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Cheffins’ Cambridge Vintage Sale was held at Sutton, near Ely, on the 21 and 22 April. Based in East Anglia but operating nationwide, Cheffins is Europe’s leading auctioneer of vintage machinery, and this sale was a major event for collectors and enthusiasts from across the continent.

Of the over 300 vintage and classic tractors offered, the headline lot of the day was a 2001 John Deere 7810 which sold for £45,500, to a collector in the UK. This was followed by a 1980s Ford 7810 ‘Silver Jubilee’ which achieved £32,500. Among the earlier tractors, a 1964 Roadless Ploughmaster 6/4 fetched £31,000, while a 1918 Avery 8-16 made £29,000.

Tractors from the 1970s were also in high demand, with a 1975 Ford 7000 achieving £29,500 and a 1971 John Deere 3120 made £16,000.

Among the vehicles, a 2005 Argo Avenger 8x8 UTV, which was bought new by journalist and TV personality, Jeremy Clarkson, far exceeded its presale estimate of £2,000, selling for £5,500, while a 1963 Thames Trader and Scammell trailer achieved £24,000.

One of the most sought after lots at the sale was a Brayshaw living wagon, which had been fully restored and sold for £17,500.

Oliver Godfrey, Head of the Machinery Division at Cheffins, commented: “The April vintage auction really kicks off the start of the season for many collectors and vintage enthusiasts.

“The sale saw over 142,000 views online ahead of the auction, and we had hundreds of buyers in attendance from across the continent, all looking to pick up that next special piece for their collection.

“Over 75 per cent of the classic and vintage tractors offered sold on the day all for premium prices, illustrating the health and continued enthusiasm for this niche collecting market.

“With examples dating from the pre-1920s right through to the early 2000s and those which had been beautifully restored or those left to mature naturally, there was plenty of choice for both our regular buyers and a number of the new faces we welcomed to the sale ground.”

He continued: “Classic motorbikes also saw some seriously competitive bidding as this section of the sale continues to strengthen.

“Undoubtedly the petroliana market is one to watch, with significant price rises being seen across all areas and some of the rarer examples of petrol pumps, enamel signs and other forecourt memorabilia achieving well into the thousands.

“We were pleased to welcome back familiar faces to this iconic sale ahead of the vintage rally and show season and will look forward to seeing the regular collectors and enthusiasts join us for the next vintage auction in July,” Oliver added.

The next Vintage sale will be on 21 and 22 July.

For more information, please visit www.cheffins.co.uk, or call Cheffins auctioneers on Tel. 01353 777767.

Over £2M worth of collectors’ items sold at Europe’s largest collective vintage sale