£700,000 raised by car sale (From Keighley News)

£700,000 raised by car sale

12:00pm Wednesday 26th September 2012 in News By Alistair Shand

The collection of a classic car museum assembled by a former Keighley businessman has fetched nearly £700,000 at auction.

The Exmoor Classic Car Museum Collection, which was the retirement project of keen collector Stephen Johns, went under the hammer at Bonhams.

The specialist museum in Porlock, West Somerset, was set up when Mr Johns moved to the West Country 12 years ago.

Mr Johns, an entrepreneur who ran a clothing manufacturing business, started the museum to house the large collection he had built up over the years. Every lot in the collection of ten cars, 13 motorcycles and assorted automobilia sold at the Bonhams sale in Hampshire, reaching a total of £667,128.

A 1927 Bugatti Type 40 Roadster was sold for £149,340, a 1972 Ferrari “Dino” 246GTS Spider went for £144,860 and a 1923 Rolls Royce 20hp Doctor's Coupe was bought for £57,500.

Tim Schofield, director of the Bonhams motor car department, said: "We were privileged to offer Stephen Johns' collection for sale at Beaulieu and we were delighted to see it achieve the prices it did.

"We wish him the very best for his 'second retirement'."

Mr Johns ran the Johns-Craft factory in Oakworth Road, Keighley, for more than 45 years.

The family business, started by his father in 1921, specialised in school-wear and men's pyjamas.

It was sold in 2000 to Stockport company The Banner Group, a subsidiary of SEET plc.