The Donald Healey Motor Company’s ‘Special Test Car’, successfully raced for 24 hours at Le Mans in 1953, then evolved into the Austin-Healey 100S Prototype that infamously became an innocent link in the fateful chain that ended in the wreckage of a factory Mercedes scything through a packed spectator area with such horrific consequences during the 1955 event.

Looking very sorry for itself after 42 years of inactivity during the vendor’s ownership, and in need of extensive mechanical and cosmetic refurbishment, ‘NOJ 393’ certainly justified its Bonhams headliner status by hushing the crowd as the final two contestants slugged it out in expectant silence via bids of £760,000 and £762,000 to a £765,000 hammer price conclusion and much applause.

The premium-inclusive £843,000 was paid by a Swiss collector, who will now have to fund a full restoration before the car can take to the circuits again and has established a new world record price for an Austin-Healey of any model.

It was certainly a bullish day for valuations of historically significant Austin-Healeys. The pre-production prototype 100 exhibited on the BMC stand at the 1953 Turin Motor Show also came to market here. Treated to a Cape International restoration only completed in 2009, the aluminium-panelled car pulled £100,700 with premium from a Dutch bidder.

A well cared for 1964 Aston DB5 raised £271,000 with premium, £21,000 more than the guide price,  and a cosmetically sharp 1937 Bentley 4.5-Litre with All-Weather Tourer coachwork by Thrupp & Maberly made £135,700, slightly less than forecast. A 1990 Ferrari F40 was declared “on sale” well below the estimate band and was hammered away for £216,000 with premium – and £56,500, again less than the guide price, was accepted for the first right-hand drive 330GT 2+2 with unlovely four headlamps.

Classics with some celeb provenance to change hands included an £84,000 1912 Lanchester 38hp Open Drive Limo with detachable top which once transported the Maharajah of Rewa and party, a £54,300 1933 R-R Phantom II Convertible formerly owned by West End show star Jack Buchanan and a £51,000 multiple World Champion John Surtees-raced 1967 Lola Ford T100 F2. Meanwhile Chris Evans beat off the trade to acquire an expensively restored and looking brand new 1998 Rover Mini Cooper for £8625.