Rare Brough outfit brings $111,000 at Shannons Melbourne Sale
• British Brough sells for ‘world’ price
• Strong 94 per cent clearance rate
• Great result for 22 ‘no reserve’ lots
A rare circa-1939 and nicely-presented Brough Superior 1150 SV motorcycle with sidecar sold was just one of the standout sale at Shannons Melbourne Summer Auction on December 8, selling for a world-market $111,000 after a relentless duel between two floor bidders.
The result for the former Police bike – well above the Brough’s pre-sale high estimate of $65,000 – represented the Brough’s rising collectable value and reflected the true International nature of today’s Shannons auctions, according to National Auction Manager, Christophe Boribon.
Although only produced from 1933 until 1940, the Brough Superior remains of the most revered names in motorcycling, with only an estimated 308 machines made in that period, making surviving examples exceptionally collectable.
The sale of the Brough was only one of the highlights of the auction, which resulted in an exceptional clearance rate of 94 per cent for the 42 classic cars and motorcycles that went under the hammer.
Other motorcycles to sell well included a restored, circa 1948 Harley-Davidson WL 'Civilian' motorcycle ($25,000), a Triumph Tiger ‘GP Replica’ 500cc ($14,500), a restored 1968 Norton Atlas 750cc in older, restored condition ($10,000) and a rare circa-1961 BSA A10 Super Rocket 650cc ($9,000), while a circa 1949 BSA M20 500cc ‘Military’ motorcycle in need of restoration sold with ‘no reserve’ for $8,000.
Equally enthralling as the sale of the Brough Superior for the capacity crowd in Shannons Melbourne showroom was the bidding battle for two iconic German microbuses that resulted in both selling well above pre-sale expectations.
First it was a ‘field-find’ circa 1964 Volkswagen Kombi ‘Split Window’ van in ‘project’ condition that caught the crowd’s imagination, followed by a 1951 DKW Model F-89L Schnell-Laster 8-seater Combi-Bus that had been in the same family ownership since 1960.
The soil-stained and rusting, but wonderfully complete VW Kombi was expected to sell with ‘no reserve’ in the $8,000-$12,000 range, but a range of online and floor bidders soon drove its price up until the hammer fell at what Boribon described as a “spectacular” $29,250.
Encouraged by the sale of the VW, the DKW also punched well above its expected weight, selling after similar enthusiastic bidding for $39,000 – nearly double its high estimate.
The highest price paid at the auction was the $132,000 for a nicely-restored, right hand drive converted 1968 Shelby Mustang GT350 Fastback – one of just 1,027 built – while a 1970 Ford Falcon GT-HO Phase 2 sedan in fair condition went on expectation for $110,000, as did a left hand drive 1956 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible ($77,000) and a rare-in-Australia British Jensen C-V8 Coupe that sold for $67,000.
The other ‘no reserve’ lots in the auction attracted willing bidders, with highlights including a right hand drive 1942 Chevrolet Two-Door Convertible ($42,250), a left-hand-drive 1960 Chevrolet Impala 283 V8 convertible ($32,000) and a beautiful 1961 Holden EK Special Sedan that brought $14,500.
Good results for other Australian cars in the auction was the $35,000 paid for a 1975 Holden LH Torana SL/R with upgrades to L34 specification, $26,000 for an unrestored 1959 Ford Mainline V8 Utility and $21,000 for a rare 1962 Ford XL Falcon Panel Van.
View all December 8 auction results
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