If you wanted to sell a special car or add something significant to your automotive collection, Queensland was the place to be as Spring ’25 turned to Summer ’25.
During the space of eight days, two major sales saw around $20 million of cars acquired by new owners, with some achieving new record prices.
At the same time in Victoria, wallets were kept tightly zipped with just one lot at Donington Auctions’ December 7 sale exceeding $100,000 and the majority selling below $30,000.
The online auction sites saw slim pickings, too, with Trading Garage the exception thanks to sales of Victorian Collector number plates, several of which sold at $100,000 and above.
Collecting Cars did best with their Subaru Impreza STi 22B which brought $243,000. It would be followed a few days later by a Group A Impreza built for the late Peter ‘Possum’ Bourne and which he drove to a win in the final event contested prior to his death in 2003; after a faltering start, the car found a buyer at $130,000.
Also worthy of mention from the Collecting Cars list was a modified Mercedes-Benz 230SL ‘Pagoda’ that reached $200,000 and a Shelby Mustang GT500 that made $170,000. Likewise, the $120,000 paid for a rarely seen HDT SV88 that had been in the same ownership since new in 1988 and showing a verified 112,000km.
Before the panic buying of early Summer arrived, there was the final Spring sale of Collector Cars ands Barn Finds promoted on Saturday November 29 by Lloyds Auctions on the Gold Coast.
Still struggling to field more than 100 cars for its monthly sale, where 220-250 was once the norm, Lloyds did manage to populate its November listings with some interesting models, delivering decent clearance rates.
Most prolific amongst Lloyds’ sales were Japanese listings, headed by an R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec at a hammer price of $121,000. It was followed by a tidy R32 GT-R at $51,000 and scarce Toyota Celica GT-Four which made $36,000.
Another Japanese rarity that didn’t sell and deserved to make more than the $31,500 offered was a Honda S800 coupe. It looked to be in excellent condition and, astonishingly, still had its original high-revving 791cc, DOHC, four-cylinder Honda engine.
Lloyds, as usual, fielded a broad selection of Australian classics, but winning bids were hard to find. Best of the Aussie offerings to meet its reserve price was an authentic LC Torana GTR which reached $72,000. However, a HJ Monaro sedan was passed in at $60,500 as was a late-build HSV GTO coupe that made only $57,000.
Chicane Auctions in Melbourne seems happy to offer small catalogues of interesting cars and its December 4 sale was headed by a stunner. The UK-built KVA brand Ford GT40 replica looked to be in decent condition and sold for a palindromic $100,001.
That wasn’t Chicane’s top price, however, with that honour grasped by an excellent and well documented XR Falcon GT that cost $145,000. The XR GT was backed by a beautifully restored 1955 Ford Customline at a hefty $82,000 and a LH Torana SLR with non-standard V8 mechanicals that made $90,000.
One which didn’t sell and should have done better than its $58,000 high bid was a well-presented ex-Police VL Turbo Commodore which fell $10-15k shy of its realistic value.
Also in Melbourne, Donington Auctions had just one ‘headline’ car for its week-long sale that concluded on December 7, but what a stunning and significant machine it was.
The car in question was an Alfa Romeo 1900C with bodywork by Touring that had spent 50 years in France before coming to Australia in 2002. The 50,000km odometer reading is believed genuine, and while the car fell slightly short of its $200,000 guide price on the day, Donington has since confirmed its sale.
No such problems for several of the quality British cars on offer, including an early Bentley T-type that sold for $27,000 and a Jaguar Mark VIII which brushed aside a $15,000 top estimate to reach $24,500 despite needing some work.
Also sold by Donington and at a seemingly low $71,000 was an XR Falcon GT, verified a as a genuine car but painted in the Ivy Green colour that distinguished Harry Firth/Fred Gibson’s 1967 Bathurst 500 winner. This car over the years had enjoyed abundant contact with Firth, including being driven by “The Fox” himself in a couple of tarmac rallies.
Finishing out our frantic week was the Seven82 Motors sale held on December 7. The saleroom was packed with more than 80 vehicles including a Holden HJ GTS sedan which was the first to crack six digits on what would be a busy day for the of the Gold Coast-based retailer and auction host.
The 5.0-litre V8-powered four-door Monaro achieved a tidy $104,750, followed later in the sale by $212,500 for a highly-modified HQ two-door, and $154,000 for an HT 350 GTS.
Several LH-LX Toranas were there as well, headed by an LX SS 5.0 Hatch in rare Tuxedo Black which sold at $245,000, outgunning an A9X four-door which realised $235,000.
HDT Commodores were represented by VC, VK Group A and VL Group A models, with the VL – a non-Polariser car but with significant history – selling at $237,000.
Early excitement in the Ford column occurred when an XY Fairmont 351 in its original Wild Violet with white trim colour combination made $127,500. That car could have gone significantly higher too, except for vendor disclosure that it had been rebodied early in life.
Other Fords to top $100,000 included a scarce XC Fairmont 5.8 Hardtop at $120,000, an XB GT Hardtop at $225,000, and a 4.9-litre XC Cobra that made $272,500.
The one that had eyes popping and observers reaching for their records of past auction values, however, was a Ford Falcon XE ESP 351 four-speed which had travelled a verified 69,000km and managed an astonishing $270,000.
For comparison purposes, the final 4.9-litre ESP made in 1983 was last sold in 2021 at $355,000 but this price seems to be the highest recently recorded for a 5.8-litre car.
US muscle cars, pickups and classics are the focal point of most Seven82 sales and the December event offered opportunities for buyers and healthy returns for some vendors.
Two Cadillacs from the 1950s were included: a 1957 Eldorado Brougham which was one of only 400 made, and a perfectly restored 1959 Coupe de Ville. The Brougham saw a disappointing result and no-sale at $130,000, but the finned ’59 soared to another near-record $170,500.
Modified pickups also featured in the sale, with successful bids including $179,000 for a 1957 Chevrolet Apache and $145,000 for a 1954 model Chev 3100. However, it was the 1972 Ford Bronco in better-than-new condition and stock standard that overwhelmed them all with a winning $232,000.
Stars of the show in dollar terms were an HSV, a Shelby and a Dodge, all of which soared past $300,000 and would easily find themselves in the front row of any collector’s display.
The HSV was one of the last and most desirable versions built; a GTSR W1 showing only delivery distance on its odometer which was successfully bid to $360,000. It was followed by perhaps the most perfect Shelby GT500 anyone had seen; a Wimbledon White beauty which brought an utterly justifiable $374,000.
Finally, and fittingly, the last lot of the day was a 1968 Dodge Charger that could only be described as swimming in a pool of translucent burgundy paint and flawless chrome.
A Summernats Grand Champion and looking good enough to win again tomorrow, the Charger found a new home at an amazing but appropriate $560,000.
Seven82 Motors announced that this amazing Charger and the ’59 Cadillac were both sold to the United States, while the ’72 Bronco has found its new home in Japan.
Please note: All figures quoted are Hammer Prices in Australian Dollars (unless otherwise noted) and do not include any applicable Buyer Premium.
