The overwhelming response was in favour of the traditional method of auctioneering; that is, welcoming bids from clients present in the room, on the telephone or by previously arranged commission. Brian Chant, proprietor of DVCA, commented that as a large proportion of customers are uneasy about bidding against a computer system, there is no substitute for attending an auction sale in person.

As a result of the survey, Dorset Vintage and Classic Auctions has decided to continue with their established form of auctioneering, putting the client first. At their recent Spring Sale, amongst the more notable results, an unmodified Ford Cortina Lotus Mk I sold for a world record price of £46750 to a customer in the marquee.

A beautiful spring day drew hundreds of customers to the auction at the Gartell Light Railway in Yenston, South Somerset; with the ample car park full by 11am, the sale proved to be one of DVCA’s busiest ever.

Virtually all of the two hundred lots of automobilia and memorabilia were snapped up by collectors; an aerial photograph of the Silverstone circuit made £290 and a collection of enamel signs changed hands for considerable sums of money.

Other notable results included an immaculate 1958 MG Magnette ZB Varitone which made £9680, a 1938 AJS 38/18 500cc recommissioning project which sold for £5610 to a gentleman in Holland and a 1988 Porsche 911 Carrera Sport, which was purchased by a London dealer for £12760. A bevy of Morris Minors all found new homes, including a pretty 1971 Minor 1000 Traveller that sold well for £6600 and a smart 1970 Connaught Green Van that made £6160.

Enthusiasts of restoration projects were well catered for with a Morgan 4/4 Series 1 DHC, which made £6500, a 1964 MG Midget Mk II, which sold for £3190, and a 1976 cult-classic Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45 Pick-Up Truck, which made a surprising £5940. Two Land Rovers requiring much attention both found new homes; the 1954 Series 1 sold to a customer in America for £1540 and the 1980 Series 3 made £900.

Finally, a fine selection of 1960s retro classics proved to be as popular as ever: a 1960 Mk II 3.8 Jaguar made £13475, a 1963 Mk II 3.4 Jaguar was purchased for £11275 and a 1963 Ford Anglia Deluxe Saloon made a strong £5390.

Fine, warm weather drew a large crowd of enthusiasts and buyers to the auction at the Gartell Light Railway in Yenston, South Somerset. Notable results included an excellent MG C Roadster (with a Lenham Conversion) which sold for a very respectable £9350; a restored Minor Traveller which made £5170, an elegant 1936 Talbot 10 Airline Coupe, which sold for £5280 and is heading off to Italy, and an immaculately restored MG TD Midget, which made £15950 and will remain in the Somerset area. A Rover P4 90 Saloon was purchased by a Sussex Rover collector for £4840 and a very original Land Rover Series 1 of 1955 vintage made £3080 and will remain in Dorset.

A fine selection of motorcycles entered into the sale found new custodians, including a 1971 Triumph Bonneville T120R, a pristine 1978 Suzuki GS750, a 1967 Royal Enfield Crusader Sports and a beautiful 1976 Benelli.

An immaculate collection of 1950’s rally badges will be offered at the sale; these include six for the Monte Carlo Rallye, four from the Tulpen Rallye, one for the RAC Rally of Great Britain and four lapel badges from the same era, which mark the Rallye des Alpes, the Paris - Monte Carlo Rallye, MCRBCC and the Tulpen Rallye. Most are boxed and all are in superb condition.

For collectors of railwayana, DVCA have consigned a large quantity of (mostly boxed) Hornby model engines, coaches, wagons and track assembly, dating from the Seventies and Eighties, in fine condition. Most notable trains include an LNER ‘Flying Scotsman’ with Tender, an LMS Coronation Class ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ with Tender and a BR ‘Oliver Cromwell’ with Tender.

Continuing with the Railway theme, a well-preserved first edition of The Railway Children, by E Nesbit, will also be offered at the sale.

More notable results included a 1959 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk III with a Jaguar 3.8 engine, which achieved £41800 and has found a new home in Scotland with a farming family. A beautifully restored MG B Roadster sold for £8360 and an immaculate retro Ford Zodiac of 1957 vintage made £7700 and is off to Birmingham. Amazingly a 1983 Land Rover Series lll 109 with Hardtop was sold to America for £3080.

Restoration projects continue to be popular: a part-restored 1932 Austin Seven Saloon sold for £4510 to a collector in Dublin, and a not-for-the-faint-hearted c1957 Lagonda Tickford Sports Saloon (without engine and gearbox) achieved £3300.

A Willys Jeep, which is believed to have been in service in France and Germany during the later stages of the Second World War, sold for £12100.

Several vintage motor cars were offered at the sale: a lovely, locally owned 1923 Vauxhall 14/40 Princeton Four Seat Tourer was purchased for £28875. An elegant 1932 Riley Nine Plus Ultra Monaco Saloon made £7700, an unusual 1929 La Licorne HO2 Saloon from Scotland made £6500 and has moved to Yeovil, and a 1930 Morris Cowley Flatnose Folding Head Saloon sold for £8360 to an enthusiast couple in Sussex.

Finally, amongst the motorcycles entered, an immaculate 1953 Triumph Trophy ISDT Replica made a very respectable £5665 and a 1959 Ariel Leader sold for £3300.

DVCA are now accepting entries for their Autumn Auction Sale, which will be held on Thursday 22nd September.

The deal involved the sale of around one hundred vehicles, including five Aston Martins and many other cars from the James Bond films, one of the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bangs, and Lady Penelope’s Thunderbirds pink Rolls-Royce. American motor cars included Five Batmobiles, the Munsters’ family transport – ‘The Koach’ and the Magnum Ferrari 308GTS.

The vehicles will be displayed as part of the new ‘Dezer Collection’ in Miami, which will open in October.

Dorset Vintage and Classic Auctions had the unusual task of valuing the collection for Mr Dezer, via his UK representative.

Notable results included the 1959 Jaguar XK150 SE Fixed Head Coupe, which sold to a local gentleman for £48,950, the 1936 Alvis Silver Eagle SG 16.95 Holbrook Sports Saloon, which sold for £18,000 and the 1959 MG A Fixed Head Coupe 1800cc, which made a world record price of £15,125. Possibly the most pleasing result of the day for the auction house was the sale of the very pretty MG J2 Midget of 1933 vintage, which achieved £27,610 and was bought as a gift for the new owner's wife. The two pre-war Austin Hearses both sold to enthusiasts for £330 and £2200 and the 1936 Austin 18 York Saloon made a very respectable £7000. MG's and Morris Minors remain as popular as ever; both 'B's' entered in the auction, together with the Midget, found new custodians, as did the 1971 Minor 6cwt Van and the 1960 Minor 1000 Four Door Deluxe Saloon. A startling price of £7260 was achieved for 1960 Alvis TD21 Saloon restoration project.

Interest in historic commercials has increased in the past few years: the beautifully restored 1969 Bedford CA Mk Two LWB Van in RAC Livery sold for a world record price of £7040; the restored 1960 Austin A60 Pick-Up Truck made £4840, and the two Ford's: a 1960 Thames 400E Pick-Up and a 1966 Transit MkI Transporter achieved £6490 and £3250 respectively.

After an excellent Spring Sale, the Stalbridge-based auction house are now preparing for the Summer Sale, to be held on the 23rd June 2011.