Global offerings at Burns & Co. December auction

If foreign cars are your fancy, there’s an abundance on offer from the US, UK, Europe and Japan at Burns & Co’s Classic Car & Motorbike Auction this coming Sunday, 11 December - as well as plenty of Aussie classics!

A total of 80 lots in this auction include dozens of cars, as well as motorcycles, collectables and memorabilia.

Pre-bidding for registered bidders is open, with selling commencing from 12 Noon (AEDT) on Sunday, 11 December, at Burns & Co’s Melbourne auction rooms in Bayswater. Inspections are available throughout the week and at selected times on the weekend of the auction, too.

For more details on this live webcast auction, click HERE.

Here are a few of the highlights amongst the foreign cars going to auction this Sunday:

1969 Ford Mustang GT fastback

Classic Mustangs remain a favourite with car enthusiasts for plenty of reasons – they look good, they perform well (especially with a V8 under the bonnet) and they’re easy to get parts for, with an entire industry devoted to the restoration, preservation and parts supply for these pony cars.

In terms of style, it’s hard to go past a first-generation Mustang GT fastback and this example from 1969 is described as being in very good, sound condition.

Out of Ford’s San Jose plant and originally delivered to Canada, it’s described as 1 of 26 built in this paint and trim combination for ‘69, which includes a Wimbledon White exterior and two-tone Clarion Knit vinyl seats in a Light Blue interior.

Other options selected when ordering this car included the GT equipment group, a Traction-Lok diff, white sidewall tyres, non-standard axle ratio, the Visibility Group interior lighting package, power steering, power front disc brakes, a tachometer, colour-keyed mirrors, tinted glass and more.

Inside, some auxiliary gauges have been added, while in the engine bay, there are chrome dress-up parts and an electronic ignition for the 351 V8, along with a larger radiator and aftermarket horns.

A Deluxe Marti Report is included, with the vendor adding that a new exhaust and kill switch have been fitted. Odometer reading is 31,349 miles.

For more details, click HERE.

1936 Hudson Terraplane roadster

Easily one of the rarest cars in the December auction, this 1936 Hudson Terraplane is almost certainly a locally-bodied car, given Australia’s import restrictions on fully-assembled cars at the time.

Launched as a standalone model for 1934, the Terraplane (which had originally been an Essex model) became the entry-level Hudson variant from 1938, offered in standard, ‘Deluxe’ and ‘Super’ forms. Confusingly, a Hudson “112” six was offered alongside the Terraplane for a brief period, but the two variants were powered by different six-cylinder engines.

Engine capacity is not revealed, but being a 1936 model, the Terraplane featured is likely to be a 212ci six, which was the only six-cylinder engine available that year, matched to a three-speed manual. In 1938, two different six-cylinder engines were offered in four states of tune. Through the 1930s, a straight eight was also available as the premium Hudson offering, but in its time as a standalone model, the Terraplane was only ever available with a six.

This Hudson Terraplane roadster is described as having a good body and in great condition for its age, with no visible rust and only cosmetic wear. It was on Victorian club registration (non-transferable) when consigned. There’s a dickey seat in the rear and a spare wheel in the nearside front guard (but not the offside).

A real head turner, given its rarity, this car’s listed mileage is 79,799

For more details, click HERE.

2009 Lexus IS 250 C Sports convertible

While this car and the Hudson Terraplane share a drop top, that’s about all they share, as the Lexus packs in a bunch of the latest technical, safety and driver convenience features that would have been science fiction when the Hudson was new.

This one-owner car comes to auction with what’s said to be an extensive service history over its listed 148,508km mileage and only cosmetic wear evident on the seats and usual touchpoints of the interior.

That long service history means the standard V6 and sports six-speed automatic should have a lot more life left in them, while the multi-piece convertible hardtop with power operation appears to work well, with no obvious faults.

A reasonably rare car in modern terms, this Lexus is said to be easy to drive, with good fuel economy and the assurance of a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

For more details, click HERE.

2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

With the imminent arrival of the Camaro ZL1 in Supercars racing next year, expect RHD examples like this one to rise in value.

Described as a much-loved car and with a menacing black-on-black treatment of the exterior and interior, this Camaro looks to be in excellent condition inside and out.

Being a ZL1, it runs the ‘LSA’ supercharged version of the available 6.2-litre V8, matched to a six-speed manual transmission. Used sparingly, this car’s odometer shows only 25,197kms in a decade of use, which equates to just over 2,500km a year.

Currently on full Victorian registration, the car will be sold unregistered, with all books included.

For more details, click HERE.

1964 VW Beetle

Presenting in stock condition, this restored ’64 Beetle would serve as a great entry point into VW ownership.

The inclusion of restoration and service manuals point to the vendor being an enthusiast, but whether they conducted (or commissioned) the restoration is unknown.

The restoration is said to be recently completed and the car presents exceptionally well inside and out, with glossy white paint and a two-tone red and white vinyl interior, with no obvious non-factory additions, like an aftermarket radio, etc. In fact, there’s no radio fitted to this car at all, with the factory blanking plate in place.

It’s a similar story with the engine; a standard 1200cc flat four, with no obvious performance upgrades or modern add-ons, driving the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission with floor shift change.

The odometer reading of 23,241 miles may be ‘post restoration’ mileage, but this is unconfirmed.

For more details, click HERE.

The Burns & Co. December Classic Car & Motorbike Auction takes place on Sunday 11 December, at Burns & Co’s Bayswater auction rooms, with selling from 12 Noon.

For more details on other lots from this live webcast auction, as well as information on how to bid, click HERE.