Owned by automobilia enthusiast, Stewart Imber, the collection has previously appeared on Channel 4, Quest TV and has been dressing sets at The Goodwood Revival since 2005. There will be 140 items for sale in total including both original items from the 1950’s and 1960’s as well as reproduction items which were created especially for TV and film sets. The items with the highest pre-sale estimates include a Raleigh original period eight bike rack with original enamel sign, which is ex-Goodwood Revival Tour de France set, estimate - £1,500 - £2,000; a 1972 Honda ST70 ‘Monkey Bike’ which has an estimate of £1,500 - £2,000 and a Michelin forecourt compressor ‘Bomb’ cast Bibendum astride compressor unit which has an estimate of £2,000 - £2,500. The collection is expected to make a total of between £20,000 and £25,000.
Stewart Imber comments: “The lots going under the hammer in April are mainly items that have been used in various specialised sets for Goodwood Revival over the last few years. Other items included in the sale are from my own personal collection, amassed over the last 43 years. The collection is vast so now is the time for me to part with some of these wonderful collectables and hand them over to new custodians.
It is getting harder and harder to find quality automobilia collectables in this market as more people have started collecting and items have become increasingly popular in the interior design set. The market is showing no signs of slowing, and items which might have been £50 or so a couple of years ago are now making around £250. I have also seen an increase in the numbers of agencies requesting props for interiors photoshoots and film sets. The American market is also red-hot at the moment with collections reaching million dollar figures.”
Stewart Imber has been dressing sets at Goodwood for the past 13 years with commissions for Rolls Royce, BMW, Mini Motoraad, Jaguar, Michelin and others.
Jeremy Curzon, Director, Cheffins comments: “Stewart Imber is renowned throughout the automobilia collecting world as having one of the greatest collections of motoring-related artefacts in the UK. The owner of Themed Garages, he has since 2005 been entirely responsible for setting the magnificent sets at The Goodwood Revival. This is a fantastic opportunity for collectors around the world to acquire some very fine and rare items as well as some enormously creative pieces that have been on display at Goodwood and must have been photographed by many thousands during the course of the festivals. We are very pleased to have been entrusted with sale of a good number of these extraordinary set props as well as making some inroads into Stewart’s personal collection.
Automobilia offers a huge variety of items in this collecting class such as vintage petrol pumps, some of which can make up to £10,000, petrol pump glass globes which can make tens of thousands, clocks, thermometers and enamel signs bearing names such as Shell, Bedfords or National Benzole. Enamel signs seem to be particularly hot at the moment, regularly seeing at least £2,000 paid per item at auction and sold on for vast figures in antiques shops across the country. The petrol globes were first introduced to help drivers to see the pump at night, but these have now become a popular collectors’ item in their own right. Many buyers look to restore these vintage items, but some require them fully restored and ready to display. Despite their meteoric rise in popularity, these items can still be picked up at a good price at auction. For example last year we sold a beautiful original AA Garage enamel sign from the Holkham Hall Bygones Museum at our July auction for £460 to a collector.”
The Cheffins Cambridge Vintage sale will take place on Saturday 21st April 2018 from 9.30am at Cheffins Machinery Sale Ground, Sutton, Ely, CB6 2QT.
For more information please call Cheffins auctioneers on 01353 777767.