TOP TEN CARS FROM BURNS & CO. JUNE AUCTION

Burns & Co. Auctions’ Classic Car & Motorbike Auction on Sunday, 19 June, saw strong results across the board, with the usual hero cars from Ford, Holden and Chrysler joined by the likes of Porsche, Jaguar and Fiat, along with rarities that included a DeLorean.

Of the total of 93 consignments for this auction, virtually all the memorabilia lots sold, with all bar two of the thirteen motorcycles finding new owners. The top selling bike was a 1942 Harley-Davidson WLA that went for $28,000.

Of the 62 cars in this auction, there were strong results for classics from the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, but some of the newer vehicles, like HSV E Series sedans and VZ Monaros, failed to reach their reserves.

The premier lot on offer was an unrestored 1968 HK Monaro GTS 327. A matching numbers example and finished in the desirable colour combination of Silver Mink with a red interior, this car had been in dry storage in Western Australia since 1977, but signs of wear and rust, particularly in the rear quarters, were overshadowed by the remarkable condition of the interior.

The seats (even the driver’s seat), door cards, headlining and dash pad showed only minimal wear and damage. Seat belts had been fitted front and rear, and interestingly, the factory tachometer - normally mounted on the centre console on the HK GTS 327 - had been repositioned under the dash.

This original, unrestored ‘Bathurst Monaro’ sold after the auction for an undisclosed amount.

1973 Chrysler Valiant VJ Charger 770 (E55) – SOLD for $140,000

Described as a very good, original and genuine example with just over 60,000kms on the odometer, this VJ Charger 770 E55 was a matching numbers car that had been in the vendor’s possession for more than 30 years.

During that time, the 340ci V8 engine (which identified the E55 code) had been reconditioned, but the rest of the car remained mostly original.

The Vintage Red exterior and black vinyl interior on this E55 optioned Charger were described as very clean, tidy and part of the car’s very good condition overall.

The $140K this example achieved was the top listed amount from the 19 June auction.

1982 HDT VC Commodore – SOLD for $135,000

Number 490 of 500 examples of the original ‘Brock Commodore,’ this HDT VC was finished in Firethorn Red (one of three colours offered) and carried all the HDT upgrades over the VC Commodore SL/E it was based on.

With the vendor for 20 years, this genuine car was still running its original 5.0-litre V8 engine and transmission, so was a matching numbers unit, but a new clutch had been fitted, with other refurbishment including repainting of some panels in past years.

Listed mileage was 85,524km - low for this era of HDT car - with the original books and an HDT Letter of Authenticity included in the sale.

1976 Holden HX LE coupe – SOLD for $126,000

The last of the original two-door Holdens, only 580 units of the HX LE coupe were built, all finished in ‘Limited Edition Red’ with gold pinstriping, gold Pontiac-style ‘Honeycomb’ wheels and a matching ‘Cinnabar’ cloth and vinyl interior.

In this HX LE, the factory 308 (5.0-litre) V8 had been stroked, with other engine mods made, too, but it remained stock in most other respects.

The original sales certificate, owner’s manual, owner’s guide and a Holden Historical Services production report were included, with a bonus being the signature of Leo Pruneau, former GM-H Director of Design, on the glovebox lid.

The sale price for this example shows the HX LE is a classic that’s increasing in value.

1965 Shelby GT350 replica fastback – SOLD for $120,000

There are plenty of Shelby Mustang clones around, but this one was done better than most, based on a K Code fastback and with the hi-po 289 V8 modified to Shelby specs.

Visually, the Shelby GT350 lookalike treatment on this Mustang was accurate inside and out, including the overbody and side striping, bonnet scoop and modified front valance, woodrim steering wheel and a special shift knob for the four-speed Toploader manual, as well as a tachometer and oil pressure gauge.

This car’s conversion to Shelby GT350 spec was part of a professional restoration, with the quality of that restoration reflected in the impressive selling price.

1972 Ford XY Falcon utility GT tribute – SOLD for $111,250

Like the Shelby tribute, this XY GT ute was more than the sum of its parts, built to GT-HO Phase III spec as part of a full, nut-and-bolt restoration.

