Rarities and oddities at Burns & Co. June auction

In addition to big ticket classics from Ford, Holden, Mercedes, Jaguar and Porsche, Burns & Co’s Classic Car & Motorbike Auction on Sunday, 19 June, also has some quirkier cars on offer.

There’s a total of 93 consignments for this auction, including motorcycles and collectable memorabilia.

Selling commences from 12 Noon on Sunday, 19 June, at Burns & Co’s Melbourne auction rooms in Bayswater, but pre-bidding (for registered bidders) is available now.

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

We’ve picked out a few of the rare and more unusual vehicles amongst the consignments, led by a car just about everyone should know.

1981 DeLorean

Arguably the most successful failure in automotive history, the DeLorean was produced for just two years, with its demise marked by controversy and scandal. Were it not for its starring role in the Back to the Future trilogy, it’s fair to say the DeLorean would be all but forgotten these days.

The brainchild of former Pontiac and GM senior executive, John Z. DeLorean, the car sometimes referred to as the ‘DMC-12’ had a troubled gestation and birth, with plans for a mid-mounted rotary and turbocharged four-cylinder engine ultimately abandoned in favour of a rear-mounted V6.

Securing the funds to bring the car to production, along with finding somewhere to build it, would prove equally as troublesome.

About the only element that went from concept to reality relatively unchanged was the styling – the work of Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign. The man behind such modern classics as the Lotus Esprit, Lancia Delta, BMW M1 and the original VW Golf, Giugiaro also designed numerous Maseratis, Alfa Romeos and Fiats.

Giugiaro’s design, to DeLorean’s brief, included a wedge-shaped fastback profile, gullwing doors and stainless-steel body panels.

With a factory in Northern Ireland and a healthy UK government grant, DeLorean production got underway in late 1980, but the combination of an all-new car and a mostly unskilled workforce meant problems became apparent early, with just about every vehicle requiring extensive “rectification” before it was shipped to the USA, which was the DeLorean’s main market.

Even then, problems were common and the meagre performance from what was billed as a sports car left many buyers disappointed.

Just under 9,000 DeLoreans were built before the whole venture collapsed in late 1982, but the survival rate is good, with more than 6,000 still in circulation, fuelled by an active owner’s community.

The car shown is one of those survivors, from 1981 and mostly authentic inside and out, although the wheels are aftermarket items. Like all factory DeLoreans, this one is left-hand drive (a handful were converted to RHD) and is powered by the ‘PRV’ V6. In this instance, the 2.85-litre engine is matched to a three-speed automatic transmission, which was an alternative to a five-speed manual and one of the few options available when the DeLorean was new.

The thick black accent stripes on this car were another option, while the standard grey interior on this car has been customised with black inserts on the seats and ‘DMC’ in the headrests. The rest of the interior appears standard, including the gauges, air con and AM/FM cassette stereo.

The vendor advises that there are some minor cosmetic blemishes, while mechanically, there’s a transmission leak and a noisy rear wheel bearing.

These minor issues aside, the car is described as being in good condition and runs well once warmed up. It’s clean underneath, and of course, there’s no body rust. The odometer reads 62,443 miles. 

For more details, click HERE.

1963 Chrysler Newport Town & Country wagon
Their controversial styling means full-sized Chryslers from the early 1960s are rarely seen today, especially in station wagon form like the 1963 Newport ‘Town & Country’ featured, which was amongst the last to bear the design touch of Virgil Exner before Elwood Engle took over Chrysler styling from 1965.

The Newport name has a history with Chrysler dating back to 1950, initially identifying a two-door hardtop variant of the Windsor. From 1961, the Newport became its own model line and served as the entry-level Chrysler, priced below the Windsor and New Yorker. The Newport range in ‘61 included a conventional pillared sedan, hardtop sedan, hardtop coupe, convertible and two wagons - one with six-passenger capacity and the other capable of seating nine. Both were identified as a ‘Town & Country’, as were wagons produced in the premium New Yorker line.

