Some of the world's rarest and most unusual vintage tractors – as well as classic cars and motorcycles – will go under the hammer at a major East Anglian auction today.
Cheffins' Cambridge Vintage Sale, at the firm's saleground in Sutton, near Ely, is Europe's largest auction of its type and is expected to attract collectors and enthusiasts 'from far and wide'.
Among the 230 rare vintage and classic tractors on offer, the headline lot is a sought-after 1968 Doe 130 with an estimate of £65,000-£75,000.
Only 170 of these 'iconic' machines were ever built, making them incredibly rare and a favourite with tractor collectors and enthusiasts. Auctioneers said the model for sale has exceptional provenance and history, having been bought new by George Pryor in Essex – the farmer and inventor who was behind the original concept of the famous Doe 'Triple-D'.
Following this is a 1957 Marshall MP6, one of only 197 to be built, with all but 10 being exported to Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania. It has an estimate of £65,000-£75,000.
There is also a 1923 Peterbro 30-4, built by the Peter Brotherhood, based in Peterborough, which is one of only a handful of these tractors in preservation in the UK. This one is expected to make around £40,000-£50,000.
READ MORE: Brexit 'golden touch' has sent second-hand tractor sales soaring, say auctioneersCheffins chairman Bill King said: 'This sale encompasses a superb line-up of over 200 tractors, covering examples dating from before the 1920s right the way through to the 1990s.
'Those on offer include some highly-rare originals, as well as well-restored items, many of which are coming to the market for the first time in decades. 'We are looking forward to seeing collectors and enthusiasts from far and wide for the first of our iconic vintage sales of the year, particularly as this is one of the best April vintage sales we will have had to date. Not only are there over 3,000 diverse lots but also the quality of those on offer are second-to-none.'
In the cars and bikes section, there is a 1950 1595cc Land Rover Series 1 which is set to make £20,000-£22,000, while the highlight of the 39 vintage motorcycles on offer is a 1958 125cc Bialbero Grand Prix Ducati – one of very few machines which were sold off to private buyers when Ducati withdrew from racing at the end of 1959. The bike has an estimate of £48,000 - £52,000.
Meanwhile, the 'petroliana' section is dominated by the 160 lots from the world-renowned automobilia collection belonging to Stewart Imber of Goodwood Revival and set and prop hire company, Themed Garages.
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