A 1938 Delage D6-70 Tourer once owned by actress Margaret Lockwood is to provide one of the main draws at Bonhams' Beaulieu Sale on September 8.
 The Delage is offered as an unfinished project, with restoration work due |
Margaret Lockwood was an English actress, known for her roles in the 1940s Gainsborough melodramas - a series of period dramas produced by the Gainsborough Pictures studio. However, her most famous performance came when she appeared as the lead in Alfred Hitchcock's 1938 thriller, The Lady Vanishes.
The Delage Tourer was bought by the actress with one her first film cheques. Purchased from new, Lockwood spotted the car on the Delage stand at the 1938 Motor Show at London's Earls Court. It is no wonder she was drawn to the vehicle; it boasts striking red and black paintwork that would catch the eye of any would-be buyer.
The Delage was passed down through the Lockwood family until the 1990s, when it was bought by the current owner's late father. Offered as an unfinished project, restoration work has been carried out by respected specialists on almost every element of the car, aside from the interior trim, hood and various minor parts. It will sell for £40,000-50,000 ($64,000-80,000) at the Hampshire, UK auction.
The sale's top performance is expected from a 1925 Bentley 3/4½ litre Speed Model Red Label Tourer, which is estimated at £160,000-220,000. The world record for a British-built car at auction was set at £5m ($8m) in June when the 1929 Birkin Bentley sold at Bonhams' Goodwood Festival of Speed sale.
Also featuring will be the Exmoor Classic Cars Museum's collection, led by a 1972 Ferrari 246GTS Dino Spyder.
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