BRITISH Car Auctions achieved its biggest yet turnover at a single auction when it sold all 163 cars entered from Jaguar and Daimler for just under £4.7 million. The millennial sale, which took place at the Coombe Abbey Hotel in Warwickshire on December 14, saw 163 Jaguar and Daimler cars entered direct from the manufacturer, including long and short-wheelbase saloons, XJS and XK8 coupes and convertibles.

The turnover of £4.68 million just shaded 1998's record Christmas sale total of £4.66 million. The auction, which attracted more than 120 dealer representatives, was conducted from an electronic catalogue which beamed digital images of the cars into the auditorium on to a giant video wall.

The average unit value at the sale exceeded £28,700 - one of the highest recorded for a manufacturer sale in the UK. Prices included £51,300 for a 99S Jaguar XKR8 Convertible with 8,000 miles (110% of CAP Clean) and £50,750 for a 99S XKR8 Convertible with 14,000 miles (110% of CAP Clean).