1980s Supercars: Nick Whale, Silverstone Auctions

The 1980s is guilty for more than its fair share of travesties – shoulder pads, vinyl flooring, Enya. But one thing it did do well was supercars. Undervalued until recently, now is the time to pick up a classic while it’s cheap enough you can still dare to drive it.

Ferrari Testarossa

The Ferrari Testarossa [pictured] was a poster car of the 1980s and it is one of the most rapidly appreciating cars in the classic car market today. The dramatic Pininfarina lines coupled with the usable 4.9-litre flat-12 engine, roomy cabin and comfortable ride makes it one of the most practical and (surprisingly) reliable supercars of its time.

“I remember the Testarossa well” says Silverstone Auctions managing director Nick Whale. “It was the first ‘global supercar’ that Ferrari made. The car is now in vogue again – after a brief spell of being unloved – and classic car collectors and enthusiasts can’t get enough of it. The market for these cars is rapidly appreciating, especially in UK-supplied right-hand-drive guise. Low-mileage is a key consideration when buying any Testarossa; we recently sold a low-mileage example for a record-breaking £202,500 [including fees]. Get one while you can – you won’t regret it.”

Lamborghini Countach QV

The Lamborghini Countach QV is one of the best known silhouettes of the 1980s. Its predecessor, the Miura, is widely regarded as the first ever supercar. The exotic Italian carmaker returned with sharp styling and iconic scissor doors for the Countach.

The QV, named for its four valve heads, was introduced 14 years after the Countach was initially launched. The QV had an extra 45bhp with little changes made to the exterior.

Car enthusiasts just can't get enough of the Testarossa. Buy one while you can – you won't regret it

“Well-maintained, as-new condition examples of the Countach QV are incredibly difficult to find” says Whale, “as such, they command higher prices. A theme is emerging of late with classics of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s – ‘pin-up’ cars are becoming increasingly sought after, this demand is driving prices higher.”

Porsche 911 (930) Turbo

Introduced in 1975, and remaining in production until 1989, the Porsche 911 Turbo (also known as 930) is easily recognisable by its distinctive ‘whale tail’ spoiler, wider rear arches and fat tyres. The most desirable Turbo variants are those from 1989 – the last year of 930 production. The later models resolve its predecessors’ Turbo lag issues with an engine remap and a new five-speed gearbox.

“The 911 family has one of the most iconic silhouettes in motoring, and none is more dramatic than the original 930,” says Whale. “The market has only recently woken up to these after a sudden surge in air-cooled Porsche prices. There are only a finite number of these cars in the current market so we’re seeing great investment potential.

“Silverstone Auctions has sold a vast number of these 930s, the most desirable cars being the run-out 1989 models. In our July Sale at Silverstone Classic we have a rare one-off 50 Turbo LE, built to commemorate the end of 930 production [estimate: £120,000 – 140,000, pictured right]. However, we also have another gem in the form of a Guards Red low-mileage 930 from 1989 with contrasting Fuchs alloys [estimate: £47,000-£50,000] – both cars are appreciating modern classics.”

Lotus Turbo Esprit

The Lotus Turbo Esprit was introduced following a limited run of turbocharged ‘Essex Esprit’ models in 1980, designed to link Lotus road cars with the F1 ties of Lotus and Essex Petroleum. The performance this small production run of cars offered elevated the Esprit to real supercar status.

Where the Essex cars used a dry sump engine, the Turbo Esprit – introduced in 1981 – used a slightly less complicated wet sump unit that produced 210hp. As a result, the Turbo could accelerate to 60mph in 5.4secs, and on to a top speed of 153mph – impressive for 1981.

Whale says: “The Lotus Esprit Turbo is world-famous for being a Bond car in For Your Eyes Only – second to the S1 submarine, of course. A solid long-term investment, the Lotus Esprit is a usable classic car that is loved within the classic car community.”

DeTomaso Pantera

The Italian-bodied, American-V8-powered DeTomaso Pantera is an icon in its own right. More than 7,000 were sold in its 20-year run.

