The collection has been compiled over many years by Stewart Imber, the owner of the Themed Garages set and prop hire company. He has often appeared on TV and has been supplying automobilia for the sets at The Goodwood Revival festival since 2005, including commissions for Rolls Royce, BMW, Mini Motoraad, Jaguar and Michelin.
The consignment of 140 items will be offered at Cheffins’ ‘Vintage’ sale in Ely on April 21. It includes original items from the 1950s and 1960s as well as reproductions created for TV and film sets.
Among the leading lots is a 1972 Honda ST70 ‘Monkey Bike’ which has an estimate of £1500-2000, while a non-car related object given the same pitch is a Raleigh eight-bike rack with original enamel sign which was used in a Tour de France set at the Goodwood Revival.
Imber said: “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.”
Speaking about the enamel signs in the collection, director at Cheffins Jeremy Curzon said: “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.”
Outside of the Imber collection, the headline lot at the Cheffins sale is a 1919 Albion Anglo-Amercian Oil Company delivery lorry which is estimated at £40,000-50,000.
Bought by the vendor in 1985, it was fully restored in 2011 when over £1500-worth of gold leaf was used to recreate the sign writing.
The restored vehicle has won a series of awards including ‘Best Vehicle’ at the 2012 Trans Pennine Run; ‘Best Vehicle’ at the Biggar Rally; and ‘Outright Concours Winner’ at the 2013 HCVS London to Brighton.
It will be offered with some Pratt’s pre-war two-gallon petrol cans which the vendor has also restored.
