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... of classic and collectable cars for 2011.
Over $3 million worth of auction items will go under the hammer when Shannons appears at its 15th consecutive Melbourne show since its first appearance in 1996.
The highlight of this year’s auction, especially for motorsport fans, will be the last Holden race car driven by Australian sports legend, Peter Brock. Shannons expects that the 1953 Holden FX developed specially for Brock will achieve bids in the $300,000 to $350,000 range. Conceived by Brock fan Phil Munday and built to Revival rules by former Holden Dealer Team engine guru Ian Tate, the car was built for the nine-time Bathurst winner to race at the 2006 Goodwood Revival in England.
While Munday’s 'ultimate FX' finished just off the podium at Goodwood – Brock qualified fifth and finished fourth in the main St. Mary’s Trophy on the Saturday – his performance in the FX saw him awarded the event’s prestigious ‘Spirit of Goodwood’ trophy.
The most unusual auction items at the motor show come in the form of two armoured vehicles: the Ferret Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle, and the Saracen Armoured Personnel Carrier – both formerly used by the British Army.
The Ferret was designed by Daimler and utilises a six-cylinder Rolls-Royce engine, while the Saracen FV 603’s Rolls-Royce engine has eight cylinders and carries up to eight troops. If you are wondering how much an armoured vehicle that has seen active duty is worth, Shannons is expecting bids of approximately $40,000 to $50,000.
Perhaps the best represented marque for classic car collectors in the Shannons auction is Jaguar, with no shortage of automotive exotica from the “leaping cat”. The star of the Jaguar presence is expected to be a stunning restored 1934 SS1 Tourer, for which Shannons expects bids of between $120,000 and $150,000.
A beautiful 1958 example of a Jaguar XK150S 3.4 Roadster is expected to fetch a price just below that of the SS1, while a magnificent 1950 Mk V 3.5 Drophead Coupe, a D-Type replica and a 1970 E-Type coupe in British Racing Green will all tempt lovers of the British brand.
There will be no shortage of Aussie muscle at the auction, with an unreserved 1970 Ford Falcon XY GT sedan likely to receive considerable interest.
A 1964 EH race car sedan built to return to Goodwood with Peter Brock in 2007, a 1974 LH Torana L34 SLR 5000 sedan, and a 1968 HK Monaro GTS Coupe will all ensure that Holden gets its share of attention at the show.
The prevalence of classics from General Motors extends to Holden’s American brothers, with two remarkable examples of a Chevrolet Corvette C1 roadster, a Corvette C2 Stingray 427/425hp coupe, and a Corvette C2 Stingray convertible.
Ever-present in classic car circles, the famed Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz marques both feature in the auction.
Shannons expects a beautiful black 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GT to fetch bids between $170,000 and $190,000, while the romantically styled red 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda-roof convertible is expected to fetch between $80,000 and $95,000.
Australian International Motor Show event director Russ Tyrie says the Shannons displays add a lot to the motor show.
"The display of unusual and classic cars by Shannons always creates a great atmosphere," said Mr Tyrie. "It is important that a motor show represents the past, the present and the future of the motor vehicle, or even armoured vehicles, in the case of this year’s show. Shannons creates that link and, with the amount of quality auction items this year, the auction should provide a real highlight of the show."
The Shannons Australian International Motor Show Auction will be held on the last Sunday of the event, 10 July, at 2:30pm.
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