Star customs from Hills & Co auctioned in Sydney

Of the '49 Buick Sedanette, '55 Buick Super sedan and '50 Cadillac Series 62 convertible consigned by Hills, the Caddy was the star, selling for $141,000 after some spirited bidding pushed the price beyond its pre-auction high estimate.

Of course, being a Hills & Co. custom, the Cadillac was exceptionally finished, with super-smooth black paint over laser-straight panels, chrome wire wheels, whitewalls and a cream leather interior.

Under the bonnet, the car retains its stock driveline configuration of a 390ci V8 and four-speed Super HydraMatic auto transmission; both of which were fully rebuilt and superbly detailed.

One of the few deviations from stock on the Cadillac was its adjustable airbag suspension, a feature shared with the two Buicks also consigned by Hills.

Of those two, the '55 Super proved to be the better seller. Finished in the style of a higher-spec Roadmaster, the 2-door pillarless coupe was powered by a factory-correct 322cui Nailhead V8, hooked up to a three-speed automatic.

The '55 also featured a Fat Man Fabrications front-end with tubular control arms and rack and pinion steering, spinner hubcaps, perfect chrome and a striking black-silver-black tri-tone paint scheme, inspired by a similar machine in Jay Leno's collection. Like the Cadillac, the '55 Buick also exceeded its pre-auction high estimate to sell for $132,000.

Another flawlessly-finished Hills & Co. custom, the '49 Buick Sedanette sold for $89,000. Finished in bright candy apple red with a complementary cream and red leather interior, the Sedanette also ran its original drivetrain; a refurbished original 248ci Fireball straight eight and Dynaflow 2-speed auto.

 

The auction was a great success for Shannons, with a 96 per cent vehicle clearance rate, and 100 per cent of the memorabilia sold. Full results and further details at: shannons.com.au