Rare sports car sells for £100,000

Monday 28th September 2009, 9:10AM BST.

A rare sports car which was bought new for a Shropshire landowner’s daughter in the 1930s for just £425 has sold for more than £100,000 at an auction in the United States.

The AC 16/80 competition model sports two seater was bought by a mystery bidder for £104,342 at the Bonhams Auction at Brookline, Massachusetts, on Saturday.

It had originally been bought for Clare Hope-Edwardes, who lived at Netley Hall in Shrewsbury, and later at Linley Hall in Bishop’s Castle.

The then 25-year-old, who was a member of one of the county’s oldest and most distinguished families, took delivery of the car in 1937 and used to drive it at speeds of up to 100mph across beaches in north Wales.

The made-to-measure car, which was originally in metallic grey and had a grey leather interior, still has the original number plate. Only 14 of its type were ever made.

The car has since had at least 20 other owners.

Miss Hope-Edwardes, who wed Old Etonian barrister and future Ludlow MP Sir Jasper More in 1944, owned the car until 1951 before her 40th birthday the following year.

View more: Ludlow news, Shrewsbury news.