Spitfire for sale (Merged)
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Spitfire for sale (Merged)
One of my local papers has announced that bonhams are auctioning the ex Lyneham mk 1x two seat Spitfire. Built in 1944 by Vickers Supermarine it went to Lyneham and served with 33 maintenence unit, then off to South Africa and was found in a South African scrapyard in the 70's and then restored to flying condition not selling shares though!!wulf190a
Featuring on BBC TV news today...guide price is over £1m based on the one they sold last September...
If you go to bonham's web site there is a video...
Bonhams 1793: Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers
If you go to bonham's web site there is a video...
Bonhams 1793: Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers
It's been in the news/media quite a bit recently ... last week I saw it on the BBC News down in the Southampton/Portsmouth area.
Prior to that it was mentioned in the Daily Mail, and the link to the article contained an excellent video of the aircraft, including rather rather good flying. Maybe it's just me, but it's rather dusty in here ...
The battle of Bonhams: How to pick up a Spitfire for £1.5m | Mail Online
Prior to that it was mentioned in the Daily Mail, and the link to the article contained an excellent video of the aircraft, including rather rather good flying. Maybe it's just me, but it's rather dusty in here ...
The battle of Bonhams: How to pick up a Spitfire for £1.5m | Mail Online
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You could check this (yesterday)
BBC NEWS | UK | World War II Spitfire for sale
BBC NEWS | UK | World War II Spitfire for sale
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Two-seat Spitfire auctioned for 1.7M pounds
Yeah, American keyboards don't have pounds-sterling signs...
Anyway, I'm surprised that five days after the record-setting auction by Bonhams in the UK, not a single PPRuNe poster has commented on the sale of an airworthy Spitfire Mk. IX two-seater (15 hours on the Hobbs...) for the equivalent of about $2,500,000.
Is it that--like me--everybody feels this thing is an illegitimate phony not worthy of attention, having been converted to two-seater status during the rebuild a few years ago? It never was anything but a single-seater during its brief service with the RAF and then the South African Air Force.
Being involved in classic-car collecting, I can't imagine how anybody could be taken in by the mainstream (and aviation) media's hysteria about it being a "rare" and "historic" airplane, neither of which it is. Certainly not historic, since it has zero provenance and certainly never flew in combat--its history is otherwise utterly unknown--and rarity is questionable, what with some 50 bitsa Spits flying and another 150, perhaps, in various stages of "restoration." In terms of rarity, these numbers would put it right up there with a large variety of Ferraris and Porsches of no unusual value.
As far as I can tell, it's a cute toy, rebuilt in a way that allows somebody to take their girlfriend for rides while he makes like the ace of the base, but as a historical artifact it's a joke.
What am I missing?
Anyway, I'm surprised that five days after the record-setting auction by Bonhams in the UK, not a single PPRuNe poster has commented on the sale of an airworthy Spitfire Mk. IX two-seater (15 hours on the Hobbs...) for the equivalent of about $2,500,000.
Is it that--like me--everybody feels this thing is an illegitimate phony not worthy of attention, having been converted to two-seater status during the rebuild a few years ago? It never was anything but a single-seater during its brief service with the RAF and then the South African Air Force.
Being involved in classic-car collecting, I can't imagine how anybody could be taken in by the mainstream (and aviation) media's hysteria about it being a "rare" and "historic" airplane, neither of which it is. Certainly not historic, since it has zero provenance and certainly never flew in combat--its history is otherwise utterly unknown--and rarity is questionable, what with some 50 bitsa Spits flying and another 150, perhaps, in various stages of "restoration." In terms of rarity, these numbers would put it right up there with a large variety of Ferraris and Porsches of no unusual value.
As far as I can tell, it's a cute toy, rebuilt in a way that allows somebody to take their girlfriend for rides while he makes like the ace of the base, but as a historical artifact it's a joke.
What am I missing?
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I guess it's because it's so damn ugly and best ignored !
Should be known as the 'hunchback Spitfire'
Imagine someone making a 2 seat version of Fangio's Mercedes W196
Should be known as the 'hunchback Spitfire'
Imagine someone making a 2 seat version of Fangio's Mercedes W196
Stephan,
Apparently this, although I'm not sure what the Turkish reference means 
http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...t-turkish.html
Alt+0163 (numeric keypad) should give you a £ sign on a Windows machine. I say should, because I'm typing on a Mac where you use Option+#
I42
What am I missing?
http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...t-turkish.html
Alt+0163 (numeric keypad) should give you a £ sign on a Windows machine. I say should, because I'm typing on a Mac where you use Option+#
I42
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As far as I know, Brooks did not fly Pole to Pole in a helo. He flew from northern Canada to the North Pole in one helicopter, then three years later flew from Argentina to the south Pole in another, both times with another pilot.
