Style Icons on the block at Shannons Sydney Winter Auction

• Ex-Redex Trial, Australian-delivered 1934 Chrysler Airflow

• Beautifully-presented 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster

• 24 other classic cars and 41 automobilia lots in Monday’s auction

Two classics from different sides of the Atlantic Ocean that profoundly influenced automotive design and aerodynamics will cross the block at Shannons Sydney Winter Auction next Monday, August 25.

This right hand drive Australian-delivered 1934 Chrysler Airflow sedan coming from long-term ownership is likely to sell above its quoted $28,000-$42,000 guiding range.

From the United States comes a 1934 Chrysler Airflow CU ‘Eight’ four-door sedan, regarded as being the first mass-produced streamlined car.

Meanwhile from the UK there is a beautiful, 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster that stunned the world on its launch at the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show with its combination of streamlined styling and 190km/h performance in an era when most sporting cars could barely reach 160km/h.

Both cars are right hand drive, Australian-delivered and still present well after older restorations.

The Airflow was a milestone car both for its aerodynamic design steel tube frame construction.

This trend-setting Chrysler Airflow was the first car to leave the Sydney start in the 1953 Redex Round Australia Trial.

Its shape was the result of extensive studies carried out in the wind tunnel by the company's engineers under the direction of Carl Breer, who was charged with developing new ideas by Walter P Chrysler.

Adopting a 'cab-forward' design, with the engine positioned above the front axle to maximise interior space, the Airflow's construction was equally ingenious, consisting of a steel tube frame with steel panels welded on, an aircraft-inspired technique predating unitary construction by some years.

The Sultana Sand Airflow being auctioned on Monday is well known in classic car circles for its starring role in the 1953 Redex Round Australia Trial as the first car to leave the Sydney start, proudly wearing Number 1.

Originally sold through Lane's Motors of Melbourne to a dentist in Wangaratta, Victoria, it has been in the current family ownership for two generations, having been purchased by Eric Hoy from the first owner when the car was just a couple of years old.

The Chrysler was subsequently restored for the Redex Trial 50^th Anniversary re-run of 2003 and remains in fine condition throughout, with a delightful patina according to Shannons, who are quoting a realistic guiding range of $28,000-$42,000. However given its excellent provenance and future investment value, its selling price could easily be higher.

This beautiful, Australian-delivered 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster that has beneffited from both cosmetic and mechanical work, is expected to sell in the $100,000-$125,000 range.

The Jaguar XK120 with its film-star looks arrived like a thunderbolt from the gloom of Post World War II Britain, capturing the public's imagination in a way few cars before or since have done.

It immediately lived up to its performance promise, setting speed records in Belgium while winning the Le Mans 24-Hour race twice in its moist developed XK120C (or C-Type) development.

The factory right-hand-drive Jaguar XK120 being auctioned by Shannons was originally delivered through Jaguar's Victorian agent Bryson Industries in 1951 and is in excellent mechanical condition following limited mileage since its engine was reportedly rebuilt in 1997.

This Jaguar still looks stunning after a refurbishment in 2005 with new Ivory white paint and contrasting red leather interior, with Shannons believing a surge in XK120 values in recent years should see it sell in the $100,000-$125,000 range.