Richard Hammond auctions part of his collection

Former Top Gear host Richard Hammond is putting a selection of classic cars and bikes up for auction with UK’s Silverstone Auctions.

Three cars will go under the hammer between July 31 and August 1 at Silverstone’s ‘The Classic Sale’, alongside five of his bikes.

On DriveTribe, the Grand Tour presenter said the sale proceeds would go toward his new restoration business. Dubbed ‘The Smallest Cog’, it will also be the subject of a new TV series.

“The irony of me supporting my new classic car restoration business by selling some of my own classic car collection is not wasted on me," Hammond said.

“It is with a very heavy heart that they go, as they have a great deal of personal sentimental value, but they will be funding the future development of the business and giving life back to countless other classic vehicles.”

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First off the line is a 1959 Bentley S2, which has a history of just five owners from new. According to Silverstone Auctions, the body work was recently refurbished, plus a new transmission and fresh set of tyres added. While few visual changes distinguish the car from its S1 predecessor, the S2 features a 6.25-litre V8. Making around 147kW, the newer engine was capable of a 10.9-second sprint to 100km/h. There were 2308 built in total before production ended in 1962.

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This 1969 Porsche 911T was originally delivered to California, and retains its original left-hand drive layout. An early example of the 1970 model year car, it’s powered by a 2.2-litre air-cooled flat six. It shows just 56,000 miles (90,123km) on the odometer, which Hammond believes could be genuine.

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The most modern vehicle offered by Hammond is a 1999 Lotus Esprit Sport 350. Just 48 of the track-focused variant were built, with this example being the fifth. Each Sport 350 featured a lightened bodyshell, OZ Racing Crono magnesium wheels, bigger brakes and a number of other handling upgrades.

The cars were 85kg lighter than their V8 GT counterparts, and packed a 261kW, flat-plane crank, twin-turbo V8. The Esprit also has the lowest mileage of the three cars, having travelled 47,000 miles (75,639km) over 22 years.

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Hammond says he considered adding his RS2000 Escort to the list, but opted to wait for its restoration by The Smallest Cog to be perfected.

The sales represent just a slice of the British motoring enthusiast’s expansive car collection, which includes a 1968 Mustang GT390, a heavily-modified Land Rover Defender and even a 1931 Lagonda.

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Most famous of all is his 1963 Opel Kadett called Oliver. The car was bought for Top Gear’s Botswana special, and treated to a full restoration once returned to English soil. Hammond and co-star James May famously departed the BBC show in 2015, following Jeremy Clarkson’s controversial dismissal.

You’ll find the full list of auction items at The Classic Sale on the Silverstone Auctions website.