-lifes, and portraits embodying both his Eastern traditions and the most thrilling elements of the avant-garde. By the time the current work, Femme allongée, Youki, was exhibited in the Salon des Tuilieries in 1924, Foujita was at the very height of his 'golden-age'. Painted in 1923, the present work is one of the most alluring of Foujita's grands nus: a series of medium and large-scale canvases depicting the odalisque of the European tradition, seen through the prism of the Japanese painter's unique vision. Around 1920 Foujita moved away from the brighter palette he had adopted during the 1910s, and developed a restrained palette of greys, browns, blacks and creamy whites. Foujita even created a technique called nyhakushoku, or 'milky white', that he used to paint the serene tones of his nudes' skin. He employed these almost monochrome hues with devastating effect: in the present work, Foujita has used a smoky black to depict the background of the bedroom, throwing his sitter's alabaster skin into stunning contrast. Upon close study the subtle variations in her skin tone become clear, the shell-pink of her nipples and lips, and the shadows highlighting her breasts. The warm brown of her wavy hair identifies the sitter as Lucie Badoud, or 'Youki' as she was called affectionately by Foujita. The close perspective takes the viewer into the bed itself, enveloped in the soft grey ripples of the bed linens and the darkness of the intimate space Foujita has created. Youki gazes directly at the viewer, as if looking in to the eyes of her lover. The Japanese writer Teiichi Hijikata remarked that 'the skin [of Foujita's nudes] has the smooth and sparkling surface of porcelain, containing all the charm of white with none of the coldness' (Hijikata, quoted in S. Buisson, ibid., p. 96).Foujita had noted that the nude was all but absent from Japanese art, and that he had made a conscious decision to focus on the subject, looking to the greats of the Western canon, for whom the female nude had been a cornerstone since the Italian Renaissance. In 1921 the artist travelled to Italy, and encountered many of the great Western paintings so admired throughout the centuries. Painters like Michelangelo, Titian and Raphael were to become as important for Foujita's artistic development as Picasso and Modigliani had been during the preceding decade. It is likely, for instance, that Foujita would have seen The Venus of Urbino during this formative trip, and one cannot behold Femme allongée, Youki without recalling the direct gaze and gently downward tilting face of Titian's golden-haired beauty. Foujita's obsession with the female nude during the early 1920s can be seen partly as a response to his discovery of the Old Masters, but also as a conceptual choice very much tied to his Japanese heritage. Foujita applied the Japanese concept of Geidō, which means 'the way of art', to his practice. This concept encompassed the idea of an artist only attaining greatness through an apprentice-like devotion to perfecting technique. He believed that only through applying himself with an almost monkish devotion to his practice, could he then introduce an element of individuality and creative greatness to his work. This goes some way to explain Foujita's somewhat repetitive 'self-copying', as Sylvie Buisson refers to it, (S. Buisson, op. cit., p. 92), where the artist returned ... This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 16
RAOUL DUFY (1877-1953)Le retour des régates signed, inscribed and dated 'Deauville Raoul Dufy 1933' (lower left)oil on canvas46.7 x 110cm (18 3/8 x 43 5/16in).Painted in Deauville in 1933Footnotes:ProvenanceM. Bignou Collection (by 1936).Perls Galleries, New York, no. 3311.Anon. sale, Christie's, New York, 8 May 2002, lot 300.Kunsthandel Frans Jacobs, Amsterdam.Private collection, The Netherlands (acquired from the above on 24 October 2002). ExhibitedToledo, The Toledo Museum of Art, European Section of the Thirty Third Carnegie International Exhibition of Paintings, 1 March – 19 April 1936, no. 78. LiteratureM. Laffaille, Raoul Dufy, catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, Vol. II, Geneva, 1973, no. 864 (illustrated p. 351).Le retour des régates was executed in Deauville in 1933 and stems from one of Raoul Dufy's most iconic subjects. Boat races were painted by the artist on numerous occasions throughout both France and Great Britain: in fact, the subject first appeared in Dufy's work in 1907 and remained an important theme throughout his practice. Executed on a canvas measuring over a metre long, Les retour des régates is one of the largest regatta scenes ever to appear at auction and was painted at the height of the artist's career.In the early twentieth century, Deauville developed into a go-to resort for high society due to its proximity to Paris. With a racecourse, a casino and a harbour, the small town provided entertainment throughout the year. The many festivities that were held established an influx of tourists and formed the ideal environment for Dufy to paint en plein air. The artist could observe the pastimes of the French upper-class from behind the easel, and the joyous and dynamic atmosphere allowed him to experiment with movement and colour. Born on the northern coast of France in the city of Le Havre, the artist was fascinated by the ocean from a young age as he would stand on shore watching the activities around the water's edge. Dufy considered the sea as a backdrop for lively spectacles, and it formed the ultimate