Thursday, March 28, 2024
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OPULENCE & SPLENDOUR

A gentleman’s godsend

Matthew Steeples visits the gentleman’s godsend that is The Independents Club pop-up in Knightsbridge   On Saturday 26th September, Liam Reed of the London Bartenders Collective kindly invited The Steeple Times to a 6-day pop-up event...

Finding Frederiksen

Frederiksen Collection of superb classic cars sells for £16 million against pre-sale estimate of £25 million   On Saturday, one of the finest car collections in the world was sold in Denmark and unlike many other...

Banishing the Bentayga

Aston Martin pledges not to follow Bentley into the SUV market   Aston Martin’s CEO Andy Palmer illustrated his brand’s dedication to authenticity when he was recently interviewed by The Drive’s Brett Berk.     In the feature, Berk...

Hunting a Rolls

“High-classic utility” Rolls-Royce heads to auction with a lower guide of £46,000   Whilst many in the media rave about Bentley’s forthcoming bizarrely named Bentayga – a “super-luxury SUV” that looks like a VW Touareg on...

A look at LAPADA

Alex Naylor takes a look around LAPADA 2015 The seven-day LAPDA fair in Berkeley Square began with a Lanson champagne sponsored collectors’ preview on Monday signifying the start of the autumn season of such showcases....

Back to LeBaron

“Unmolested” wood-clad Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country convertible to be sold at Bonhams’ Preserving the Automobile auction for just £5,800   In commenting on the 2014 film St. Vincent starring Bill Murray as Vincent MacKenna, Melissa...

The £5,000 per square foot fixer-upper flat

Could part of the former home of George Peabody in London be Britain’s most expensive fixer-upper flat?   The philanthropist George Peabody is the most notable individual to have lived at 80 Eaton Square in Belgravia in...

27 Forever

’27 Club’ member Janis Joplin’s custom 1965 Porsche 356C 1600 cabriolet heads to auction with a guide of £260,000 and thus proves it wasn’t just “my friends all drive Porsches”   Janis Joplin is one of...

Previewing Noott

Trinity House hosted a packed preview of the works of the artist Edward Noott on 16th September   On Wednesday 16th September, Simon Mills and Georgia Hughes of the Mayfair gallery Trinity House hosted a preview...

Five of the Best: Artists’ studios

‘The Steeple Times’ chooses five artists’ studios for sale that will appeal to creatives with significant means   Though Leonardo da Vinci once said: “An artist’s studio should be a small space because small rooms discipline...

Chitty Chitty Crash Crash

As a number of ‘star cars’ fail to sell at Bonhams’ Goodwood Revival sale, Matthew Steeples suggests that bidders are now more cautious and prices have peaked   It seems the Top Gear presenter Chris Evans thought...

Slashing the wire

Scottish estate Eilean Aigas to sell for £15 million less than current owner invested in creating it   When we featured the 546-acre Eilean Aigas estate in December 2012, it was for sale for £15 million...

The glories of Goodwood

Matthew Steeples selects highlights at this year’s Goodwood Revival   The Goodwood Revival is a spectacle. Visitors dress in costumes that range from Austin Powers-esque to others that are slightly more Hercule Poirot and with three...

Cleaned out

Monday’s RM Sotheby’s sale brought with it both protest and price drops   On Monday in London, RM Sotheby’s conducted their annual auction in Battersea Park. It featured a highlight of a 1958 Ferrari 250...

Five of the Best: Out of the Ordinary 2015

Matthew Steeples selects the highlights of this year’s Christie’s Out of the Ordinary sale   Christie’s in South Kensington holds its annual Out of the Ordinary sale on Thursday and as usual it features an array...

Bonded to a Rolls

1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I drophead coupé owned by Bond set designer Sir Ken Adam to be auctioned at RM Sotheby’s Battersea sale tonight   Sir Ken Adam was born in Berlin in 1921 and fled...

The pleasures of Privé

Anthony Brown reports on the highlights of Salon Privé 2015   Despite entries being down from 100 cars and motorcycles in 2013 and 108 in 2014 to 69 this year, the relocated British automotive event of...

Fire up the PJ

£45.7 million Virginia estate of the late Paul and Bunny Mellon complete with its own private one-mile long airstrip now available in lots   Some houses come with a bar; others have a swimming pool. Oak...

It’s in the Mail

“Barn find” 1934 Bentley owned by press magnate Esmond Harmsworth (later 2nd Viscount Rothermere) to be sold at Silverstone Auctions sale at Salon Privé 2015   Esmond Harmsworth – later 2nd Viscount Rothermere – led a...

Previewing Privé

Matthew Steeples previews the spectacular “automotive garden party” Salon Privé 2015 at Blenheim Palace   Pebble Beach and Monterey are the ‘must attend’ car event in August but in September, car aficionados head to the UK...

Previewing Privé

Matthew Steeples previews the spectacular “automotive garden party” Salon Privé 2015 at Blenheim Palace   Pebble Beach and Monterey are the ‘must attend’ car event in August but in September, car aficionados head to the UK...

A convertible giant

One-off 1973 Rolls-Royce by Pietro Frua – described as the largest convertible ever built – to be auctioned   Listed as “one of the most extravagant convertibles ever built” and originally owned by His Excellency Consul Simon...

Reader offer: A postcard from Stoddart

‘Photographer to the Stars’ John Stoddart branches out to sell limited edition postcard sets – but rush to buy to buy them, the edition is limited to just 100 and priced at just £25   A...

Extras are everything

California estate complete with everything from a rock climbing wall to a video games centre for sale for £14.3 million – Only “discerning global citizens” should to apply to view   Americans don’t do things by...

All in a flap

Former Hampstead home of the “father of plastic surgery” and pioneer of gender reassignment surgery Sir Harold Delf Gillies for sale for £18.95 million   Sir Harold Delf Gillies (1882 – 1960) is best known as...

The Bentley of Taste

Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback originally owned by the son of the founder of clothing giant Burton heads to auction at the Salon Privé sale   Sir Montague Burton described himself as “The Tailor of Taste” and...

The justice of house prices

If a house on Justice Walk in Chelsea sells for its asking price, it will have risen in value by a staggering 817% in 19 years   5 Justice Walk in Chelsea provides fine illustration of...

Highlights of Monterey 2015

Anthony Brown chooses three of his favourite lots at this weekend’s RM Auctions’ Monterey 2015 sale   Yesterday saw the start of the annual RM Auctions Monterey sale in California and here below we choose three of...

One for one hundred

One-off 2013 Aston Martin concept car created to mark Aston Martin’s 100th anniversary heads to auction in California   Shown first at Aston Martin’s Centenary Celebration at Kensington Palace in July 2013 to mark the 100th...

Nothing to carp about

Cotswolds house with indoor carp pool and priest hole for sale for £2.35 million   Many houses come with indoor swimming pools, few have their own indoor carp pools. The Chantry in the heart of Bradford-on-Avon...

A Starck 4×4

Eccentric Ferves Ranger off-roader once owned by Philippe Starck heads to auction   The season for viewing and buying the finest automobiles is once again upon us and the undoubted standout highlight of the forthcoming RM...

Having it all

Shelter Island residence complete with its own nightclub, squash court and swimming pool fails to sell in two years despite price cut of £2.6 million to £15.7 million   Most people wouldn’t build a holiday home...