2008 Shannons Melbourne & Sydney Motor Show Auctions

Ford promoted the 1935 range as having 'Greater Beauty, Greater Comfort and Greater Safety, but it was the brisk performance of the flathead V8 engine developing 85 hp that made them the getaway car of choice for criminals like Bonnie and Clyde, the latter writing a testimonial singing the praises of the V8. For all these reasons, the 1935 range represented a big advance over earlier models, making Ford the number one selling car in America that year, with production totaling 942,439 units. Finished in stunning Royal Blue with grey leather trim, the Ford being auctioned by Shannons has been in the hands of its current owner for the past four years and has been on a number of outings with the Early Ford Club. As well as a recent gearbox and steering box overhaul, some minor improvements, including 12-volt electrics and hydraulic brakes, have been carried out to make the car easier to live with day to day. Shannons predicted a price in the range of $25,000-$35,000. The '35 Ford V8 is one of nine interesting classic cars, scooters and a motorcycle that were being sold with no reserve in the Shannons Melbourne Auction.

Equally desirable to many enthusiasts was a shiny black and largely original left hand drive 1955 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe, a very original left hand drive Springtime Yellow 1962 Ford Thunderbird Coupe, a well-presented 1972 Monaro HQ Monaro LS Coupe with a full set of original documents and an Australian delivered 1981 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit Saloon- all predicted to sell in the $18,000-$24,000 range. Other vehicle lots with no reserve price were a 1973 ex-London Taxi, donated by First Auto Wholesalers ($8,000-$12,000), with all proceeds from the sale going to the 'Kids Under Cover' charity, two very nicely restored 1968 Vespa 150cc VLB scooters ($3,000-$5,000) and a fascinating totally rebuilt 1950 Royal Enfield single cylinder RE125 solo motorcycle ($3,000-$6,000). All 53 vehicle and 50 memorabilia lots in the Shannons Motor Show auction were on display to the public in the Concourse area of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre throughout the recent Melbourne Motor Show.

Sydney Auction results
Mother and Son Morris Sells for $18,000! The problematic black 1955 Morris Minor convertible that actor Garry McDonald drove as Arthur Beare in the popular ABC television comedy series 'Mother and Son', sold for an unprecedented $18,000 at Shannons Sydney Summer Auction. In a classic 'life imitates art' sequel, the car that was sold on behalf of the ABC, was purchased sight unseen over the telephone by - believe it or not - a young man from Central Victoria who lives at home with his mum! To get his 'dream car', he had to outbid another seven telephone and as many floor bidders from around Australia, as the unreserved price for the Series II Tourer soared past its estimated selling price range of $7,000-$12,000. Shannons had to limit the number of telephone bidders due to demand exceeding the number of lines available. "The whole family loved the series, but I went a bit overboard," admitted the purchaser, who did not wish to be identified.

"After I saw the car advertised a month or so ago, I rang Shannons and they told me all the little things that needed doing to it, like fixing the carpet and so on. But I said to them, 'don't touch a thing'. The whole attraction of the car to me was that it had never been offered for sale before and therefore it is exactly how Arthur Beare drove it." The Morris is now destined to become a celebrity classic in the Bendigo area when it is taken out on special occasions. "Hopefully it will be a little more reliable for me than it was for Arthur!" the new owner quipped. Another outstanding result of Shannons Sydney auction was the Australian record price of $165,000 paid for a concours standard 1958 Mercedes-Benz 190SL roadster to a floor bidder. It follows the sale a week earlier by Shannons at their Brisbane Motor Show Auction of a silver, 1962 190SL for $100,000. According to Shannons, the original right hand drive, Australian delivered car was one of the best examples of the increasingly popular and collectable model ever to come up for sale in Australia. "There is a real spike in demand for 190SLs at present," said Shannons National Auction Manager Christophe Boribon.

"People realised that this was going to be the best example to come onto the market for some time and that fuelled the demand. "People these days have a greater realisation of the restoration costs associated with these sort of cars and are prepared to pay that premium. "The vendor is over the moon with the result." Another good result was the $112,000 paid for a 2000-model Honda NSX 3.2 Targa Coupe, with the West Australian purchaser planning to drive it home - across the Nullabor. Other standout sales were the $28,000 paid for a 1980 Ford Escort RS2000 - nearly double its pre-auction estimate and $20,000 for a Lotus Cortina Mark I replica. All the Australian muscle cars bar one sold for strong money, with a 1977 Holden LX Torana A9X sedan bringing $118,000, a 1968 HK Monaro GTS 307 (automatic) coupe selling for $70,000, a 1972 Falcon XA GT Sedan bringing $42,000 and a 1971 Ford Fairmont XY GS sedan going for $29,000.