Classic Demand Strong at Shannons May 8 Melbourne Auction
• ’69 GTS 327 Monaro top seller at $210,000
• ‘No reserve’ E-Type makes $205,000
• 13 numeric B&W number plates bring combined $667,000
A Holden won the ‘Bathurst race’; a trio of early Mazda RX-7s sold for a combined $119,000; a ‘barn find’ 1972 HQ LS Monaro in need of refurbishment brought $40,500 and the three-digit number plate ‘282’ sold for $170,000.
With total sales of $2.6 million and a vehicle clearance rate of 85 per cent, Shannons May 8 Melbourne auction produced some outstanding results in all categories.
An auction highlight was the battle for sales supremacy of Australian ‘Bathurst’ icons, with a one family owned and low mileage 1969 ‘Silver Mink’ HK Monaro GTS 327 with several rare, dealer-fitted options eventually selling for $210,000, while a 1971 Chrysler VH Charger R/T E38 coming from long-term ownership brought $165,000.
Equally impressive was the result for a sequence of Series 1, 2 and 3 early Mazda RX-7 coupes – all offered with ‘no reserve’.
The 1981 Series 2 and 1985 Series 3 cars sold to the same online buyer for $37,000 and $27,000 respectively, while a floor buyer purchased the 1980 Series 1 coupe for $55,000.
Other ‘no reserve’ vehicles to post strong results at the auction included the $205,000 paid for a stunning, former ‘barn find’ 1963 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Series I Roadster; $41,000 paid for a beautiful and very low kilometre, one-owner 1996 Mercedes-Benz E220 Cabriolet and $33,000 for a 1988 BMW Alpina C2 2.7 Cabriolet – believed to be one of only 60 right hand drive versions built.
Demand was particularly high for Australian-built vehicles, with an older-restored Surf Green 1955 Holden FJ Panel Van selling well above its high estimate for $65,500, while a ‘no reserve’ HQ LS Monaro coupe in ‘barn find’ condition also comfortably exceeded expectation at $40,500. A 1967 Holden HR Special brought $26,500; a 1961 Holden EK Special went for $24,000 and a 1965 Falcon XP Sedan in ‘fair’ condition sold with ‘no reserve for $14,000.
Older sporting vehicles also performed strongly, with an older-restored 1949 MG TC selling for $46,500 after a protracted bidding duel and a restored right hand drive 1930 Buick 30-44 Sport Roadster – also offered with ‘no reserve’ – bringing $62,000.
Modified Vintage Fords also sold well with a 1926 Model T ‘Boatail’ Roadster bringing $26,000 after prolonged bidding, while a 1932 Model B ‘Hot Rod’ roadster sold for $61,000.
American Muscle Cars saw a left-hand drive 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350 ‘Hertz’ Fastback bringing $189,000, while a left-hand drive 1969 Mustang 428 SCJ Fastback went for $75,000; a right-hand drive 1964-1/2 Ford Mustang Convertible made $50,000 and a 1967 Chevrolet Impala Pillarless Sedan went for $23,000 – the latter three offered with ‘no reserve’.
Other vehicles to sell strongly were:
• A 1978 Ferrari 308 GT4 Dino coupe in good condition and provenance sold for $107,000
• A nicely-restored 1967 Split Window Kombi with a campervan conversion went for $67,000
• A 1961 Morris Minor Traveller Station Wagon in excellent restored condition sold above its high estimate for $27,500
• A stylish 1981 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit Saloon sold with ‘no reserve’ for $25,000
• An eye-catching 1953 Fiat 500 Topolino Coupe sold for $20,500 after prolonged bidding
• A rare-today 1967 Saab V4 sedan made $16,000.
As in other recent Shannons Classic Auctions, black and white numerical number plates performed very strongly, with the 13 Victorian plates in the auction delivering a combined result of $667,000.
The top three-digit plate sale was $170,000 paid for ‘282’; the top four-digit was $49,000 paid for ‘8.885’ and the top five-digit result was $30,000 commanded by ‘66.999’.
View all May 8 Shannons Melbourne Autumn Classic Auction Results
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