Toy cars valued at £10,000 up for sale at Somerset auction

But did you have any that might now be worth £10,000?

That is the estimated value of a pair of old tinplate toy cars which are going under the hammer in Somerset next month.

“The models of Alfa Romeo P2 race cars would have no doubt given their owners hours of fun when new back in the 1920s,” said Richard Bromell, of Charterhouse auctioneers.

“Rarely do you see one of the models, produced by the French firm CIJ Companie, so it is a real pleasure to see and handle two although they are too expensive for me to wind up and play with.”

The Alfa Romeo P2 won the inaugural Automobile World Championship in 1925, taking victory in two of the four championship rounds when Antonio Ascari drove it in the European Grand Prix at Spa, and Count Brilli-Peri won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. From 1924-1930 the P2 was victorious in 14 Grands Prix and major events including the Targa Florio.

It was one of the iconic Grand Prix cars of the 1920's, and enabled Alfa Romeo, as world champions, to incorporate the laurel wreath into their logo.

Today these clockwork models are highly sought after and will go under the hammer at Charterhouse's two-day collector's auction, which runs on September 9 and 10 at the Haynes International Motor Museum, at Sparkford.

At the Charterhouse auction, the red P2 has been restored and is estimated at £2,000 to £4,000, while the green car is in its original condition and estimated at £4,000 to £6,000, despite missing a few parts and with some slight surface rust and cracked paint.

Charterhouse is accepting entries for this specialist auction of coins, medals and stamps on September 9 and model cars, toys, clocks and collector’s items on September 10, with classic and vintage cars at the Haynes International Motor Museum on October 5 and classic and vintage motorcycles, also at Haynes, on October 14.

Contact Charterhouse on 01935 812277, by email to info@charterhouse-auction.com, or via www.charterhouse-auction.com.