TWO rare vintage cars with exceptional local heritage have been sold at auction for well above their guide prices.

Both vehicles were star attractions at the latest sale by Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers, at their award-winning saleroom in Stansted Mountfitchet.

The cars - which are classed as ‘truly vintage’ having been built before 1930 – were both sold on Tuesday 29 November.

A green 1924 Crossley Two-Seat Tourer, which has been based in Essex for nearly half a century and had belonged to the same owner since 1963, started with a guide price of �15,000 and sold for �25,200. Sworders’ classic car expert, Julian Shoolheifer, said: “This is a connoisseur’s car. In its time this would have been a luxury car on a par with a Rolls Royce.”

Another vehicle, a dark red 1926 Renault KZ Open Tourer, started with a guide price of �8,000 with the hammer coming down at �13,200. The car was first registered in East Anglia in July 1926, and still holds the area registration code ‘EB’ for Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Julian Shoolheifer continued, “It’s very rare for one car of this calibre to come up for auction, let alone two. They both have outstanding quality, history and credibility.”