AUCTION UPDATE Auction update
Atreasure trove of Australian motoring history goes under the hammer on Sunday, August 20 at Mallala Motorsport Park in the form of the late Clem Smith’s eclectic car collection. The circuit’s rescuer and long-time owner passed away in February, aged 90, the Smith family selling the facility to Peregrine Corporation, developers of the Tailem Bend circuit currently under construction. Now 36 of Clem’s favourite machines will be auction by mossgreen at the South Australian track where they were housed, in most cases, for decades.
Topping the list of locally-built cars is Smith’s famous Charger Sports Sedan, his roadgoing Charger E38 in Mercury Silver and a replica of the E38 raced by Norm Beechey/Jim McKeown at Bathurst ’71. Then there’s an Adelaideassembled 1962 Dodge Phoenix and several Ramblers assembled in Victoria by AMI, each highlighting Smith’s fondness for the local manufacturing industry in all its forms. The list of Ramblers includes a 1970 Javelin Coupe, a near complete 1975 Matador X Coupe, a 1964 Classic American sedan and Cross Country wagon.
Beyond the Chryslers and American Motors Corporation machines are a 1953 Holden 48/215, a 1964½ Ford Mustang, 1950 Jaguar XK 120, 1968 Cooper S and many fine pre-war cars including a 1938 Hudson Terraplane.
“This doyen of South Australian motorsport created a simply fascinating collection, from Australian-built Chryslers, Ramblers, Dodge, Holden and his highly styled and revered Hudsons. From veterans to moderns, Clem Smith’s understanding of the car manufacturing industry is exhibited in this quality collection clearly demonstrating the threads and links in motoring innovation through the decades,” mossgreen’s publicity material outlined.
Check them out at Mallala on August 20 or via www.theclemsmithcollection.com.au
mossgreen was also the auction house behind the sale of one of the two Torana A9Xs Bob Morris used to win the 1979 ATCC, when he beat Brock and the HDT. This was also the ill-fated Ron Hodgson Racing entry at Bathurst in ’77 for Americans Johnny Rutherford and Janet Guthrie. The lime green, white and blue A9X sold in late May for $600,000 plus buyers’ premium.
Neither Morris nor Dieter Quester were successful bidders, despite their gesturing in the pic below (ED: tongue firmly planted in cheek).
By way of comparison, earlier this year a roadgoing A9X sold for $260,000, believed to be an auction record for an A9X, although examples have changed hands privately for significantly more than this.
On the Gold Coast, the Ford XC Falcon hardtop driven by Dick Johnson at Bathurst in 1978 (fifth) and 1979 (DNF) sold for $340,000 at Lloyds Auctions. It’s sister car and three other Group C racing Fords from the Harris collection are currently being auctioned online by Lloyds.
This issue hits newsstands soon after Shannons Melbourne Winter Classic Auction of July 17, with the Sydney equivalent scheduled for August 28.