Famed American car nut Jay Leno is on record saying that he thinks the De Tomaso Pantera “one of the most misunderstood and undervalued” cars of the 1970s – and it’s easy to see why. Whale says: “Values for DeTomasos are increasing, however they are still on the whole reasonably priced – an extraordinary amount of car for the money.”

“The best angle of the Pantera is at the rear – an exposed ZF transaxle lies between the quad exhausts – the ultimate in automotive artwork. History is key with these cars; DeTomasos weren’t completely finished and required quite a lot of work to get them to factory-specification from new. However, by now, owners have become wise to their niggles and enthusiast-owned cars will have been fixed. Panteras are superb value and a safe investment for the future. We have an exceptional one of only 17 right-hand-drive Pantera GT5-S models [pictured below] available in our July Sale, the low-mileage example has an estimate of £80,000-£100,000.”

Formed in 2011, Silverstone Auctions is a world-class specialist auction house, specialising in modern classics including competition cars and automotive memorabilia. The Silverstone Classic Sale will be held at The Wing at Silverstone circuit. Viewing will be open on 24 July and the auction is being held on 25-26 July 2015. Full catalogue available to view on: silverstoneauctions.com. For any enquiries please call the team on 01926 691 141.

Globes: Charles Wallrock, Wick Antiques

So what makes globes different from other antiques? Having watched markets fluctuate over my 33 years of trading, I have developed a good understanding on where the trends lie. I feel 9/11 was the start of a slowdown in the British antiques trade, owing to a decline in American tourism in the UK, compounded by the fact that US buyers were the engine room of the market. As sales dropped off in furniture and decorative items, globes held their ground as key investment pieces. They continued to retain or even increase their value.

Historically, globes were the ultimate accessories, designed and produced to accommodate kings and queens, politicians with acquisitive aspirations, and captains of industry. The globes enabled them to keep a close eye on their ships and cargoes, their armies and their territorial protectorates, as well as adorning their beautiful libraries.

This still remains the case today – no gentleman’s study is complete without one or, indeed, a pair. As symbols of wealth and good taste globes are examples of timeless elegance, reflecting the style and fashions of bygone eras, and have consequently retained their cachet. As globes have always been expensive luxury items, often specially commissioned, there has always been a limited supply of stock available, thus making them all the more desirable and enhancing their value.

As symbols of wealth and good taste globes are examples of timeless elegance, reflecting the style and fashions of bygone eras, and have consequently retained their cachet

This particularly applies to fine 18th-and 19th-century English library globes, whether they are floor or table-standing, handmade by the master craftsmen of their time: Newton, Bardin, Cary and Adams. My personal favourites are Cary’s because of the fine elegance of the stands, combined with the superb cartography on the globes, resulting in sophisticated works of art.

So, should one invest in antique globes? Like all investments, values can fluctuate, but the advantage of buying works of art is the built-in bonus of owning beautiful objects. There is the pride and pleasure of being the custodian of the prized possessions of bygone generations and added historical interest depending on the discoveries, political territories and even engineering feats plotted on your set of papers. With globes you can potentially make a savvy investment, while having the world at your fingertips.

Arms and Armour: Dr Glenn Lacki, Kallos Gallery

Brothers in arms

Helmets, breastplates, swords and shields, spears, greaves and all the various other paraphernalia of bloodshed and military ceremony: often these objects are extraordinarily beautiful (and mightily cool) in their own right, and the stories each has to tell strike the heart. A real, breathing person once wielded that short-sword; wore and polished that helmet; spent five months of his soldier’s pay to embellish that cuirass. It takes no great study of history to appreciate so essential a connection: through such objects real people, and lived lives, can be yours to touch across time; though steer clear of the dealer offering to sell you the Shield of Achilles.

The value of craftsmanship

The market in the ancient arms of the Greeks, Romans, Persians, Hittites, Egyptians and beyond never really falters. Nor do the returns that owners of these works can expect. Outrageous prices are common for the second-rate in the contemporary art market. Yet here one can invest in the best at comparatively reasonable prices – for now, at least.