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Actually, McLaren Mercedes did make a tandem two-seater version of Mika Hakkinen's F1 car several years ago. It was used to give journalists PR rides and the like. I remember once Mika drove it in the snow, in Finland, with his wife in the back seat.
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I think what IS being forgotten here is that almost every Ppruner would give their left whatnot to fly in a Spitfire, so a 2-seater makes better commercial sense ( though still dubious as to making profits ) - I last heard there's a 5 year waiting list and justly hefty fee to fly with Carolyn Grace; please correct me if wrong.
The operating costs of a Spit' are pretty huge, and certainly not just fuel & insurance !
I suggest ' provenance & combat history ' are pretty irrelevant, though late post-war models will have a little less attraction.
Note the new-build FW190's have the best of both worlds, being convertible from 1 to 2 seat.
This Spitfire is not an antique walnut case or racing car, but an icon, so any chance of being flying in one is something to be treasured, usually now a once in a lifetime experience.
I have no relation to or knowledge of the owners, and doubt I will ever deserve a Spitfire tie !
The operating costs of a Spit' are pretty huge, and certainly not just fuel & insurance !
I suggest ' provenance & combat history ' are pretty irrelevant, though late post-war models will have a little less attraction.
Note the new-build FW190's have the best of both worlds, being convertible from 1 to 2 seat.
This Spitfire is not an antique walnut case or racing car, but an icon, so any chance of being flying in one is something to be treasured, usually now a once in a lifetime experience.
I have no relation to or knowledge of the owners, and doubt I will ever deserve a Spitfire tie !
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There are many people who think a Ferrari TR 250 that Phil Hill drove is "an icon" and barely know what a Spitfire is, and of course the reverse, so it depends where you're coming from.
This airplane was sold at a collector price, not at a number that makes business sense if you're going to use it to give thrill rides to wealthy backseaters.
That baffles me, because collectibility is determined by a variety of factors, prime among them provenance, rarity and beauty. This airplane has no provenance, is not particularly rare by collector standards, and as has been pointed out by earlier posters, could even be considered...well, something other than beautiful.
This airplane was sold at a collector price, not at a number that makes business sense if you're going to use it to give thrill rides to wealthy backseaters.
That baffles me, because collectibility is determined by a variety of factors, prime among them provenance, rarity and beauty. This airplane has no provenance, is not particularly rare by collector standards, and as has been pointed out by earlier posters, could even be considered...well, something other than beautiful.
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Spitfire / antique Ferrari
I think you'll find a few million more people have heard of a Spitfire than the Ferrari you mention !
I agree the 2-seat Spit's are not the best looking, but one's stuck with it...this may not have combat provenance, but it is a Spitfire, and will still make the hairs on one's neck stand up with that sound, or the wing plan sighted at a distance.
It would probably not actually 'pay for itself' as a business giving rides, that would just help towards costs, and as you say it's handy to be able to take up one's girlfriend or friends.
In the early 1980's, I had sailed with a chum to Itchenor, just south of Goodwood Airfield, West Sussex.
In those days, even in nice country pubs, 'Punk' was a fashion.
I heard a familiar sound in the distance, then sure enough the late Nick Grace turned up overhead, and proceeded to carry out a few wonderful, still powerful aerobatics.
The group of punks all stood up, transfixed, then started humming the Battle of Britain theme - they were not being ironic !
I agree the 2-seat Spit's are not the best looking, but one's stuck with it...this may not have combat provenance, but it is a Spitfire, and will still make the hairs on one's neck stand up with that sound, or the wing plan sighted at a distance.
It would probably not actually 'pay for itself' as a business giving rides, that would just help towards costs, and as you say it's handy to be able to take up one's girlfriend or friends.
In the early 1980's, I had sailed with a chum to Itchenor, just south of Goodwood Airfield, West Sussex.
In those days, even in nice country pubs, 'Punk' was a fashion.
I heard a familiar sound in the distance, then sure enough the late Nick Grace turned up overhead, and proceeded to carry out a few wonderful, still powerful aerobatics.
The group of punks all stood up, transfixed, then started humming the Battle of Britain theme - they were not being ironic !
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"I think you'll find a few million more people have heard of a Spitfire than the Ferrari you mention!"
Nor does popularity make something collectible.
Nor does popularity make something collectible.
