An 1835 ex-Royal British Mews Landau is one of a rare collection of carriages collected over the past 30 years by a European industrialist for sale by Bonhams on 7 March.
The Landau (pictured above) was commissioned by King William 1V, and built by coachbuilders Adams & Hooper.
It was sold by the Royal Mews in the early part of the 20th century was eventually acquired by the famous American collector James Coson.
When the Coson collection was sold its new owners sent the carriage to the restorers Stolk of Holland.
“The Landau is a wonderful piece of early Royal transport and the restoration work carried out to return it to its former glory is unlikely to be ever repeated again,” said a Bonhams spokesman. The coach carries an estimate of £200,000-£300,000.
A private view of the 200 lots in the collection is being held on 5 and 6 March at the Bonhams Oxford sale room in Banbury.
There will be 30 carriages on show including a Concord coach (pictured above) built in 1878 by Abbot and Downing (est £160,000-£180,000), a private road coach built by Holland & Holland in 1892 (est £100,000-£150,000), a private European road coach by Guiet & Co in Paris in 1895 (est £80,000-£100,000) and two coaches commissioned by the champagne houses Veuve Cliquot and Moet & Chandon.
There is also a town coach built by Van Campenhout of Brussels in 1825. The coach described as “a very good example of Belgium coach building in the 1820’s” is finished with dark green under carriage and lower body quarter panels. The original owners crest on the door panels has been preserved.
The oldest item is an unusual dragon sleigh (pictured below) built in 1760 (est £8,000-£12,000) for a wealthy trader from Gent, Belgium.
The harness in the sale includes “the finest set of postilion harness to come onto the open market in the past 30 years.” The harness is hand made by Italians Moirano Felice and Giacomo.
“This collection has been lovingly maintained and painstakingly restored – and occasionally used in international carriage competition by its Dutch owner,” said Rob Hubbard, Bonhams motoring specialist.
For more information visit: www.bonhams.com/auctions/22921
