Heritage number plates shine at Shannons Melbourne Spring Sale
• ‘303’ the ‘Top Gun’ at $203,000
• Brace of early Corvettes sell for $116,000 apiece
• Rare 2-door WRX STi Coupe brings $54,000
• Vintage and classic 4WDs perform well
Heritage Victorian black and white numerical number plates produced the standout results of Shannons Melbourne Spring auction on September 25, continuing the trend seen at Shannons Classic Auctions over the past 12 months.
All 13 plates sold comfortably above expectation, with the most spectacular result being achieved by the plate ‘812’ – a number with special relevance to the latest 6.5 litre V12 Ferrari 812 Superfast – that sold after determined bidding for $166,000 – $96,000 above its upper guiding range.
However, the top price of the auction was achieved by another three-digit heritage number plate, ‘303’ that sold quickly for $203,000 after bidding opened spectacularly at $200,000.
In other outstanding three-digit number plate results, ‘682’ sold for $144,000; the hallowed Mercedes-Benz number ‘560’ brought $132,000; ‘447’ made $112,000 and ‘905’ went for $103,000.
Four and five-digit black and white Victorian heritage plates also performed above expectation, with ‘1.166’ selling for $61,000 and '22.224' producing the best five-digit result at $33,000.
Shannons National Auction Manager Christophe Boribon said the number plate sales, which contributed more than $1 million towards the $2.8 million overall auction result, followed similarly strong demand for heritage numerical number plates at recent Shannons Sydney and Melbourne sales.
“These plates continue to give enthusiast a unique opportunity to make their classic or modern-day supercar stand out, while acquiring individuality and a status symbol at the same time,” he said.
Vehicles did not disappoint, with outstanding results amongst the 50 cars and motorcycles that crossed the block in the Melbourne Spring Auction.
A nicely-presented Australian-delivered 1987 Ferrari 328 GTS sold for $140,000.
A pair of classic left-hand-driver first series C1 Chevrolet Corvette Roadsters – a rare, white 1954 model restored to a high standard and a stylish black with white scallops and chrome wire wheels 1961 model – each made $116,000.
Amongst emerging modern classics, a rare 1999 Subaru Impreza WRX STI – one of only 399 two-door Version 5 models to come to Australia – sold with ‘no reserve’ for $54,000 against its pre-auction estimate of $30,000-$38,000.
In other notable sales:
• a well-presented former left-hand-drive 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo coupe sold for $137,000, reflecting the appreciating value of these early 911 Turbos;
• a 1974 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Sedan went for $100,000;
• a superbly-restored, left hand drive 1957 Chevrolet Belair Sports Coupe fitted with a factory 283-cid V8 sold for $71,000;
• a beautifully-restored 1964 Jaguar MkII 3.8 Manual Saloon brought $68,000;
• an increasingly collectible, coach-built 1978 Rolls-Royce Camargue 2-Door Saloon sold for $60,000, as did a superbly-restored 1950 Bentley Mk VI Saloon’
• a two-owner Australian-delivered 1985 Mercedes-Benz 380SL went for well above its high estimate to sell for $58,000;
• an impressive, low-kilometre 1968 Holden HK Premier Sedan made an impressive $50,000.
Amongst the Vintage vehicles, a stunning a 1924 Buick Master Six that had been restored to an exceptional standard brought $55,000 and a striking, restored 1932 Chevrolet B Roadster went for $50,000.
Meanwhile, a pair of early, unrestored two-owner Toyota Land-Cruisers – a 1971 FJ40 Short Wheelbase and a 1979 Toyota FJ55 4-Door wagon – sold strongly for $17,500 and $21,000 respectively, indicative of the increasing interest in classic working vehicles.
View all September 25 Shannons Melbourne Spring Classic Auction Results
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