Stunning soft-tops at the Bonhams|Cars Festival of Speed sale

1999 Chrysler Prowler Roadster

Starting (relatively) cheap, we have this weird and wonderful creation – the Chrysler Prowler Roadster. The recreational consumables must have been free-flowing in the Chrysler office the day this was approved for production, as a semi-open-wheel roadster that used an entirely bespoke aluminium chassis and bodywork. Debuting originally as a Plymouth but becoming a Chrysler once Plymouth went defunct, the Prowler was a love letter to 1950s street rod style. This one has just 25,000 miles and could be yours for £20,000-£25,000. It does need recommissioning, though.

1954 Austin Healey BN1 Roadster

Have a bit more budget and fancy a real classic? This Austin Healey BN1 could be the ideal starter classic sportscar, estimated to sell for £35,000-£45,000. A US-delivered car, it’s had just two owners since 1988. The car was professionally restored in between 2009 and 2012, with a restored engine, new cylinder head, new fuel tank, new wheels and tyres, and more. It’s covered just 3,000 miles since the work was completed, with regular maintenance carried out. It’s a properly pretty little thing and the ideal entry point into the world of classic cars. Indeed this 1954 car hails from the peak of Goodwood’s golden era and as such, would be welcome in the Revival pre-66 car park.

1960 Cadillac Series 6200 Convertible

The lone Cadillac in the sale will at least take up the space of two cars in the auction hall. Hailing from the marque’s incredible and inimitable tail fin era, this 1960 Series 6200 Convertible is nothing short of a statement car. This example was imported to the UK in 2018 and has £18,000 of receipts from a marque specialist to go with it, including for a comprehensive engine rebuild. Given its stunning condition and drivable presentation, the £48,000-£60,000 it’s expected to make sounds like a bit of a bargain.

1963 Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider

From dyed-in-the-wool Americana to this quintessentially Italian morsel. This is a 1963 Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider. Bodied by Touring and one of just 2,255 made, this is a rare right-hand-drive example of Alfa’s Riviera-ready roadster. Owned by the present keeper since 2016, the car has been extensively restored, with works completing in 2020. Recently repainted and fully serviced, it even has a fresh MOT. The buyer of this car could hop on the Eurotunnel the day after the Festival of Speed for a summer European jaunt. It could be yours for £75,000-£95,000.

1971 Fiat Dino 2400 Spider

For something a little more exotic than the Alfa Romeo, you buy… a Fiat?

Yes, believe it or not because this Fiat, the Dino 2400 Spider, uses a Ferrari engine. Sort of, given the wonderful little Dino V6 never officially got that designation. Conceived originally as a home for Ferrari’s Formula 2 engine that would sell over 500 units a year, the Fiat Dino is a very curious footnote in Fiat’s and Ferrari’s history. An example of the later model with the 2.4-litre V6, this Spider is one of just 424 made. With the same owner since 2003, it’s been well-looked after and tastefully enhanced, with a stainless steel exhaust and a gunmetal respray. Yours for £80,000-£120,000. 

2018 Morgan Plus 8 50th Anniversary Roadster

With style from the 1930s but performance that’s thoroughly modern, our next car couldn’t be anything other than a Morgan. This model is one of the most special, too, being a celebration and sendoff for the long-used BMW V8 engine. One of just 50 made, it celebrates 50 years of the Plus 8 bloodline. This car is a stunning spec too and comes in a basically as-new condition, having covered just 100 miles since new. Morgan don’t put those incredibly special V8s in their cars anymore. While the Plus 6 is a good car, that’s still a shame, though we’d have this in a heartbeat instead, even for £135,000-£165,000.

1952 Frazer Nash Mille Miglia Sports Roadster

We’re getting into the properly pricier stuff now with this rare beauty. One of just 11 examples made, this is a 1952 Frazer Nash Mille Miglia Sports Roadster. Leaving its current ownership now after 48 years, the car came to him in Hawaii when he bought it as a shareholder in it. He eventually bought the other owners out and pursued a restoration from 1978. It wouldn’t actually be completed for another 27 years, though, in time for the owner’s target event of the Frazer Nash Club 2005 New Zealand Tour.

There the car remained for over 15 years, seeing regular use and maintenance works, before returning to the UK in 2021 for more refreshment. The only stinger? If you buy it and want to keep it in the UK, you’ll be paying import duties and VAT on the potential £400,000-£450,000 it’s expected to sell for. Worth it, as you’ll be eligible for the likes of the Goodwood Revival, Le Mans Classic, Mille Miglia and more.

1967 AC 289/427 Cobra Sports Roadster

An altogether different prospect for similar money is this 1967 AC Cobra 289, sporting a monster V8 that couldn’t be more different to the Bristol 2.0-litre in the Frazer Nash. Though the car had spent a good amount of its life with a 427 7.0-litre engine and supporting upgrades, it was originally delivered as a 289 and has recently been converted back. The Cobra spent a decent decade in the early 2000s in Austria being campaigned in road rallies, during which time it covered some 15,000 miles. It then went to Japan and was converted back to 289 spec which is important, as it’s one of just 17 right-hand-drive Cobra 289s built. Ready to drive and with all its accompanying history and a number of useful parts and spares, it could be yours for £400,000-£500,000.

1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster

It might not retain the gullwing doors of the hard-top, but this Mercedes 300 SL Roadster that we’re finishing on may well be the most elegant car on this list. Coming out of a 20-year ownership, this stunning example is one of just 1,858 Roadsters built. Well-maintained and restored in its current ownership, this 36,300-mile car has undergone a recent service making it ready to run. This has George Russell wafting through Monaco written all over it and a price to match; it’s expected to make between £1 million and £1.2 million.