Goss's 1975 Falcon XBGT for auction

The original 1975 Ford Falcon XBGT coupe owned and raced by John Goss from 1975 until 1978 is one of the headline acts in Sotheby's classic car auction.  The other crowd pleaser is former F1 world champion Alan Jones's 1979 Williams F1 car.

Sotheby's national head of collector cars, James Nicholls, says both cars are expected to create keen interest from bidders because of their blue blood racing pedigrees.  International interest in classic F1 racers could also mean strong bidding from overseas.

"I think that of the two, Alan Jones's car could potentially go overseas," he says.  "The Goss car is more Australian-centric.  "It will appeal to a local collector."

The Goss car is tipped to fetch more than $500,000 and the Williams F1 car more than $100,000.  In 1979 Jones finished third in the Williams FW07 in the Formula 1 Drivers Championship, before becoming World Champion in 1980.

He started the 1980 campaign by winning the Argentine Grand Prix from pole position and setting the fastest lap in the same car.  The Goss XBGT coupe - chassis number JG66 RY 13182 - has undergone an extensive six-month ground up restoration to bring it back to its original 1975 specifications and race livery.

The mechanical restoration was overseen by Goss' own mechanic from that era.  Goss was the first person to officially race the Falcon in 1973's then new Group C touring car series.

He took delivery of the car a few weeks before its debut appearance in the 1975 Bathurst 1000.  Apart from Goss's campaign in the car, it has been driven by Jack Brabham, son Geoff, Allan Moffat, Jim Richards and Le Mans winner Henri Pescarlo.

Nicholls says the Blaze Blue hardtop represents an excellent buy for someone who wishes to race in the Group C Historic Series or a collector.  It is the first Group C Falcon Hardtop to be put to auction for six years, he says.

"I can't remember what it fetched but these cars are becoming increasingly rarer and sort after," he says.  Apart from the Jones and Goss race cars a rare 1966 Bentley Continental S3 Flying Spur, by Mulliner Park Ward is also up for auction as well as motoring memorabilia.  The Bentley is believed to be only one of nine in Australia.