Charities including the RNLI are to benefit from the sale of a collection of classic cars from the late banker Robert Furniss Riding.
The 15 cars, including a selection of Rolls-Royce and Bentleys, were offered for sale ‘without reserve’ by H&H Classics at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford last week, raising a total of £1.1mn. RNLI is Robert Furniss Riding’s residual beneficiary.
The collection spans various decades of the twentieth century, with the oldest being a 1924 Bentley 3 Litre Vanden Plas Tourer.
1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II Continental Sedanca Coupe 1956 Bentley S1 Continental CoupeThe 15 cars made the following hammer prices:
1924 Bentley 3 Litre Vanden Plas Tourer – £140,0001934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sedanca Coupe -£170,0001956 Bentley S1 Continental – £160,0001989 Rolls-Royce Corniche II Convertible – £82,0001932 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Drophead Coupe – £50,0001937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Sports Limousine – £42,0001926 Rolls-Royce 20 HP Landaulette – £42,0001955 Daimler Empress DF 308 – £17,0001991 Maserati Bi-Turbo Spyder – £10,5001933 Daimler Fifteen Fixed Head Coupe – £7,0001935 Lanchester Twelve Fixed Head Coupe – £7,0001971 Vanden Plas 1300 – £5,8001990 Mercedes-Benz 260 E- £6,2001955 Daimler Conquest Century Drophead Coupe £3,5001953 Lanchester 14 Saloon – £3,200Helen Hopkins, Head of Legacies at the RNLI said:
“We are incredibly grateful to the late Robert Furniss Riding for naming the RNLI as one of the beneficiaries of his estate, along with many other beneficiaries. The sale of the classic car collection will form a part of the donation as the RNLI is the residuary beneficiary, so we’re very grateful to see it raise so much money.
“Six in ten lifeboat launches are only possible due to gifts in Wills. Any gift left to the RNLI, large or small, makes a huge difference.”
Colette McKay, MD of H&H Classics, said:
“We were delighted and honoured to be chosen to handle this distinguished collection, the second time in ten years that we’ve been selected to market a major bequest to the RNLI who will doubtless put it to the very best use.”
Born in 1940, Bob Furniss Riding joined William Deacon’s Bank after university, ending up as Group Treasurer of the Royal Bank of Scotland. He was a passionate sailor during his time in the City, but on retiring to the Isle of Man, switched his focus to collecting cars.
October is Free Wills Month, where anyone interested in leaving a gift to a participating charity can write or update their will for free. RNLI is one of many charities offering a free Will writing service either online, over the phone, or face-to-face this month.