To a GT-authentic 351 Cleveland, four-speed Toploader manual and 9-inch driveline, the vendor had also worked the V8’s internals to deliver a claimed 372kW (compared to around 224kW from a stock GT-HO PhIII), with the visual drama of the shaker bonnet scoop said to be matched by the aural pleasure of the exhaust note.

Painted cream and fitted with a tan vinyl interior (including bucket seats), the level of finish and attention to detail on this GT tribute ute was impressive, with mileage of just 4,050 suggesting minimal use since the restoration was completed.

1974 Porsche 911 S – SOLD for $101,000

The G Series of 1974 marked the first major change to the 911’s styling since it debuted a decade earlier. Larger, impact-absorbing bumpers were introduced, along with a revised light design, improved interior and standardisation of the 2.7-litre flat six across the bulk of the range.

That engine produced 150hp (112kW) in basic form, 175hp (130kW) in a 911 S like this one and 210hp (156kW) in a Carrera.

This 911 S was finished in Guards Red and wore a full Turbo-style widebody kit, despite running the naturally aspirated engine. Fitted with the available five-speed manual and wearing Carrera-style Fuchs wheels and a black vinyl interior, this 911 S had been mod-plated in 2012 to meet local ADRs.

A reasonably high odometer reading of 97,956 miles and some wear and tear inside was offset by former club ownership, inferring it had been looked after by an enthusiast, with some spare parts included in the sale.

1971 Ford XY Falcon GT tribute – SOLD for $97,750

The transformation of this Falcon to GT spec was done to impressive effect, starting with the 351 Cleveland V8, which was updated with an Edelbrock manifold, Crow cam, Pacemaker extractors and other modern touches. A four-speed Toploader and genuine XY LSD completed the driveline.

A number of replacement parts had been fitted, but the car’s original air conditioning, power steering and AM radio/8-track player remained and were all working, while a modern Bluetooth audio system had been added inside the glovebox.

With only 10,000kms covered in the past decade, this Electric Blue with black vinyl interior XY Falcon GT tribute was described as a great club car, with all the amenities needed for comfortable cruising, with reliability ensured by the modernised driveline.

1981 DeLorean – SOLD for $87,500

The DeLorean was produced for just two years, but thanks to its starring role in the Back to the Future trilogy of the 1980s, its popularity endures to this day. Despite that popularity, very few of the approximately 6,000 DeLoreans still in existence (of around 9,000 built) reside in Australia.

This locally-based example was mostly authentic inside, outside and under the bonnet, although the wheels were aftermarket items. The ‘PRV’ 2.85-litre V6 is matched to the optional three-speed automatic, with a leak from this transmission and a noisy rear wheel bearing identified as issues with the car when it was consigned.

These aside, the car was in good condition overall, with the stainless steel exterior accented with factory-option black stripes and the grey interior customised with black seat inserts.

1978 Holden HZ GTS sedan – SOLD for $80,250

Holden’s GTS sedan outlived its two-door equivalent by more than two years, finishing with the HZ series on cars like this one.

This GTS was fitted with the standard 5.0-litre V8, matched to a four-speed manual and benefitting from the Radial Tuned Suspension that had been introduced to full-size Holdens with the HZ series. On GTS sedans like this one, rear disc brakes were also standard.

Finished in Mandarin Red with a Buckskin vinyl and cloth interior – both of which were described as original - this GTS sedan showed 167,792km on the odometer at time of consignment and was described as a genuine example in very good condition for its age.

1984 HDT VK Commodore SS – SOLD for $80,000

While it lacked the flair of the Group A and Group 3 models, the “standard” HDT VK SS was still an impressive package, with a tuned 5.0-litre V8 delivering 177kW, matched to an M21 four-speed manual as standard.

This example, HDT #1801, was built in January, 1985, and completed to standard SS spec that included Alpine White paint (Asteroid Silver was also available), colour-matched bumpers and door handles, black window trims, 15-inch ‘Aero’ wheels and a blue interior with a HDT-branded Momo steering wheel and shifter knob.

Although stock in most respects, this car had a Group3/Group A air-dam added and the rear spoiler removed.

Described as a matching numbers and mostly original example, this VK SS had covered just shy of 160,000km at time of consignment.