The Repair Shop expert Dominic Chinea says he is “gutted” after being priced out of his dream car at a Bonhams auction, with bids for the motor soaring to a hefty £18,000
The Repair Shop’s Dominic Chinea has confessed he’s “gutted” after financial constraints forced him to abandon his dream purchase.
The BBC presenter is a well-known motoring enthusiast, with a 1957 Porsche 356a, several Land Rovers (Series 1 and Defender 110), a 13-window VW camper, a 1958 VW split bus, and a 1936 BSA motorbike amongst his treasured collection.
However, Dominic’s income from the popular programme only goes so far, and he was forced to miss out on a sporty little motor he’d genuinely fallen for.
Sharing his frustration on his personal YouTube channel, Dominic revealed he’d registered his interest with auctioneers Bonham’s despite being fairly certain he’d never manage to afford the highly-desirable 1935 Morgan Super Sports.
“Can I afford it? No,” he says. “Do I need it? No,” before adding: “I’ve registered just in case it’s an absolute bargain.”
Unfortunately for Dominic, the scarce pre-war three-wheeler proved anything but an “absolute bargain.” Bidding quickly soared from an opening £8,000 offer to a substantial £18,000.
A devastated Dominic, who recently relocated to Cornwall with his family, remarked: “I kind of expected it to go for a lot of money… I’m gutted.”
The Morgan Super Sports was celebrated in its era for its exceptional power-to-weight ratio. The original racing prototype secured a Gold Medal in the 1911 London-Exeter-London Reliability Trial with designer H F S Morgan himself behind the wheel. It also triumphed in the inaugural cyclecar race at Brooklands the subsequent year. While development was halted during the First World War, ongoing refinement throughout the 1920s and 1930s eventually resulted in a 1935 model fitted with Matchless V-twin engines, which numerous collectors regard as the ultimate realisation of Morgan’s vision.
Roadworthy examples typically command between £25,000 and £35,000 today, and even a Super Sports requiring restoration can still achieve a respectable sum.
Although this specific model proved beyond Dominic’s budget, it may well serve as motivation for a substantial rebuild project down the line, should he locate a chassis requiring his specialist skills.
“There’s something about these early V-twin three-wheeled crazy things that I quite like,” he said. “So maybe one day I’ll find a bit more of a project that I can actually afford.”
He accepted philosophically that “it wasn’t meant to be” for this specific dream motor.
In any case, Dominic likely has plenty to occupy himself with in the near term. He’s been restoring a dilapidated 1957 Series 1 Land Rover discovered close to his new Cornish home, describing it as amongst his most demanding projects yet, considering the chassis was entirely corroded and the vehicle had been partially buried beneath vegetation for multiple years.
Just a few weeks back, Dominic revealed that the restoration work had encountered a significant setback when he inadvertently damaged the Land Rover’s seat base while lifting the rear tub. He explained that he’ll need to contact his Repair Shop colleague, upholstery specialist Sonnaz Nooranvary, before the Land Rover can be deemed finished.
Catch The Repair Shop tonight (Wednesday, April 29) from 8pm to 9pm on BBC One.
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