$4m car auction

FORMER Kyabramite Ezio D’Alberto and his brothers — Frank, Fernando and Alvano — were certainly in the drivers seat when they disposed of their car collection and other memorabilia in a four day auction in Echuca last week.

The brothers held Holden dealerships in Kyabram, Deniliquin and Echuca-Moama before they were sold last year to Shepparton’s Thompson Motor Group.

Some 3000 people attended the auction from all over Australia and overseas for the sale of 2000 items including cars, spare parts, posters, signs, manuals and books from a collection gathered by the brothers from more than 40 years in the motoring industry.

The auction pulled in a staggering $4 million with two vehicles — a Walkinshaw VL SS Group A and a Brock VK SS Group A — knocked down for $340,000 and $305,000, respectively.

‘‘It was a bit sad but it had to happen, life moves on,’’ Ezio said after the mega auction.

He also said some proceeds from the auction would be donated to Echuca Regional Health.

‘‘I spent some time there and they were really good to me and it’s a local charity,’’ Ezio said.