location to observe the ever changing light effects: 'Unhappy the man who lives in a climate far from the sea, or unfed by the sparkling waters of a river!...The painter constantly needs to be able to see a certain quality of light, a flickering, an airy palpitation bathing what he sees' (Dufy, quoted in D. Perez-Tibi, Dufy, New York, 1989, p. 158).Dufy scrutinised the boat racing theme over the course of his career, which resulted in an array of works on the subject. It allowed the artist to experiment with various structures and colour arrangements in his compositions and he mastered a uniquely free and dynamic style. In the present painting Le retour des régates, the viewer observes the sailing boats returning to the harbour after racing on a sunny day at sea. Dufy captures the scene as seen through the eyes of the sailors in the advancing boats, giving the viewer the sensation that they too are within the composition. With the wind blowing in their sails, the boats navigate towards maritime flags situating the harbour with the shore emerging in the background. Instead of carefully delineated details, Dufy employed bold and rigorous brushwork to create stylized forms on the two-dimensional picture plane. A dazzling palette of blue hues accentuate the sky and sea, evoking the atmospheric climate of his lively design. The present work is proof of the artist's masterful colour technique. In an interview with Pierre Courthion, Dufy elaborated on his choice of colour: 'Blue is the only color which keeps its own individuality across the spectrum. Take blue with its different nuances, from the darkest to the lightest; it will always be blue, whereas yellow darkens in shadow and fades out in lighter parts, dark red becomes brown and when diluted with white, it isn't red any more, but another color: pink' (Dufy quoted in P. Courthion, Raoul Dufy, Geneva, 1951, p. 52).Le retour des régates captures the spirit and influence of the Fauves, with whom Dufy exhibited following his encounter with Henri Matisse's seminal work Luxe, Calme et Volupté at the Salon des Indépendants in 1905. Being exposed to such daring work encouraged the young artist to experiment with a wider palette. As Dufy himself emphasised: 'colour captures the light that forms and animates the group as a whole. Every object or group of objects is placed within its own area of light and shade, receiving its share of reflections and being subjected to the arrangement decided by the artist' (Dufy quoted in D. Perez-Tibi, op. cit., p. 150).The 1930s are regarded as the apex of Dufy's career, as his work started to receive institutional attention and was widely acknowledged across continents. In 1932 the Musée de Luxembourg in Paris acquired one of his works for their permanent collection, and by 1936 Dufy received several important public commissions in Paris, most notably the mural for the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne. In the same year, the present painting Les retour des régates was included in the thirty-third edition of the prestigious Carnegie International exhibition, held in the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio. This show was initiated in 1896 by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and was the first exhibition with an international allure in North America. In 1936 the show served as an annual survey to identify international trends in avant-garde art to inspire and educate the public. Dufy's work was exhibited alongside paintings by artists such as George Braque and Pierre Bonnard. Other participants of the Carnegie International included Camille Pissarro, Salvador Dalí and Jackson Pollock.Raoul Dufy's spirited and bright compositions remain intrinsic to the art historical discourse of today, particularly his regatta paintings. Comparable works to Les retour des régates can be found in major public collections including the Musée d'Arte Moderne de la Ville in Paris, the Tate Modern in London and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 49
ALAN ALEXANDER MILNE: 2 titles: WINNIE-THE-POOH, ill E H Shepard, London, Methuen, 1926, 1st edition, contemporary inscription on first blank, some soiling to lower edges of leaves, original cloth gilt, re-cased preserving original spine, top edges gilt; NOW WE ARE SIX, ill E H Shepard, London, Methuen, 1927, 1st edition, original bright pictorial cloth gilt, top edges gilt, vgc (2)
Lot 492
A FORM AND PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING FOR THE SIGNAL VICTORY OBTAINED THROUGH THE BLESSING OF ALMIGHTY GOD BY HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS OF WAR UNDER THE COMMAND OF ADMIRAL NELSON OVER THE FRENCH FLEET ON WEDNESDAY FIRST AUGUST 1798..., London, George Eyre & Andrew Strahan, 1798, 1st edition, 4pp, some browning and light central fold, housed in modern cloth folder
Lot 580
WILLIAM MITCHELL ACWORTH: THE RAILWAYS OF ENGLAND, London, John Murray, 1889, 1st edition, 16 plates, 28pp adverts at end dated January 1889, original two-tone cloth gilt worn + JAMES STEPHEN JEANS: JUBILEE MEMORIAL OF THE RAILWAY SYSTEM..., London, Longmans, Green & Co, 1875, 1st edition, 6 plates as list, original bevelled cloth gilt + MICHAEL REYNOLDS: ENGINE-DRIVING LIFE, London, Crosby Lockwood & Co, 1881, 1st edition, frontis, 10pp adverts at end, original pictorial cloth gilt + CHARLES EDWARD LEE: THE FIRST PASSENGER RAILWAY, London, The Railway Publishing Co, 1942, 1st edition, original cloth backed boards (4)
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