Valuable collection of Victorian carriages to be auctioned in Britain

A breathtaking collection of Victorian carriages and coaches is to go under the hammer in Britain early in March.

Pre-auction estimates put the value of the collection at well over £1 million.

Bonhams will auction the collection on March 7 in Oxford on behalf of a European industrialist.

Bonhams says some of the offerings from the privately-owned collection date back to the 17th century.

The auction represents the first time the carriages and coaches have been publicly viewed, and several items will be at auction for the first time.

The collection includes two beautifully designed 18th century sleds, along with pieces of great historic importance, such as the ex-Royal British Mews 1835 Traveling Landau Coach, one of the most historically significant carriages to be offered on the open market in many years.

The coach was ordered by the Royal Mews from Adams and Hooper for King William IV and was delivered in 1835. It would have been used by trusted representatives and possibly the king himself when undertaking long journeys.

The Landau was sold by the Royal mews in the early part of the 20th Century.

Following its sale from the Mews its history is uncertain, but it was probably saved because of its Royal history and provenance.

The Landau is resplendent in its Royal Colours, featuring red undercarriage with gold leaf lining and black flank detail, deep royal claret body panels with Royal crests and insignia and leather front and rear boots.

It carries a pre-auction estimate of £200,000 to £300,000.

More than 30 carriages and coaches will be offered, all from the workshops of the world’s finest coach-builders, including Holland & Holland, Guiet & Co., Barker & Co and Van Campenhout.

The coaches will be sold alongside more than 150 lots of related memorabilia and three motor cars – an extremely rare 1908 Sears Model P Four-Seat High Wheel Runabout, a 1907 Holsman Economy American Buggy, and a Brass Radiator Ford Model T Speedster.

More information on the auction can be found here. The list of lots can be found here.