£350,000 Aladdin's cave of vintage cars found

A ‘car-mad’ woodwork teacher died leaving behind a time-capsule Aladdin’s cave of vintage vehicles worth over £350,000 – stored in a purpose-built lock-up replicating a 1930s garage.

Dedicated Phil Lomax died in May this year aged 78 after a lifetime rebuilding and maintaining 46 rare and valuable cars and motorbikes.

Phil’s astonishing collection included a rare £60,000 Aston Martin DB2/4 (above), three Morgan three wheelers (below) an Austin 7 and a host of Douglas motorbikes.

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Mr Lomax, from Yate, near Bristol, even built a specially-adapted garage to replicate a 1930’s petrol station to store the cars – complete with roadside petrol pump and sign.

The collection remained hidden away until he died in the summer and his widow Joan, 81, announced she was auctioning the cars.

Auctioneer Richard Edmonds, of the Auction Rooms in Chippenham, Wilts., said he was ”astounded” when he entered the garage to find the incredible collection.

He said: ”I knew the collection would be good from the descriptions on the phone but the amount of cars, motorbikes and automobilia that has come with it is astounding.

”The motorbikes are in great condition and included is seven different Douglas examples, Douglas being one of the best constructor of bikes of all time and a great British company at that.

”Mr Lomax had been collecting and restoring for years and clearly took great pride in his vehicles.

”The garage he had collected them in had even been adapted to look like an authentic 1930s roadside station with a Shell pump and a short canopy with the sign ‘The Lomax Motordrome’ with a ‘est 1931’ stencilled sign.”

Mr Lomax started teaching woodwork at Colston’s School from 1962 and retired in 1990, by which time his incredible collection was already well underway.

He went on to own one of the biggest private collections of restored and built vintage cars in country which he painstakingly tinkered with over the years.

His widow Joan contacted auctioneers and told of her plans to sell off the collection following his death on May 30.

But valuers were stunned when they opened the purpose-built garage to discover the full extent of the staggering hoard.

It is expected to fetch around £350,000 when it goes up for auction at Castle Combe race track in Wilts., on October 30.

* Full list of vehicles going under the hammer:

Cars

1 1936 Austin 7 Nippy £4,000-6,000
2 1936 Singer LeMans £12,000-15,000
3 1935 Morgan F2 £20,000-25,000
4 1932 Morris Minor £2,000-3,000
5 1946 Kilby Special £800-1200
6 1909 Renault AX £15,000-20,000
7 1931 MG M Type £15,000-20,000
8 1949 MG TC £18,000-25,000
9 1934 Morgan M8 £20,000-30,000
10 1934 Morgan MX4 £25,000-30,000
11 1939 MG TA Tickford £20,000-25,000
12 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 £40,000-60,000
13 1980 Mini Special 20 £1,500-2,000
14 1986 Mini Mary Quant £2,000-3,000
15 1963 Rover P5 £200-400
16 1948 Harding Invalid Carriage £300-500

Motorcycles

1 1937 AJS 350 £1,500-2,000
2 1936 Ariel 350 £3,000-5,000
3 1953 Ariel 600 £1,500-2,000
4 1936 BSA 250 £2,000-3,000
5 1936 BSA 500 £3,000-4,000
6 1936 BSA 500 £3,000-4,000
7 1951 BMW R51 £1,200-1,800
8 1937 Calthorpe 500 Major £2,000-3,000
9 1934 Coventry Eagle 150 £1,000-1,500
10 1932 Douglas 350 Terrier £2,500-3,500
11 1926 Douglas EW £2,500-3,500
12 1947 Douglas 350 T35 £3,000-4,000
13 1949 Douglas 350 MK5 Sport £3,000-5,000
14 1950 Douglas Mk4 Sport £500-800
15 1950 Douglas Mk5 £2,000-3,000
16 1951 Douglas 90 Plus £4,000-6,000
17 1956 Norton 350 M50 £600-800
18 1957 Norton 600 99 2, £500-3,500
19 1953 Norton 650 SS £2,000-3,000
20 1949 Nervoir 150 TS £200-300
21 1931 Knome Rhone 306 £2,000-3,000
22 1966 Raleigh 90 GA £150-200
23 1951 Rixie 200 £400-600
24 1958 Royal Enfield 600 Conny £2,500-3,500
25 1931 Scott TT Reo £4,000-6,000
26 1950 Sunbeam 500 S7 £2,000-3,000
27 1953 Victoria 350 BEGG £1,200-1,800
28 1937 Triumph 350 3H £1,500-2,000
29 1948 Triumph 500 ST £2,000-3,000
30 1957 Triumph 6506T £3,000-5,000