Retro Rides’ Market Analyst Cliff Chambers has plucked the best from roughly 300 car and motorbike lots during March 2025, finding that while there was plenty to like, the value of some models has declined quite noticeably.
Anyone who couldn’t find a car that sparked their interest amongst the latest round of local auction offerings can count themselves very difficult to please.
Six auction houses fielded around 300 cars and classic motorcycles between them, along with plenty of ephemera for those who couldn’t stretch to something mobile.
Melbourne-based Donington Auctions claimed what was their first major sale of the year, while Chicane claimed its second. Both were timed sales, although Burns & Co and Gold Coast-based Lloyds both ran live events with bids taken from the floor and online.
Meanwhile, two online only sites – Collecting Cars and Trading Garage – both reported strong bidding on high-profile lots and excellent prices for those that did sell.
This VY Commodore racer was one of Collecting Cars’ biggest winners, earning a $200k top bid (Image: Collecting Cars)
The top price reported by Collecting Cars for a pre-1999 vehicle was the $200,000 paid for a racing Commodore with Bathurst history. That was more than anyone was prepared to spend on range of road-going Holdens offered during the month.
Best of these was an HSV ‘Walkinshaw’ VL SS Group A listed by Lloyds which was a no-sale at $167,000, followed by Burns & Co’s non-Polariser VL Group A SS which was also a non-seller at $145,000.
Older Holdens were better at finding buyers, including an ex-NSW Police Torana GTR that hit $84,000 and the spectacular Mandarin Red LH L34 that sold – surprisingly – for just $161,000. Both were Burns & Co lots.
Best of the Fords was a 2011 Mustang Super Snake that earned $150,000 through Collecting Cars, but a big gap then followed, with Burns’ spectacular ’32 Ford ‘street rod’ which was sold for $65,500 and a modified XB Falcon Hardtop which reached a lowish $77,000.
It seemed a surprise to our expert that this L34 Torana sold for just $161k (Image: Burns & Co)
Japanese classics were in there as well, even though a couple of rare Subarus in the Lloyds listing didn’t climb far enough to change hands. They were headed by number 351 out of 400 Subaru Impreza 22Bs which only made $152,000; the last one sold locally topped $260,000 in February.
Better news at Lloyds came via a stunning black-over-red Mazda R100 coupe which stormed past $100,000 to eventually sell for $123,000. At that price, it did $30,000 better than an equally impressive car that had been a $92,000 no sale with Burns.
Mid-way through the month, Collecting Cars accepted an offer of $113,500 on a 1991 Honda NSX manual, a figure about $20,000 below the successful bid on a very similar car late last year.
While bargains can certainly be found in a struggling market, there are also buyers who will battle furiously to secure scarce and very desirable vehicles.
This ultra-clean, Japanese-delivered E30 M3 fetched a $123k winning bid online (Image: Trading Garage)
One of these that surfaced late in the month with Trading Garage was a very early Jensen-bodied Volvo P1800 coupe in ultra-authentic condition that sparked a fierce bidding duel before finally selling for a near-record $131,000.
Also from the Trading Garage listings came an E30 Series BMW M3, stunningly presented in black with a matching interior. Still left-hand drive, it was originally delivered to Japan when new before arriving here in 2010, and sold on this occasion for $123,000.
The highlight of the Donington sale was a ‘barn find’ Holden HQ GTS 308 manual coupe which despite – or perhaps because of – its dust and rust managed a $102,000 winning bid.
That was well above the $82,250 taken a few days earlier by Chicane for an XA GT sedan, purportedly a rare RPO83 version but with some serious paint and trim issues. If it can be authenticated and the rust isn’t terminal, the buyer may have a major bargain because the last unrestored RPO83 – a Hardtop – earned more than $300,000.
$45,500 may seem like a lot for such a miniature motor as this BMW Isetta microcar, but it could well have fetched $60k if sold overseas (Image: Donington)
Finally, there were some oddbods and bargains to be found on several sites that must’ve had underbidders wondering why they’d given up so quickly.
Burns & Co’s standout was a lovely 998cc Mini Cooper on replica Minlite wheels that sold for $30,000. At Lloyds, our choice was another Mini, this time a yellow Moke on Sunraysia rims with no roof but a very serious roll cage, which sold for just $22,000.
Chicane’s best buy was a beaut 1968 Mustang Fastback that at $96,000 wasn’t cheap but in the retail world would be a $120,000 car.
Utterly at odds in size and style were two standouts from the Donington sale. The first was a rare BMW Isetta bubble car with three wheels and 300cc that sold for $45,500. Overseas, it could have topped $60,000.
Later in the listing was one of several Donington MGs, but the only one equipped with a V8 engine. This rubber bumper GT V8 had been originally delivered to an owner in London, and while its floorpans were hidden beneath a lavish application of underseal, it was certainly worth a punt at $33,000.
Please note: All figures quoted are Hammer Prices in Australian Dollars and do not include any applicable Buyer Premium.
