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Somewhere in the English countryside, seven cars built at the dawn of motoring sat quietly through the better part of a century. Bought in the 1930s, parked when World War II broke out, and handed down through the family ever since, the group now known as "The Somerset Hoard" is finally coming out of hiding. Bonhams will offer the collection at its Golden Age of Motoring Sale on Friday, October 30, at the auction house's New Bond Street headquarters in London.
The timing is no accident. The sale traditionally kicks off the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run weekend, and several cars in the hoard were built early enough to qualify for that famous run, which is open only to cars made before 1905. For the right buyer, that could mean a trip from the saleroom to the start line in nearby Hyde Park in years to come. Bonhams says the sale will offer the largest selection of Run-eligible cars available anywhere.
Finds like this are rare. As we covered in Barn Find Basics: How Rare Cars Stay Hidden for Decades, the longer a car stays out of view, the more interesting its story usually gets. This one has been out of view since 1939.
What's in the Somerset Hoard
1905 Humber (Coventry) 8/10HP: The last of the group to see regular use, this two-seater has a rear platform deck and a distinctively shaped radiator. Its supplier's plate traces it to Humber's Liverpool depot on Leece Street. Car no. 355 wears registration YD 5598, a 1932 Somerset number that replaced its original Liverpool plate.
c.1903 Baker Electric: Yes, an electric car from more than 120 years ago. This genuine English-market Baker has right-hand tiller steering and controls. First registered to an owner in Bristol, it was re-registered in 1915 to the Bristol Carriage and Wagon Works Co. It also got around, turning up in Scotland in 1915 before heading back south to Tewkesbury in 1918. Traces of old lettering are still visible on its leather dash.
c.1902 Progress: Built by the short-lived Progress Motor Co. of Coventry, this open two-seater has a platform deck at the rear, "Progress" lettering on the hubcaps, and a De Dion Bouton engine believed to be an 8 or 9HP unit.
1905 Rover 8HP: Rover introduced the 8HP at the Crystal Palace show in February 1905, showing it beside a prototype that had already logged 10,000 to 11,000 miles to prove it was tough. This one seats two plus two occasional passengers. Its monocoque construction carries the engine, gearbox, and suspension, and it still has its original steel cable steering and Bowden cable controls. It rolls on wire-spoke wheels up front and wood-spoke wheels out back, the latter an optional extra when new.
c.1903 Swift: Powered by a 6HP De Dion Bouton engine, the Swift has two seats plus a detachable groom's seat by Hollick and Pratt of Coventry. Its oddities include an unusual rear axle and a starting handle mounted at the back. It carries registration FX 7944.
c.1904 Darracq 12HP Twin-Cylinder: This one wears a four-seat rear-entrance tonneau body and was registered A 3367 by the London County Council.
1913 Belsize 10/12HP: The "youngster" of the bunch, a four-cylinder Belsize.
More Veteran Cars on the Docket
The hoard isn't the only draw. Topping the sale is a 1904 Darracq Twin-Cylinder 10HP Swing-Seat Tonneau, and a 1910 Brasier 12/18HP 12C Tourer is being offered without reserve. If brass-era cars are your thing, check out this 1904 Winton 20hp Rear-Entrance Tonneau and these two brass era cars with serious style.
Why It Matters
Tim Schofield, Head of UK Business Development Sales at Bonhams, called the sale "the traditional curtain raiser" for the London to Brighton weekend. Seven untouched veteran cars from one family, all with documented British histories, is the kind of offering that rarely happens anymore. Expect strong interest, especially given why buyers pay premiums for dust and patina.
The Golden Age of Motoring Sale takes place October 30 at Bonhams, 109 New Bond Street, London. Full lot details are on the Bonhams website. Looking for your own early classic? Browse the coolest pre-war cars for sale right now on Motorious.
