Shannons late founder Robert Shannon’s famous Invicta will at last be auctioned at the Melbourne International Motor Show on Monday 12 March, to be held in the Concourse area of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. The imposing Invicta Low Chassis Type ‘S’ with a powerful 6-cylinder 4.5 litre engine was one of the first production vehicles of its time to reach 100 miles an hour.
The Shannons Invicta has chassis No F24 and was among the first 64 of 77 such cars manufactured between 1930 and 1933. Only about half that number remains worldwide.

Vintage racecar driver and builder Raymond Mays used the Invicta in its early days to demonstrate tyres for the India Tyre and Rubber Company. It was painted white to resemble the Invicta of a similar model that Mays raced himself. The car arrived in Australia in 1936. After it passed through several owners, the Ryan family of Melbourne acquired it to use as their daily driver for 25 years. Miles Ryan and his son Tony took the Invicta out on numerous adventures together, and for many years it was often seen parked outside the Greyhound Hotel, a Melbourne pub.

Melbourne collector Julian Sterling was the next owner but didn’t put many miles on it over the next 10 years. Robert Shannon fell in love with its low-slung styling and purchased it in 1988, soon using it as the trademark vehicle for his growing classic car insurance and auction company.
Up until the 1990s, the engine had never been pulled down, but during the FIVA World Rally in Tasmania in 1993, it finally became clear that the car was in need of some major work. The car underwent a total body-off-chassis restoration including a rebuild of the engine and running gear, and the electrical system and the car’s instruments were refurbished. Extensive work was carried out on the alloy body and paint, a new hood and tonneau cover were made and the interior was completely retrimmed in Connolly Hide.

Robert Shannon drove the car regularly in quarter mile sprints, hillclimbs, regularity trials and club rallies. He competed with it in Targa Tasmania in 1998 and placed first in its class. After Shannon passed away in March 2000, his family kept the Invicta, nick-named ‘Scimitar’. Although it has rarely been used since then, the car is still in top condition and has its original Victorian registration number ’83 985’, issued in 1937.

Because the Invicta is thought to be one of only two Low Chassis ‘S’ Type models in Australia, has such as interesting history and remains in excellent condition, the sale should attract international interest. Auction Manager Christophe Boribon expects bids of around $900,000-$1.1 million.
Robert Shannon’s car will not be the only rare vehicle at the auction. In fact, the left hand drive 1948 Mercedes-Benz W124-A320 Cabriolet is considered to be the only one of its kind ever built and should also draw bidders from overseas.

Mercedes-Benz built the 5.5 metre car just after World War 2, with a 3.4 litre six-cylinder engine and full coil spring independent suspension. It belonged originally to a Dutch businessman who shipped it to Indonesia. It remained there for almost 40 years before it was sold again and brought to Australia in the late 1980s. Subsequently, the car has been stripped down and given a substantial restoration. Shannons anticipate bids in the $450,000-$600,000 range.