Auction update

At

this auction the majority of lots, including 21 cars, were offered with ‘no reserve’. This is now the trend for classic car sales around the world, and in this case appears to have inspired some of the best results in recent times.

For muscle car enthusiasts the star attraction was the ‘no reserve’ Silver Fox 1969 XW GT, winner of ‘Best Unrestored XW GT’ at three GT Nationals. This was one of 41 XW GTs built in June 1969, delivered through Southern Motors of Hobart to its first owner, one of only four owners from new. The GT came with owner’s manual, service books, and only 72,120 miles on the odometer.

Shannons was expecting this Falcon to sell in the $80,000 to $100,000 range of estimates, but spirited bidding pushed the sale price up to $135,000, which would have been the highest price on the night if not for the incredible $202,000 paid for, you guessed it, a Volkswagen Kombi.

These have skyrocketed in value over the past five years and this result, for a super rare, fully restored 1960 Samba Bus version, could be a world record for any Kombi at auction.

To put it in perspective, that was just over double the price paid for the headline Holden, a 1968 Holden HK GTS 327 ‘Bathurst’ coupe in Picardy Red with white upholstery and a rare dealer-fitted parchment vinyl roof. It sold for a solid $96,000.

This car retains its original running gear, including four-speed Saginaw gearbox, Salisbury 10-bolt limited slip diff, factory tramp rods, Bathurst fuel tank and console-mounted tacho.

The body number indicates it is the 216th example made in Sydney.

Also listed was a 1972 four-speed manual Holden HQ SS 253 V8 sedan, in the 1970s colour scheme of ‘Lettuce Alone’, which was sold for $38,000. This car is thought to have been a Melbournebuilt press test car.

Other highlights were a pair of Melbourne Showgrounds.

The Festival is a joint initiative by the RACV and VACC. It’s aimed at a family audience, with a couple of test tracks on site so that patrons can see the exhibits in action.

Veteran, Vintage, Classic and Historic vehicles will be on displayduring the Festival, as well as new cars and bikes.

Two of the cars listed for the Sunday auction are a 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350H [ED: this has become the Hertz issue!] and a 1986 SS Group 3 VK Commodore. 1962 EK Holdens, a ute and a Special sedan, both from a Perth collection. These were also offered without reserves.

The EK ute had been found sitting in a garage since 1971 with only 47,482 miles, believed genuine, on the clock.

The Special Sedan had a documented 9264 miles, sold complete with original trim, including floor mats, head lining and seats. It was ordered new from the factory in a single colour – Cameo Beige – rather than the traditional two-tone duco.

The ute sold for $30,500, the sedan $32,000, both excellent results. These time-warp cars are now the big movers in the classic car scene.

Shannons National Auction Manager, Christophe Boribon, said the results set a positive tone for 2015. He achieved a vehicle clearance rate of more than 84 per cent, plus an overall sale result in excess of $1.35 million. It’s been a while since that happened.

The Mustang is one of the famous Hertz renta-racer specials later refurbished by Ford and sold to the public as the GT350H.

It was converted to a 4-speed manual by a previous owner during a period of SCCA racing prior to 1979, and has been fitted with a Paxton Supercharger by Walkinshaw Performance in Melbourne. Pre-sale estimates were $180,000 to $200,000.

Estimates for the ‘Blue Meanie’ Brock Commodore were $110,000 to $115,000.

Auction results in our next issue.