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VINTAGE BEATS MUSCLE AT BONHAM’S SYDNEY SALE
	A big crowd of enthusiastic bidders drove the collectors' car market up a notch at Bonhams & Goodman’s Sydney auction on 1 July. The highest price ever paid at auction for a famous vintage sports car, the 1921 Vauxhall 30-98 E-type Velox Tourer, was achieved when an overseas collector paid $365,000 by telephone at his home in England at 3.30am. The Vauxhall is an original, unrestored model featuring polished aluminium bodywork, and had covered less than 20,000 miles since 1928. Duncan Beaton of Adelaide purchased the car in 1953 from Colonel Austin, a WW1 war veteran. He immigrated to Australia in 1971 with the Vauxhall, his pride and joy, and kept it ever since. Head of Collectors' Cars Robert Glover said considerable interest in this car had come from around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the US, but he hadn’t anticipated breaking the previous record. The company’s CEO Tim Goodman commented that the result confirms the current popularity of very original cars, and also a strong interest from overseas in such cars discovered in Australia. Interest in a beautiful American classic, a 1934 Packard with glamorous convertible coachwork by Dietrich, was disappointing. One of 3 built and only 2 remaining, it has belonged to the same Australian family for most of its life with a fascinating history. The car failed to sell but negotiations continued at around $200,000 after the auction. However, another rare vintage car, the 2-seater Cadillac 1928 La Salle Series 303 Convertible coupe on a 125" wheel-base, sold for $46,500. It was the subject of a restoration in the 1980s and hardly used since then. The owner was an enthusiast engineer and well known among other collectors. A gleaming 1968 Ford Falcon XR GT brought $69,000. From a total of 596 produced, only 38 XR GTs were made in that year. Included in the sale was the original Instruction/Service book and a copy of a letter from Ford Australia stating that the original colour was GT gold with a charcoal interior, which it retains. It was modified with a Holley 4-barrel carburettor with sports manifold replacing the Autolite 4-barrel to improve performance. Two Toranas appeared, a 1972 GTR XU-1 estimated between $120,000 and $150,000 that failed to find a buyer, and a ‘70 LC GTR that earned $18,000.
	For further information, contact Robert Glover 02 9327 9906, robert.glover@bonhams.com.
US APPETITE FOR V8s GROWS
	Meanwhile, the US sister company of Bonhams & Goodmans, Bonhams & Butterfields, enjoyed huge success at the world famous Jack Hogan Collection sale of Ford V8s on 30 June in Aurora, Oregon, exceeding their own expectations and selling 100% of lots for a US$1.8-million result. The crowd consisted of serious Ford V8 collectors from America and Europe and friends wanting a ‘keepsake’ from the collection, kept in a hangar at the local airport. Telephone bidders representing top US collectors and museums participated. The collectors’ market has always been strong for early Ford V8s and doesn’t seem to be waning. Jack Hogan, a local personality whose well-known vehicles have won many top awards, dressed in a dinner jacket and personally drove each vehicle in front of the audience. He shared personal anecdotes of his long involvement with many of the cars, before handing proceedings to auctioneer Malcolm Barber who believes this personal introduction and explanation of the meticulous work conducted on the cars helped attract more confident bids and the record result. Among the prices achieved were several world record results for this type of car. Four cars exceeded the top estimate of US$100,000 – the 1935 Model 48 Deluxe Roadster $111,150, 1946 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet $114,660, 1937 Model 78 Deluxe Phaeton $117,000, and a 1941 Model 11A Super Deluxe Convertible Coupe $105,300 – and some others came very close in price. Trucks and a tractor were also among the lots.