Auction results, though only the most visible part of the story, are revealing, and doubly so in the uncommon circumstance that an object has been offered publicly on more than one occasion. It is not unusual to see estimates or earlier results doubled, tripled and quadrupled on pieces of particularly rare type, and especially when that type is one of especially appealing aesthetics. A Corinthian bronze helmet of the much sought-after Hermione type sold at Sotheby’s New York in 1990 for $115,500, and again in 2007 for $270,000. The piece was incomplete, heavily restored, and of middling quality; yet the beauty and rarity of the type drove its value higher.

Outstanding works obtain outstanding results, time and again. At Christie’s in 2010 alone, the Crosby Garrett Roman cavalry parade mask and helmet, offered in London after its discovery in Cumbria, fetched the attention of the British public – and £2.3m, while an exquisitely etched and crested bronze Cretan helmet took $842,500 in New York. Quality, rarity and importance overlapped equally in both pieces.

Gird yourself for battle

More and more museum collections and auction results are being made available online. Whether you are looking to buy at auction, from a dealer, or through private arrangement, the scope for easy comparison of similar or related artworks is large.

Ask important questions: how many exist? Which museums have examples, and in what condition? How often does such a thing appear on the market? How many available examples are of comparable quality to the piece?

Few have the time for immersive study, but a knowledgeable and reliable dealer can fill this gap, and you should not hesitate to ask questions. If trustworthy they should be happy to guide you in acquainting yourself with the subject, and in your purchases, regardless of their own interest. As ‘pro tips’ go, ask the seller for an X-ray: with arms and armour especially these can reveal a piece’s genuine quality and condition, highlighting its original craft and any later restoration. These can also be as beautiful as they are useful.

A gathering of arms

A collection of ancient arms and armour can be eclectic, encyclopaedic and scholarly, or very esoteric. Hedge fund manager Christian Levett amassed a wonderful trove, numerous and far-ranging, upon which he founded the Mougins Museum of Classical Art in 2011. But unless you have immense wealth and intend to open a museum, too, you need to choose between quantity and quality. If beauty is what drives you, then learn what is out there, and keep the bar strict and high.

If the treasure you have in mind is something not often seen, of beautiful craft and condition, better than many museum pieces, unlikely to be bettered on the market and presently available for purchase, then the ancient Greeks would call this ho kairos – the supreme and opportune moment. Seize it. Once gone, the market may never see its like again.

Film posters: Bruce Marchant, The Reel Poster Gallery

Film posters were born in an era rich in poster tradition, an era considered to be the golden age of the poster in the western world. The public were used to seeing Toulouse-Lautrec posters for the Moulin Rouge, and Alphonse Mucha and Pierre Bonnard posters pasted on advertising boards, with their brilliant colours and few words. The early film posters, with their beautiful full-colour art, were in complete contrast to the black-and-white films they represented. In the early days of cinema the main source of advertising was through poster art, and it was the public’s first exposure to what they could see at the cinema; posters had to entice the viewer.

Posters for James Bond films have already proved a good investment. The early Sean Connery posters from the 1960s have gone from hundreds to thousands of pounds in the past 15 years

Posters and lobby cards loaned to cinemas were returned to poster exchanges when the films had finished their run. In many cases they were returned and stored in warehouses until the Second World War, when many of the posters were recycled due to paper shortages. Advertising material that remained was rented to cinemas if films were re-released, but in the late 1960s and early 1970s a handful of people began dealing in cinema memorabilia. It was more profitable for the owners of the poster exchanges to sell items to these people than to wait for a small rental fee.

Film posters and lobby cards were not really accessible until the 1960s, so they are a relatively new area of collecting. Like many great novels and works of music that are now cherished, their commercial origins kept them from being taken seriously at first. In contrast, comics and baseball cards were collected in the 1930s and 1940s and are now an established market.

In the 1990s, a Boris Karloff poster for The Mummy (1932) sold for £280,000 in Sotheby’s New York. This was key in bringing film poster art to a wider audience and making it a serious art form. Many major institutions, including MoMA, the US Library of Congress and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, now have their own collections of film posters. The appeal of films is now huge, with box office revenues exceeding £23bn.

The most highly collectible film posters have already exceeded £100,000. These will carry on increasing owing to their incredible scarcity. Posters for King Kong (1933), Frankenstein (1931) and Metropolis (1927) have made huge sums, but there is an area of the market, which is accessible to more people, where availability and tremendous growth opportunities remain.

