Australian Classic Car
Top money for top classics at Brisbane Motor Show

 

When a crowd of more than 1,000 squeezed into Shannons’ first auction at the Brisbane International Motor Show in the Convention Centre on 10 February, bidders spent over $1 million at on some great classics, number plates and memorabilia. Rated a major success, over 60 per cent of the 49 lots sold.
The highest prices were paid for internationally recognised classics. A 1968 lhd Candy Apple Red Shelby Mustang GT500 Fastback, restored to concours standard in the mid-1990s, was the day’s top seller and earned $180,000. Just behind it was an original factory 1959 Mercedes-Benz 220S Cabriolet. Also the subject of a thorough restoration in the early 1990s, it was a concours-winner. Other classic Germans to sell well were a fully restored silver-with-red-leather 1962 Mercedes-Benz 190SL Convertible at $100,000 and an original condition Signal Red 1963 Porsche 356C Coupe, $49,000.
Sports cars were in demand as usual. A 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible, restored in Congo Green with Cream interior, brought $60,000 and a 1984 Ferrari Mondial QV Coupe, factory-original with only 118,000km since new, sold for $37,500. Among the vintage car lots, $155,000 was paid for a Concours d'Elegance-winning 1928 Stutz Model BB with a Wymann Sports Tourer body, an outstanding result.
The muscle car fans were impressed with the limited edition value of a brand new 2007 six-speed manual Ford Falcon BF GT Cobra sedan, one of only 400 Cobras released last year. It went for an excellent $92,000– well above its retail price of $65,110. A more affordable result for an Australian car was $29,000 for a totally restored and correct 1954 two-tone green Holden FJ Special Sedan, while an unrestored 1951 48-215 FX went for $7,750. Heritage plate ‘Q154’ brought top money at $25,000, and no surprise, among personalised plates, ‘PETE 05’ signed by the late Peter Brock, sold with no reserve for $4,500.
 
Morris reveals its star quality

 

The problematic black 1955 Morris Minor convertible that actor Garry McDonald drove as Arthur Beare in the TV comedy series ‘Mother and Son’, sold for an unprecedented $18,000 at Shannons Sydney Summer Auction 19 February. Auctions, it appears, can be stranger than fiction. A young man who lives at home with his mother purchased the car sight unseen by telephone. To get his ‘dream car’, he had to get past another 14 bidders as the unreserved price for the Series II Tourer outstripped its estimated range of $7,000-$12,000. Although the car was a bit worse for wear, the buyer explained, “The whole attraction of the car to me was that it had never been offered for sale before and therefore, it is exactly how Arthur Beare drove it. Hopefully it will be a little more reliable for me that it was for Arthur.”

As in Brisbane, another Sydney highlight was the Australian record price of $165,000 paid for a concours-standard 1958 Mercedes-Benz 190SL roadster to a floor bidder. This original rhd, Australian-delivered car was an excellent example of a model rapidly gaining in popularity and value. Auction Manager Christophe Boribon remarked, “People these days have a greater realisation of the restoration costs associated with this sort of car and are prepared to pay that premium.”

A Honda NSX 3.2 Targa Coupe fetched $112,000. The WA purchaser was planning to drive it home across the Nullabor. Other standout sales were the $28,000 paid for a 1980 Ford Escort RS2000, nearly double its estimate, and $20,000 for a Lotus Cortina Mark I replica. All Australian muscle cars sold well - a 1977 Holden LX Torana A9X sedan bringing $118,000, a 1968 HK Monaro GTS 307 automatic coupe $70,000 and a 1972 Falcon XA GT Sedan $42,000 – except the 1971 Ford Fairmont XY GS sedan going for $29,000.

 

Contact Damien 02 9438 9315 or Christophe 0413 567308. Visit www.shannons.com.au.