2018 Dowsetts Comet GT

The Comet consists of a curvaceous body of Kevlar-reinforced GRP draped over a steel box-frame chassis.

Underneath the Porsche ‘Crayon Grey’ body you’ll find suspended wishbones and a De Dion rear end, together with a 5-speed Tremec transmission and limited slip differential.

Just ahead of the gearbox, in a front-mid engine configuration, sits a thunderous 6.2-litre GM LS3 V8 engine delivering 430bhp and 575Nm of torque.

The car has 1,589 miles on its odometer.

Delivered to its first owner in 2018, this entirely bespoke hand-built creation cost a far from modest £125,000 when new.

A couple of owners have been and gone since then, neither of whom has added anything of significance to the car’s odometer reading.

The current owner is only selling because a troublesome back prevents him from fully enjoying the dynamic experiences offered by this highly capable sports car.

We have driven it and can attest that it goes about its business with an intoxicating mix of speed and refinement, combining tarmac-shredding power with quick, predictable steering, good poise and balance and a short-throw gear lever that is sufficiently positive and notchy to give your left shoulder a decent work-out.

To get a sense of how the car feels, and was intended to feel, allow us to quote Ant Anstead in a letter to the first owner.

“We hear you regarding your desired outcome! You want a mellow, luxurious Grand Tourer, not a balls-out track weapon.

Rest assured, we will build a subtle, refined hand-made masterpiece that feels like a luxury car.”

Not sure about ‘mellow’, Mr. Anstead, but we think you’re spot on with the rest of it.

And although the car may look like it hails from some bygone age when chaps routinely oiled their moustaches, polished their shoes and smelled permanently of pipe smoke and Castrol R, it is in fact, fair bristling with all manner of mod-cons – such as air-conditioning, sat-nav, a radio and a reversing-camera.

The condition of the bodywork is really very good indeed.

There are no dinks, dents or creases of any significance whatsoever.

There are just one or two barely perceptible marks and stone chips here and there, none of which in any way detracts from the vehicle’s excellent overall aesthetic.

The panel gaps and shut lines are broadly consistent and even.

It sits on a set of alloy wheels that, like nearly everything else about this remarkable car, are Dowsetts-designed and unique in the proper sense of the word

Aside from one or two very small marks the wheels have clearly been kept at a respectful and judicious distance from kerbs and other obstacles.

The tyres (Goodyear at the rear, Continental at the front) look to have plenty of life left in them.

The lights, lenses, badging and exterior trim - including delightful touches such as the recessed door handles and massive, aero-style alloy fuel filler cap - are all fine.

The grey paintwork is shiny, lustrous and the colour seems to suit the car very well, in our opinion.

There is a tiny bit of paint splash, perhaps from a touch-up, just above the front grille on the nearside.

The car’s interior is impressively luxurious and well-appointed. It’s clearly been put together by some very accomplished artisans.

The quilted oxblood leather does a very good job both aesthetically and ergonomically, with the seats being both supportive and comfortable.

The look is purposeful but far from spartan – full harnesses, Moto-Lita wheel, short-throw turned aluminium gear lever, embossed logos here and there.

Unsurprisingly in a car that’s barely covered more than delivery miles, the carpets, mats, door cards and headlining are all pretty much showroom fresh and squeaky clean.

The only signs of wear anywhere that we can see are some scuffs to the leather on the driver’s seat bolster and a little bit of loose rubber trim around the base of the driver’s door seal.

We didn’t press every button or tweak every toggle, knob or switch but, as far as we can tell, everything does what it’s supposed to do.

Everything in the engine bay is as clean, dry, right and proper as you would hope and expect to find in a car that’s barely warmed up its pistons or taken the shine off its tyres.

The undersides of the car appear to have a good deal of structural integrity and seem to us to be wholly untroubled by either time, wear or use.

This car comes with a satisfyingly thick and informative wad of letters, invoices, bills and receipts covering every aspect of its build and the bespokery that went into it at the first owner’s behest.

It also comes with a number of articles and press releases attesting to the fact that this car’s celebrity provenance and genesis attracted quite a bit of publicity at the time of its creation and was widely noted and covered by the motoring press.

It has been fully HPI checked and cleared.

The car doesn’t currently have an MoT certificate.

Think, if you will, of things of which there can only ever be one example.

Harrison’s H6 pocket watch.

The Highlander.

Hitler’s testicle.

These are singularities. These are one-offs. They are unique. They are, quite literally, unmatched.

So, too, is this Dowsetts Comet - MY51 ADC.

Let’s put that into some sort of context.

If you own a Fabergé Imperial egg, it’s you and 45 others.

If you happen to have a Ferrari 250 GTO under a tarpaulin in your garage, you’re one of 32 lucky, lucky people.

Should you find yourself with a Leonardo Da Vinci painting hanging above your mantelpiece, say hello to your 19 co-owners.

We can promise you, with not one shred of doubt, that you will never, ever find yourself parked next to another Dowsetts Comet at Waitrose.

This very special and properly thought-out and built luxury sports car just needs a new owner, clear sight of an open road, and a series of witty and insightful answers to the inevitable question, “What’s that, mate?”.

We’re confident to offer this fine car for auction with an estimate of £52,000 - £60,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the 'Contact Seller' button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.