'Numbers up' at Shannons Melbourne Summer Sale

• Famous Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Ferrari numbers

• Great numeric combinations

• Two five-digit plates with ‘no reserve’

If you’re lucky, your number may be up at Shannons Melbourne Summer sale, with 11 black and white numerical Heritage Victorian plates crossing the auction block on Monday, November 27.

Most fascinating for collectors will be the five three-digit plates on offer, with their estimated selling prices spanning the $50,000-$90,000 range.

There are also four, four-digit plates and two, five-digit plates in the auction, each with an interesting numeric sequence.

The racing number ‘722’ will forever be associated with the famous victory in the 1955 Italian Mille Miglia road race by Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson in their fabulous Mercedes-Benz 300SLR sports car.

The lowest numbered plate in the auction is ‘451’, which is predicted to sell for $50,000-$80,000, but a higher price may be garnered by the plate ‘722’, which replicates the famous racing number worn by the Mercedes-Benz 300SLR driven to an historic victory in the 1955 Italian Mille Miglia road race by Sir Stirling Moss, with journalist Denis Jenkinson navigating – just the thing to adorn the latest AMG ‘Benz.

The number plate ‘934’ will be in demand by Porsche enthusiasts at Shannons Melbourne Summer Auction on Monday (November 27) because of its association with one of the most successful of all 911 customer racing cars.

Porsche enthusiasts have a great number to cheer for – ‘934’ – which is the type code of the customer racing version of the 911 Turbo that was introduced for the 1976 season.

The same Porsche 934 Turbo Carrera won both the 1977 and 1981 Australian Sports Car Championships, driven by Alan Hamilton and Allan Moffat respectively.

The number has special significance in Australia, as the same Porsche Cars Australia-entered 934 won the Australian Sports Car Championship twice – in 1977 with Porsche distributor Alan Hamilton at the wheel and in 1980, with Allan Moffat driving.

The other three-digit plates on offer are ‘677’ and ‘876’, each of which is expected to attract bids in the $50,000-$80,000 range.

Perhaps the most appealing of the four, four-digit Heritage numerical plates is ‘8.811’, that is expected to sell for $20,000-$30,000, although the numerically-lower ‘1.144’, ‘4.441’ and ‘7.666’ could give it a run for the money.

The five-digit black and white Heritage number plate ’55.599’ should appeal to the tifosi with its numerical connection to one of the greatest modern front-engined Ferrari V12 supercars.

Finally, there are two very appealing five-digit number plates in the auction: ’55.599’ and ’99.000’. Both are being offered with ‘no reserve’ and are expected to sell in the $10,000-$15,000 range.

Ferrari’s revered front-engined 5999cc V12 supercar, the 599 Fiorano, can be recalled on the Heritage number plate ’55.599’ at Shannons Melbourne Summer Auction on Monday (November 27).

However, ’55.599’ with its numerical association with Ferrari’s mighty 2006 V12 front-engined 599 GTB Fiorano, might have the upper edge with tifosi bidders.

View all lots in the Shannons November 27 Shannons Melbourne Summer Classic Auction featuring the 'Ian Cummins Collection' 

For more information on the auction contact the Melbourne Auction Team on (03) 8588 0809 or email auctions@shannons.com.au.

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