This 1963 pillarless wagon represents what was the most expensive Chrysler Newport you could buy in ’63, but even at US$3,478 in six-seater form, it was still around US$1,200 cheaper than a New Yorker wagon from the same year.

Not much is known on the history of this example, but it retains its factory left-hand drive configuration, while the 361ci V8 and 727 Torqueflite push-button automatic fitted to this car was the Newport’s standard drivetrain.

It’s unknown if the white over pale yellow exterior is a factory colour combination, but it’s likely to have been repainted, given its condition. The chrome and the exterior stainless trim look to have been refurbished, too, while the full chrome wheels are not standard for Newports of this era.

All the glass appears to be in good condition (possibly replaced) and the engine bay is very clean, too.

Inside, both the front and rear seats look like they’ve been retrimmed, with the doorcards, carpets and floor mats likely to be newer replacements, too. The dash, instrument cluster and steering wheel are more indicative of this car’s age, as is the luggage area, with wear to the vinyl-trimmed flanks and stains on the carpeting.

With its pillarless styling, this rare Newport Town & Country wagon would make a fun family cruiser. Burns & Co. describe the wagon as being in good condition for its age. The odometer reads 11,710 miles, but given a spare instrument cluster is included with the car, it’s unknown if this mileage is genuine.

For more details on this rare wagon, click HERE.

1961 Volkswagen Transporter container van

A uniquely Australian creation, the Type 2 Transporter-based container van is also a rare thing, with only around 125 produced at Volkswagen Australasia’s factory in Clayton, Victoria, in the early 1960s.

Of that total, around 100 are thought to have been built on the ‘Splittie’ T1 version like the example featured, with the remainder on the T2 ‘Bay’ body style.

According to Club VeeDub in Sydney, the container van was one of several T1 variants developed by VW Australasia in this period, with others including refrigerated vans and low-loader pickups.

Obviously, the container van’s taller and (slightly) wider body offered more storage capacity than a conventional Type 2 Transporter or Kombi, making it suitable for bakers, florists, dry cleaners and other professions. There’s at least one instance of the Australian Army using such a van, too, but the VW’s rear-mounted engine meant that load space was on two levels, compromising practicality.

This example has been fully restored and finished to striking effect in two-tone blue and white – a treatment more often seen on the Kombi Deluxe, sans the extra chrome trim. Barn doors on the nearside and rear allow easy access to the cargo area, which is painted grey and open to the cabin that’s also painted and trimmed in grey.

The fully rebuilt engine appears to be a conventional VW flat four, and while capacity is not listed, it’s most likely the standard 1.6-litre for this era, matched to a four-speed manual transmission.

In the cabin, this van appears true to factory spec, with the bare bones treatment including rubber flooring, a simple bench seat, one-piece door cards, sliding side windows and only two instruments – speedometer and fuel gauge. Seat belts are the only visible concessions to modernity, and given this vehicle’s age, the 64,059 miles on the odometer is likely to be accurate.

For the VW aficionado that thinks they have everything, this rare, restored, Australian Type 2 container van would make a worthy addition to their collection. Spare keys and a VW-specific steering lock are included.

You can find more details on this van HERE.

1973 Chrysler VJ Valiant Charger 770

While the Slant Six Hemi has its devotees, there are many Charger fans who prefer the V8-equipped versions, like the 340-powered VJ 770 pictured.

Sourced from the US, the 340ci V8 had been introduced in order to homologate it for Chrysler’s racing efforts at the time, specifically the annual Bathurst enduro. However, the famous ‘Supercar Scare’ of 1972 meant plans to develop a V8 Charger – for wide-scale road and track use - were shelved.

Cancelling those plans left Chrysler with a bunch of 340 engines, so they decided to add them to the more staid Charger 770 variant, rather than the lairy R/T that had been the basis for their racing models.

