A RARE and exotic pre-war sports car proved it had something special when it fetched almost £250,000 at an auction in Leominster.

More than 1,000 buyers descended on Brightwells to see more than 160 classic cars and 23 motorcycles come under the auctioneer’s hammer earlier this month.

It was the chain-drive 1936 Frazer Nash TT Rep, with a known history from new and an illustrious competition record stretching back over many decades which was fiercely contested by a number of bidders – both in the saleroom and on the phones.

It was finally sold to a Swiss buyer for £236,500 and saw a packed salesroom raise a spontaneous round of applause.

A 1964 Mini Cooper MkI that was hammered away just a few seconds later for £11,000 appeared to be a steal by comparison.

"This was another strong result for Brightwells and we are very pleased to have continued our 80 per cent clearance rate for seven sales on the trot," said Brightwells’ lead consultant, James Dennison.

"This shows that not only are we continuing to read the market well and pitch our estimates at a sensible level, it also shows there is plenty of life in the classic vehicle sector and there are no shortage of willing buyers out there only too keen to have a nice old car or motorcycle in the garage rather than a lump of cash mouldering in a bank account."

To view the results of the May sale in full, please visit brightwells.com and click on ‘Classic Vehicles’ or phone 01568 611122.