Like green shoots dotting the landscape after rain, auction bidders battling to own the same piece of Australian automotive history are heralding the return of our market to sound health.
Global demand for collector vehicles may be booming, but here in Australia, faced with the aftermath of COVID-induced panic buying and the until-recent reality of rising interest rates, Aussies buyers have been sitting resolutely on their wallets.
There’s evidence of growing interest as the seasons turn towards spring and summer, however, including at Seven82 Motors on the northern end of Queensland’s Gold Coast where a mid-month sale featured a selection of desirable local models, headed by a superb-looking XA Falcon GT Hardtop that made $207,500 and a big-block HQ Monaro at only $5000 less.
Just down the road at Carrara, Lloyds Auctions on August 30 sold an HDT VL Plus Pack Commodore for $142,000 and took a high bid of $115,000 on a decent-looming SLR 5000 which likely sold for somewhere around that price.
One confirmed SLR 5000 sale involved a headline car at Chicane Auction’s timed sale that concluded on 28 August. Chicane’s LH version had by its scheduled conclusion time already exceeded the Reserve price but then continued to climb for 15 minutes until the underbidder relented and the car sold for $135,000.
From Burns & Co also in Melbourne and on the Monday following the Chicane sale came news that a pair of highly desirable LH-LX Toranas – L34 and A9X sedans respectively – had both topped $200,000. The L34 was offered unreserved and made $211,000 while the A9X as the final lot on Night One of Burns’ sale reached $255,000. It was referred but later shown on the Burns & Co site as sold for an undisclosed sum.
Holden HX Monaro LE coupes have been popular during recent months, with two of the just 600 made being listed during August and joining an earlier one sold late last year via Collecting Cars.
Both of the recently offered LEs found owners; the first at $80,500 through Chicane Auctions while the Burns & Co car reached $120,500. It was joined by a well-presented HT Monaro GTS with the 186S engine which sold as well at $77,000.
Top price achieved by a car during August (to the best of our knowledge) was the $525,000 paid at Seven82 Motors’ August sale for an extensively modified Chevrolet pickup. It was accompanied by a stunning Corvette C2 Roadster with the 427-cubic inch engine and in a scarce colour combination that reached $247,500.
Other sites listing interesting US-made cars during the month included Lloyds which sold a good looking 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air at just $33,000 but referred a scarce Pontiac Firebird SD455 that was insufficiently bid to $67,700.
Amongst Burns & Co’s American offerings was a collection of Mopar models including a scarce Australian-made Plymouth Cranbrook Utility which reached $18,500 and a Chrysler Wayfarer at $18,000.
Kicking in as well with some US car sales was online site Trading Garage; rehoming a trio of 1960s Mustangs headed by a 1967 Fastback that reached $98,000.
Collecting Cars had a slow start to its month but boosted its August total with the successful $388,388 bid on a Porsche GT2 Clubsport. It was followed by a Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 V-Spec at $235,000 and a Subaru WRX STI 22B at $228,000 before ending the month with the sale of a high-profile Toyota LandCruiser.
Formerly owned by the late Steve Irwin and decorated with ‘Crocodile Hunter’ signage, the Troop Carrier came with areas of rust and overspray and other evidence of life as a working 4WD. It made a realistic $40,000.
Nothing we saw amongst the older British and European listings was able to top $200,000, but cars that did achieve six figure sums included an early Jaguar XK120 at $150,000 from Trading Garage and a modernised XK150 selling through Burns & Co at a neat $100,000.
Burns also sold what must be the lowest priced, yet still viable Jaguar E-Type seen locally for some time – a 1969 ‘Fixed Head’ two-seater that went to its new owner for just $21,500.
One that missed out on the day of the sale but deserved to sell was the rare and unrestored Aston Martin DB2/4 offered by Lloyds and referred after a high bid of $90,000.
As has become a pattern at recent Australian auctions, none of the cars came close to matching the prices realised by Heritage number plates being sold at the Vic Roads auction in early September.
Top price of $650,000 went to VIC ‘488’, just ahead of the $600,000 realised by VIC ‘899’. Several other plates consigned at this sale would end the night with prices of $200,000 or more against their names.
September’s highlight is a Single Vendor sale being promoted by Burns & Co and being held on 23 September. Included at this event and likely to result in frenetic bidding are several HDT and HSV products with exceptionally low odometer readings – such as the 7000km VL Group A ‘Walkinshaw’ – and US-made muscle cars including a genuine Shelby GT350 Mustang.
Please note: All figures quoted are Hammer Prices in Australian Dollars (unless otherwise noted) and do not include any applicable Buyer Premium.