Introduced on the VH series Chargers, Option E55 identified the 340 V8 and Chergers so equipped were known as the 770 SE - for Special Edition – with an estimated 125 examples built. When the VJ series Charger debuted in March, 1973, Option E55 remained available on the 770, but the ‘SE’ tag was dropped. A total of 212 340-equipped VJ Charger 770s were built.

Delivering 206kW and 459N with the standard four-barrel carburettor and exhaust system (but capable of more), the 340 was matched to Chrysler’s proven Torqueflite 727 3-speed auto in the Charger 770 E55, with other features including electronic ignition and wider 14 x 7-inch alloys.

When stocks of 340ci engines were used up, Chrysler switched to the larger, but less powerful 360ci V8, which would be offered as Option E57.

The VJ Charger 770 E55 pictured is described as a very good, original and genuine example with just over 60,000kms on the odometer. A matching numbers car that’s been in the vendor’s possession for more than 30 years, this Charger’s engine has been reconditioned during that time, while the interior is very clean and tidy.

In Vintage Red with a black interior, this VJ Charger 770 is described by Burns & Co. as tailor made for weekend cruising, while also representing an outstanding investment.

For more details, click HERE.

1974 Fiat 130 coupe

Arguably the rarest car consigned for Burns & Co’s June auction, this Fiat 130 coupe is a rare car generally, with just 4,491 produced over a seven-year period and only a handful in Australia.

A successor to the 2300, the 130 debuted in 1969 and was initially offered as a four-door sedan, but a two-door coupe version was added in 1971.

As a premium ‘executive car’, the 130 was the Italian equivalent of a Mercedes or BMW, powered by a new front-mounted 2.8-litre V6 derived from the engine in the Ferrari Dino. A three-speed automatic was the standard transmission, but a five-speed manual was optional.

Fully independent suspension was innovative for a large sedan at the time, made up of torsion bars at the front and coil springs at the back, with power steering and disc brakes all round as standard.

Two years after its debut, the 130’s engine was increased in capacity to 3.2 litres (addressing criticism over its lack of power) and a coupe variant joined the sedan. Designed by Paolo Martin of Pininfarina, the 130 coupe’s sharp-edged styling, with a narrow grille and four rectangular headlights, was sleek and much more eye-catching than the sedan. In addition to designing the 130 coupe, Pininfarina would also build it for Fiat, starting in 1971 and continuing through to 1977.

The coupes used the same 3.2 V6, the same suspension, brakes and selected other parts as the 130 sedans, but Pininfarina would add their own interior styling touches to complement the exterior, including new seat and instrumentation designs.

With Fiat’s focus on the European market, right-hand drive examples of the 130 coupe are rare and examples in Australia even rarer.

This 130 coupe was originally owned by racing driver Brian Foley, who finished third overall in the 1965 Bathurst 500 and was runner-up in the 1967 Australian Touring Car Championship. Foley did most of his racing in British cars, including a Mini Cooper S in which he achieved the aforementioned results, but in his final years of full-time competition, he drove an Alfa Romeo GTAm and Alfetta, which must have given him a taste for Italian cars.

The ex-Foley car is finished in silver with a bright orange velour interior, power windows and a comprehensive instrument display. The factory steering wheel has been replaced, but will be included in the sale, along with some spare belts, a comprehensive documentation file and factory photographs.

The condition of this car is described as excellent and original, while the odometer reads 58,864 miles, which is likely to be genuine.

For more details on this car, click HERE.

Other rare and unusual cars consigned for this auction include a 2002 Alfa Romeo Spider, a 1964 Ford Thunderbird converted to RHD, 1993 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, 1936 Lincoln Zephyr, 1974 Holden HQ Sandman and a 1950 Chevrolet Styleline two-door sedan set up for drag racing.

Burns & Co’s June Classic Car & Motorbike Auction will be held on Sunday, 19 June. Selling commences from 12 Noon on the day, but pre-bidding is open now.

For information on how to register for online pre-bidding and bidding, pre-auction inspection times, the full catalogue and all other details, click HERE.