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The thirties became a period when mass production and Art Deco style combined to power cars to new heights of usage and popularity before war intervened

In many ways the advance of online auction platforms has been good all round, and most auction houses have stepped up to the mark with good liaison with regard to condition reports, efficient billing, and shipping purchases at realistic prices. I factor such in-house shipping costs into my bidding.

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

A selection of lots relating to vehicles opens Poster Auctions International’s sale in New York on July 12.

Bid to £4000 – 10 times low estimate – in a May 18 sale held by Tennants (22% buyer’s premium) of Leyburn were two albums of what were defined as grotesque-style caricature portraits.

The world record for a car sold at auction was broken last month when a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé was hammered down for €135m (£112m) on May 5.

A regular two-day auction of silver, art and antiques? Not at Whittons in Honiton, Devon, where the firm called its sale on June 8-9 a ‘Jubilee auction’ and auctioneer Ed Whitton donned a suitably patriotic jacket and tie to sell a good range of lots such as Georgian silver and Victorian jewellery.

Cordelia Bourne is one half of Patrick Bourne & Co which takes part in London Art Week and Masterpiece this summer.

This Superman Krypto-Raygun is a vintage projector toy that allows the user to flash picture stories onto the wall.

Treasures from the Melvin ‘Pete’ Mark Jnr Collection, a Heritage (25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) auction in Dallas that ended on May 7, presented a remarkable range of material.

This Italian maiolica plate painted with a profile portrait of man and an inscribed scrolling ribbon comes from Deruta and dates from the early 16th century.

ATG’s pick of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com, featuring both the highest prices over estimate and the top prices paid online.

Bid to £2800 via thesaleroom.com in a Forum Auctions (25/20/12.5% buyer’ premium) sale of May 5 was this seemingly very rare broadside published in London by James Catnach.

The vendor of this 1966 Mercedes W111 250 SE Auto Coupé won it in a competition.

A group of 140 lots owned by dealer Joanne Booth is coming to auction in Henley-on-Thames this summer.

This exciting 1968 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA 1300 emerged for auction at Tennants (10% buyer’s premium).

Pook & Pook of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, is to offer works from the estate of Mark and Marjorie Allen, antiques dealers from New Hampshire, over two days on June 30 and July 1.

The term ‘Grand Tour picture’ is somewhat amorphous. It is mostly used to refer to 18th century and 19th century works purchased by wealthy young gentleman on their travels around Europe, particularly in Italy, as they ‘completed’ their education.

A round-up of news and events from around the trade.

Lancashire singer, comedian and actor George Formby (1904-61) performed to audiences around in the world in the 1930s-40s. Famous for his comical and occasionally double entendre-laden songs, he became Britain’s highest-paid entertainer at the time.