Key facts
Hagerty says rare early-1960s Mazda, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Suzuki cars sold for cheap at the 2026 Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale; one Fronte made £4,830.
A run of early-1960s Japanese economy cars crossed the block at the 2026 Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale, and "almost all of them sold for cheap," Hagerty reported [1] on 2026-09-23. The magazine picked six oddballs from the auction attached to the historic racing event.
The sale usually runs to postwar sports cars, racing machinery and automobilia, according to Hagerty. This year it also carried what the magazine called "lots of early '60s Japanese stuff you almost never see."
Four of the six came from Japan.
- A Mazda Carol, from the company's first years as a carmaker: a kei car with a 358-cc four-cylinder mounted in back. Mazda sold more than a quarter-million of them at home, Hagerty said.
- A Toyota Publica, Toyota's 1961 answer to the Japanese government's "national car" requirements, with a 697-cc air-cooled twin.
- A Mitsubishi 500, the first proper car to wear the three-diamond badge after the company was broken up after the Second World War. This one was reportedly restored in a garden shed in the late 1980s and has sat since 1999.
- A Suzuki Fronte coupe, drawn by Giorgetto Giugiaro, with a three-cylinder two-stroke.
The British side of the list was stranger. A Lanchester 40hp carried skiff bodywork in Burmese teak and English ash. An H.R. Owen "Sedanca," a hatchback built on Jaguar XJ6 underpinnings, came from a run for which the London dealer secured 80 orders at the London Motor Show in September 1973; the oil crisis began the next month and "reportedly every single order got canceled," Hagerty wrote.
What it means for a buyer
Most of Hagerty's list doesn't carry a price. The article gives two numbers, and a buyer comparing a find against these cars should ask the auction house for the full results before relying on "cheap." A hammer price also isn't what the buyer paid: the auction house adds its buyer's premium on top.
The number
£4,830. That is what a 1969 Suzuki Fronte from the same collection sold for, according to Hagerty. For scale, a 1922 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost, another skiff-bodied car, sold later the same day for £69,000 ($92,267).
Terms
- Buyer's premium: the percentage the auction house adds to the hammer price.
FAQ
Which unusual cars sold at the 2026 Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale? Hagerty listed an early Mazda Carol, a Toyota Publica, a Mitsubishi 500, a Suzuki Fronte coupe, a teak-bodied Lanchester skiff and an H.R. Owen Sedanca built on Jaguar XJ6 underpinnings.
What did a Suzuki Fronte sell for? A 1969 Fronte from the same collection sold for £4,830, according to Hagerty.
What was the most expensive car Hagerty mentioned? A 1922 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost with skiff bodywork sold later the same day for £69,000 ($92,267), Hagerty reported.
What the Carol, the Publica and the Mitsubishi 500 each brought isn't in Hagerty's account. Bonhams hasn't been asked by this desk, and its own results would settle it.
Reported with AI assistance from public sources; reviewed before publication.
Sources
1. Hagerty — "6 (Mostly) Cheap Oddballs from the 2026 Bonhams Goodwood Revival Sale - Hagerty Media". https://www.hagerty.com/media/market-trends/6-mostly-cheap-oddballs-from-the-2026-bonhams-goodwood-revival-sale/ (captured by the desk 2026-09-30; read in full)
Also published at HouseOfBid →
Reported with AI assistance from public sources; reviewed before publication. — Powered by Creytix.