Historic cars — and a WWII Spitfire fighter plane — go up for auction

An assortment of somewhat eccentric but ultimately appealing vintage collectors’ machinery, topped by a 1983 Lancia Rally “Evoluzione” and featuring Porsches, Bugattis and even a Spitfire fighter plane from World War II, will go to auction in Britain next month.

The event, organized by the Bonham/Cars auction organization and scheduled for September 9-10, is formally called the “Revival Sale,” to be held on the grounds of Goodwood, site of the famous track southwest of London.

Cutting to the chase, here’s a look at some of the highlights noted by Bonham’s that are expected to attract substantial bids…plus there’s the airplane as the cherry on top.

—1973 3-liter Martini Racing Works Team Porsche Carrera RSR 'R7' Endurance Racing Coupé (estimated bid, $4.7 million to $7.25 million.). That’s quite a name for quite a race car and a veteran of the 24 Hours of LeMans in 1973. The car’s background goes back to the previous year, when Porsche launched its new 911 Carrera model with engine capacity raised from 2.4 liters to 2.7. A batch of 500 lightweight-bodied 911s was built to achieve governing-body sporting acceptance (homologation) of the new variant. Three versions were offered – the RS (RennSport), RST (touring) and the ultimate racing RSR, of which this 'R7' is one of only four such works team cars to have survived. It’s also one of only a few cars to wear the classic Martini Racing livery with its dark-blue and red striping upon a German-silver background.