Phone and online buyers dominate Shannons Melbourne Spring Auction
• Rare Sunbeam heads back to UK
• ‘60s VW Campervan makes $74,000
• ‘70s Aussie Muscle icons tie at $48,000
• Online bidders account for 22 per cent of $1.15m sale
The world was watching Shannons Melbourne Spring Auction on Monday September 29, with two of the feature cars selling to overseas and online buyers.
In a continuing upward pattern since Shannons introduced internet bidding six months ago, online bidders contributed 22 per cent of the $1.15 million result and made a major contribution to the Auction’s solid 84 per cent clearance rate.
A rare, restored 1924 Sunbeam 24/70HP Tourer that had been in dry storage for the past decade, was the top-selling vehicle of the Cheltenham auction, eventually falling to a UK enthusiast for $111,000 after a lively online/floor bidding duel.
Twenty lots earlier, an exhaustively-restored and multiple award-winning 1966 VW Campervan named ‘Buster’ brought applause when it sold to an online Interstate buyer for $74,000 after a blow-for-blow bidding duel with a Melbourne floor bidder.
As a result, the rare surviving ‘E-Z’ Camper conversion based on an increasingly collectible ‘Split-Window’ Type 2 Kombi that was restored in California in the early 2000s, will now be heading to South Australia.
With the annual Bathurst 1000 less than a fortnight away, the perennial Ford-Holden battle ended in a draw at the auction, with two sought-after 1970s Aussie Muscle cars each bringing $48,000 after willing floor and phone bidding.
First to fall was a largely original, limited edition 1975 ‘John Goss Special’ Ford XB Coupe – one of as few as 260 built by Ford to celebrate John Goss' victory in the 1974 Hardie-Ferodo 1000.
Then it was the turn of Holden fans when a two-owner 1972 Holden HQ finished in eye-catching Chateau Mauve Metallic, crossed the block immediately afterwards, bringing identical money.
Other notable results in the auction were:
• a ‘no reserve’ refurbished one family-owned 1968 HK Holden Brougham sold for $17,500
• a nicely restored, left hand drive and top-of-the-range 1941 Ford Super Deluxe Business Coupe with many period accessories sold for $25,000
• a rare 2002 model Mercedes-Benz SLK32 Convertible with folding metal roof – one of just 28 Australian-delivered examples of this V6-engined model – sold for $29,000. The next lot, a locally delivered 2000-model CL600 coupe with just 110,000km on its odometer, realised $33,000
• a rarely-seen 1963 Morris Mini Traveller Van rebuilt to a high standard with many upgrades including a 1293cc engine on twin carbs and a five-speed gearbox, also brought an excellent $29,000
• a well cared for and right hand drive 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series I, 2+2 coupe with four-speed manual transmission and overdrive realised $51,000 after coming out of long-term ownership
• a multiple award winning restored 1949 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Limousine with a fascinating Australian history sold for $62,000
• a very low kilometre 2007 Elfin MS8 Clubman V8 roadster that was previously Elfin’s factory-owned car, made $67,000
• Amongst the motorcycles, a multi-award winning 1928 BSA Colonial ‘Flat Tank’ 500cc with many period accessories sold for a strong $21,500
• As well as the Sunbeam, another Vintage sporting car to sell well was a nicely restored 1919 Buick ‘Six’ Speedster Style that brought $25,000.
