A bidding frenzy amongst 20 floor and phone bidders saw a pair of mid-1950s Ceremonial Land-Rovers sell for $17,500 and $21,000 respectively

A solid $1.4 million result, with nearly 70 per cent of all vehicle lots sold on the day in front of a crowd of more than 1,000, saw this year’s Melbourne International Motor Show auction open Shannons’ 25th auction anniversary year in style.

Top sale of the auction staged in the Concourse area of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre was the $92,500 paid for a fully restored 4-speed manual Nugget Gold 1970 Ford Falcon XY GT– an excellent result for a ‘non-HO’ Falcon. A Starlight Blue 1969 Falcon XW GT sedan with tan interior also sold for $49,000.

Another outstanding result was the sale of a superbly presented ex-works Sunbeam Alpine rally car for $75,000. The vehicle was one of six identical cars originally prepared by the Rootes competition department for the 1955 Alpine Rally, but the event was cancelled following a major accident at Le Mans that year that claimed the lives of 81 spectators.

There was also considerable national interest in the fate of 11 automotive items from a deceased estate.

A beautifully-restored 1951 Silver Dawn Saloon finished in metallic Spearmint Green with beige leather interior sold for an excellent $50,000, a yellow 1923 Rolls-Royce 20HP with a replica ‘Waring Bros’ touring body sold for $33,000, while a 1969 Silver Shadow went for $14,000 and a 1978 Silver Shadow II saloon made $19,000 – the latter two offered unreserved.

However it was the pigeon-pair Ceremonial Series I Land-Rovers that were the stars of the auction and created the greatest bidding frenzy of the afternoon.

Finished in Royal Claret (red), the two mid-1950s vehicles were believed to have been built to transport the Queen, Prince Charles and the Pope on visits to Australia. Appropriately, they went for right Royal prices, disappointing many who hoped to pick up some interesting farm hacks.

Frenetic bidding from around 20 floor and phone bidders saw them sell for $17,500 and $21,000 respectively – well outside the pre-auction estimate of $4,000-$7,000, but around the same money that they changed hands for more than a decade ago.

This superbly-finished Ferrari 250 GTO replica based on a Datsun 260Z brought $25,000 at Shannons Melbourne Motor Show auction

A 1977 Mercedes-Benz 450SL convertible from the same estate was snapped up for just $14,000, a Penny Farthing bicycle went for $6,200 and the Victoria number plate ’64.720’ that was originally fitted to the 1923 Rolls-Royce sold for $4,000 after a battle amongst seven floor and telephone bidders.

As well as the Sunbeam Alpine, other sporting car highlights of the auction included $75,500 paid for a 1964 Porsche 356SC Cabriolet in excellent condition, $67,000 for a spectacular red British-built Ford GT40 replica, $25,000 for a 1975 Datsun 260Z re-styled as a Ferrari 250 GTO and $25,500 for an unreserved 1974 Lotus Super 7 Clubman.

Other good results saw a beautiful 1928 Chevrolet AB National Tourer bring $25,000, a 1939 Chevrolet Standard sedan sell for $15,500, while a 1963 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia convertible brought $25,000.

Mustangs as usual were popular, with a right hand drive 1967 coupe selling unreserved for $14,000, a right hand drive 1973 Mach I bringing $30,000 after initially being passed in, a 1995 Ford Mustang convertible earning $38,500 and a 1965 right hand drive convertible reaching $42,000. However, media identity Sam Newman’s 1965 left hand drive Mustang convertible was passed in after bidding stalled at $49,000.

Amongst the automotive and memorabilia lots, the Victorian number plate ‘MINI’ made a maxi $4,900, while a pair of Bentley Turbo V8 and Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II V8 display engines sold for $4,200 and $6,600 respectively.

© Copyright 2006 Driveguide.com.au

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