• Rare Maserati Khamsin V8 Supercar
• No reserve Maserati Merak, Lotus Esprit Turbo and BMW M5
Some of Europe’s greatest sporting nameplates are crossing the auction block at Shannons Sydney Summer sale on November 7.
The tifosi have two magnificent factory right hand drive Maserati Coupes to cheer for – a very early right hand drive front-engined 1974 Maserati Khamsin and a stylish mid-engined Merak.
The Khamsin with its striking wedge-shaped Bertone body and 4.9-litre quad camshaft V8 engine is a true Italian supercar of the early seventies and was described by respected American magazine Road & Track at the time as ‘an ego trip on wheels’.
Just 64 of the total build of 430 Khamsins left Maserati in 1974, with the nicely presented and substantially-original early example being auctioned being one of just 73 right hand drive examples built.
Shannons believe it was previously owned by a well-know Melbourne identity and collector.
Showing 62,934km on its odometer at the time of cataloguing, this increasingly sought-after Maserati GT retains the original motor, with its only noted modification being the non-standard Simmons wheels, although three of its original Campagnolo rims are offered with the car.
With values of early 1970s supercars going through the roof, the Khamsin represents a rare opportunity to acquire a fast appreciating asset, with Shannons quoting a guiding range of $100,000-$120,000.
Equally rare, exotic and Italian is the 1974 model Maserati Merak Coupe that was one of the few examples delivered to Australia and the 46th to leave the Bologna factory with right hand drive.
Offered by its long-term owner of more than 25 years, the Merak with its mid-mounted 3.0 litre V6 engine and five-speed manual gearbox underwent an extensive body restoration during 1990-1994, including a bare-metal respray in its current yellow.
The Merak has been regularly maintained and consistently improved since the rebuild, presenting in good condition throughout and with 98,400km displayed at the time of cataloguing.
Appealingly offered with ‘no reserve’, the Maserati comes with a history file, factory handbooks, a tailored car cover and some spares, with Shannons quoting a guiding range of $60,000-$75,000.
Also offered by a long-term fastidious owner on November 7 is a desirable late-series Jaguar E-Type 4.2 Series 2 Coupe that was one of the final six-cylinder E-Types completed at Jaguar’s Browns Lane factory in 1970.
The E-Type underwent a ground-up restoration costing an estimated $130,000 before being sold to its current Sydney owner in 1998. It has since been garaged and used sparingly, while maintained by marquee specialists Cummins Classic Cars of Mortlake, NSW.
The car still presents very well today, with the restoration having developed a lovely patina over the years. Shannons expect it to have strong appeal to E-Type enthusiasts at its conservative guiding range of $100,000-$115,000.
Another British supercar crossing the block in the Sydney auction is a circa-1995 Lotus Esprit S4 2.2 litre 'Turbo' Coupe.
Sold to its first Queensland, Australian owner in 1997, the Lotus has benefited from considerable recent mechanical refurbishment and presents exceptionally well for its age according to Shannons.
Offering blistering performance without the complexity and cost of more exotic Italian supercars, the Esprit S4 makes sense as a real world supercar and is expected to sell affordably for $40,000-$45,000 when offered with ‘no reserve’ on November 7.
Finally in the auction there are two very different 250km/h high performance German cars – an Australian-delivered 1982 Porsche 911SC 3.0-litre 'Targa' Coupe and a well-maintained, one-owner 1991 BMW M5 manual Sedan.
Presented in Grand Prix White with contrasting Burgundy leather trim, the highly-desirable ‘everyday’ 911 has been upgraded progressively in its brakes and suspension over the years by Porsche specialists and is being sold with a strong service history.
Now showing 212,000km, the 911 has been with the current owner for the past five years and regularly serviced by Porsche specialists and ticks all the boxes according to Shannons – locally delivered; a strong service history and good, honest condition – with a sale for this increasingly collectible Targa-topped 911 variant expected conservatively in the $52,000-$60,000 range.
The BMW M5 being auctioned is a rare one-owner six cylinder E34 model with five-speed manual transmission that served as regular family transport until 2004 and has only been used for weekend and pleasure trips since.
One of just 11,000 E34 models built and with a low 136,402km on its odometer at the time of cataloguing, the M5 retains its signature finned alloy wheels and is refreshingly free of any modifications too often found on lesser M-Sport cars.
Offered with ‘no reserve’, it is expected to find willing bidders in the $25,000-$30,000 range on November 7.
View all November 7 Shannons Sydney Spring Auction lots
Protect your Classic. Call Shannons Insurance on 13 46 46 to get a quote today.
