Back to back – French Racing Blue or British Racing Green?

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Although we usually pick out a pair which challenge each other in terms of vintage, performance, size or body – or all of these together - this time it’s simply the price that dictates the comparison. Both of these cars are estimated to sell at up to €140,000 in Bonhams' Les Grandes Marques du Monde sale in Paris. The online-only auction ends Wednesday 10 March.

1926 Salmson GSS Sports Tourer

We haven’t seen a Salmson for sale for a long time, so would want to start with that. It’s a 1926 GSS two-seater model with a lovely boat tail and in fitting French blue colours. It’s a car that was sold new to the UK and comes with competition history since its very early days, including 1920s and 1930s High Speed Trials on the Brooklands circuit. There’s also some provenance of that including pictures in a 1931-issue of The Autocar and in the National Motor Museum archives – who knows what else could be found? With matching numbers, a whole string of scrutineering tags in the cockpit and in what seems to be a beautiful condition, this is a car that will certainly bring great pleasure to wherever it’s been brought.

1933 Lagonda 16/80hp Sports

But then there’s also a Lagonda, which would be able to do the same. A 16/80hp Sports model of 1933 vintage to be more precise, which offers almost double the capacity from its two-litre four-cylinder engine – although that is not the original unit. But again, it’s a two-seater, now with body by Vanden Plas and also sold new in the UK with some nice history. Although it does not have a competition past, the elegant tourer has been used by one of its previous owners for a honeymoon trip to France in the early 1950s. Further owners include a television presenter and a champion racing cyclist who had it before it was fully restored in the 2000s. At the same price as that of the Salmson also very tempting..?

Words by Jeroen Booij. Pictures courtesy of Bonhams.

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