Posters for James Bond films have already proved a good investment. The early Sean Connery posters from the 1960s have gone from hundreds to thousands of pounds in the past 15 years. Only a limited number of Roger Moore posters survived from the 1970s, and they will increase in value as availability decreases. Iconic film posters for classic titles in the 1960s and 1970s are very affordable and have potential for excellent growth.

Bronze: Edward Horswell, Sladmore Gallery

When it comes to investing in bronze, my top three works would be by Auguste Rodin, Rembrandt Bugatti and François Pompon. All three sculptors are well known and have had recent museum shows – essential for an increase in awareness, which in turn has a positive effect on price.

For Rodin’s wonderful Jean d’Aire, we can chart an auction increase over the past 15 years from $50,000 to $500,000. This tenfold increase is partly owing to a reliable authentication service appearing for Rodin’s work in 2007. This is another important factor in buying any major work: expertise adds value.

Sladmore first sold an example of Bugatti’s sublime Walking Panther in 1969 for £1,800. My first sale of this model in 1982 realised £25,000 and today a fine-quality example would go for more than £400,000. Here, an iconic work from the leading artist in his genre, featured in recent museum shows and books, has provided almost a 16-fold increase in 30 years. A similar return would have been made for Pompon’s marble Polar Bear.

When buying art purely for pleasure, what you like is important, but finding a trustworthy advisor is essential. There is plenty of information online but help will be required to analyse what it all means.

As a principal dealer I am prepared to invest in my own stock. I am also secure in the knowledge that my most loyal clients have made far more than me. Perhaps I should close my doors and hang on to everything.

Stamps & Coins: Keith Heddle, Stanley Gibbons

Alternative investments are becoming more mainstream, helped by more transparent indices and reporting, and the internet opening up auctions and information to the world. At the time of writing the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index (KFLII), which tracks the performance of a theoretical basket of nine luxury assets, has risen 174%, with stamps and coins proving to be less volatile than the index as a whole over the ten-year period.

The world-record price for a stamp at auction was broken last year with the sale of the British Guiana 1c black on magenta for $9.48m, while the world record price for a coin was set in January 2013 when a 1794 ‘flowing hair’ silver dollar sold for more than $10m. The record price for a British coin was set in May 2014 with the sale of a rare Edward VIII ‘proof’ gold sovereign [pictured] for £516,000.

Investment-grade stamps and coins have a history of stable growth behind them, and the Coutts Luxury Index found that since 2005 they have doubled in value. They are also largely unaffected by swings in other markets, being driven by the needs of collectors rather than the ‘greed’ of investors – and they are outside the banking system.

The world record price for a coin was set when a 1794 silver dollar sold for more than $10m

Further corroboration of market strength comes in the form of Stanley Gibbons’ indices, listed on the Bloomberg Professional Service. The Stanley Gibbons Rare Coin Index GB200 (STGIRCIX) tracks the price of 200 investment-grade British coins based on global auction prices listed in the independent Spink Coins of England and the United Kingdom catalogue. The Index has shown a 12.75% compound annual growth rate over the past ten years. The Stanley Gibbons GB250 rare stamp index (STGIGB30) has shown annual compound growth of 11.43% since 2004.

As with any market there are important things to consider when investing. Rarity and uniqueness is crucial, as is the condition of the item and its authenticity. Seek items with documented history and provenance, and remember a certificate is only as good as the body issuing it. Also, only invest in areas where there are a healthy number of collectors, as collectors drive prices. Finally, price is key, and the classic value-investment principle applies here – seek to buy at below fair value.

The key risk for investors in this market is trying to go it alone. Where there is money to be made, you will find fakes – not just through obvious forgery, but by ‘over-grading’ a coin or mis-stating the condition of a stamp. Buy through reputable dealers and auction houses.

Investors seeking high-risk, fast returns and the thrill of dynamic stock-picking and trading should steer clear of rare stamps and coins. But it might be just right for those seeking to own a tangible slice of history with a good chance of long-term capital growth.