Donington Auctions’ sale of 'The Garage' collection of Robert van Stokrom & Leonie Hill closes on Sunday, 4 October, 2026. Ten cars on the consignment list, led by a 1969 Corvette 427 Tri-Power convertible, are supported by motorcycles, workshop equipment, garagenalia and more. It's a collection with a racer's taste and a showman's sense of fun.
Consisting of 207 lots, the collection was built up by Robert and his wife Leonie over 20 years. A converted factory in Cheltenham housed the collection, with the cars living downstairs in a comprehensively equipped workshop. Upstairs, a rehearsal space for Robert’s classic rock cover band, Red Rock, was also stuffed with arcade games, memorabilia and all manner of collectables.
Away from the garage, Robert and Leonie ran a Christmas lights display at their suburban home for years that raised more than $100,000 for Very Special Kids prior to Robert’s passing in July, 2025.
"We shared a love of these cars and the joy collecting, sharing that with friends and our community," Leonie told Donington Auctions.
Online bidding in this auction is open now, with lots closing from 3:30pm AEDT on Sunday, 4 October.
From the boardroom to the Phillip Island grid
Robert van Stokrom was an entrepreneur who spent 23 years in the pharmaceutical industry, then 18 years as CEO of recruitment firm DFP. He was also president of the Recruitment, Consulting and Staffing Association, and served on the Knox City Council.
Away from the office, a passion for music was equalled by a love of racing. As a member of the Historic Touring Car Association of Victoria (HTCAV), Robert became known as "HotDogs" to his mates (apparently due to the hot fdog catering business he ran at major events), and played up on the nickname by adding a hot dog decal to his race cars.
Rob initially campaigned a BMW 2002 in the Group Nc Under 2 litre class, with the 2022 season a high point. Taking three podiums at the Phillip Island Classic, Rob called it his best weekend of racing ever. He then won the Under-2lt class at that year’s Winton Festival of Speed.
Moving up to the HTCAV’s Over-2lt class in a Mustang, Rob made a mark at the 2024 Phillip Island Classic when he charged from the back of the grid to 15th. Rob’s son Daniel is also in the HTCAV, with the pair sharing the track on occasion, including at Winton in 2018.
Stingray with the Big Block
Of the ten cars in The Garage collection auction, Lot 2 is the one to watch - a 1969 Corvette Stingray convertible with the L68 option. That means a 7.0-litre (427ci) Big Block V8 with three two-barrel carbs and 298kW (400hp, gross) output, matched to a four-speed manual. Chevrolet built 38,762 Corvettes for 1969, 16,633 of them convertibles, but only 2,072 got the L68.
Finished in Fathom Green, with a white soft top and black removable hard top, this Stingray features tan upholstery and carpeting in its factory authentic interior. With 70,845 miles on the odometer, recent work on this LHD Corvette includes the master cylinder, brake booster and trailing arms. A condition report is available.
The estimate is $120,000–145,000.
American iron, French frugality and Italian style
The rest of the car line-up in this auction is gloriously diverse, covering a spread of ages, sizes, body styles and manufacturers.
- Lot 1: 1965 Ford Mustang coupe in Phoenician Yellow, imported from Massachusetts and now running a 302 V8 with four Weber carbies ($45,000–$55,000)
- Lot 3: 1955 Ford Thunderbird convertible in Turquoise, one of 16,155 first-year T-Birds, with a 292 V8 ($70,000–$80,000)
- Lot 8: 1941 Plymouth Special De Luxe coupe, with period spotlights and fog lamps ($26,000–$30,000)
- Lot 7: 1982 Ford F100 LWB pickup with a worked 351 V8 ($17,000–$20,000)
- Lot 6: 1968 BMW 2000 CS coupe, one of 9,999 built, RHD with a thick folder of receipts ($50,000–$60,000)
- Lot 4: 1986 Citroen 2CV6 Special in Rouge Vallelunga ($15,000–$20,000)
- Lot 5: 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Australian-delivered ($15,000–$20,000)
- Lot 9: 2019 Maserati Ghibli S GranLusso sedan, one owner from new ($40,000–$48,000)
- Lot 10: 2016 Abarth 595 Competizione, one owner from new ($16,000–$18,000)
All cars will be sold unregistered. Most were previously on Victorian club registration.
Motorcycles in this auction include a 1958 Vespa VB1T, near-new 2019 Vespa Primavera 150 and a 1994 Honda Shadow VT1100C cruiser; the latter two are offered with no reserve.
Much more than the Cars
Workshop equipment in The Garage collection auction includes three hoists, engine and jack stands, an oil collector, workbenches, tool cabinets and more. There’s also a selection of parts described as suiting a BMW 2002, and a set of late-model (possibly E60 M Sport) BMW wheels.
Upstairs at The Garage was the fun space, with a pool table, pinball machines and arcade games. Collectables on offer from this area include Wayne 605 petrol bowsers in Shell and Golden Fleece livery, plus neon signage for Ferrari, Maserati, Mobil, Chrysler, Texaco and Esso, to name a few.
Smaller items include tin signs, scale model ships and a trove of music-related memorabilia, while touring car tragics will be tempted by a 1:18 scale model of Pete Geoghegan's 1969 ATCC-winning Mustang (Lot 140).
Donington Auctions, 'The Garage' Collection of Robert van Stokrom & Leonie Hill
- Format: timed online
- Closes: Sunday 4 October 2026, from 3:30pm AEDT
- Viewing: 380 Reserve Road, Cheltenham VIC, Friday 2 and Saturday 3 October, 10am–4pm
- Buyer's premium: cars and motorcycles 9.5% + GST (10.45% inc.), all other lots 19.5% + GST
- Catalogue and bidding: online.doningtonauctions.com.au
