Big guns set to fire at Shannons Spring Auction

Australian and US Muscle Cars are being primed for Shannons Timed Online Spring Auction from August 31 – September 7, headed by a sought-after Monaro GTS 327 ‘Bathurst’ coupe and a Falcon GT-HO Phase 2 sedan.

The three-owner, Melbourne-built Monaro with its correct numbers was originally delivered to Cohuna on the Murray River, finished in Silver Mink with a black interior.

It was relocated to Queensland with its second owner, who sold the car to the current owner in 1998 from an advertisement in Unique Cars magazine.

The Monaro then returned to Melbourne before it was shipped to the United Kingdom later that year, where it has resided until now. Fully registered on UK plates, the Holden was carefully garaged and rarely driven on English roads.

In 2013 the vendor decided to refurbish the car, changing its colour to the Warwick Yellow ‘hero’ colour of the 1968 Bathurst winner, while swapping its four-speed Saginaw gearbox for a modern five-speed Tremec transmission for more relaxed highway driving. The V8 also has extractors fitted but comes with the original exhaust manifold.

Cosmetically refurbished at the same time, the car was driven sparingly for the next eight years before the vendor decided to repatriate the Monaro to Australia for sale and it was shipped directly to Shannons’ Sydney showroom.

Shannons said the paint has held up well over the past eight years, with no cracking or stone chips visible, while the interior looks to be in very good order with no splits or damage to the seats and trim, making it an excellent example of this desirable homologation special.

Offered with ‘no reserve’, it is conservatively expected to sell in the $180,000-$240,000 range.

Just as desirable for Ford enthusiasts is a 1970 Falcon XW GT-HO Phase 2, coming out of nearly 30 years ownership, showing just 79,000 miles on its odometer.

As confirmed by a letter of verification from Ford Australia and backed by the Deluxe ACCHS report supplied with the car, this XW Falcon GT-HO Phase 3 was one of 44 examples built in Diamond White and one of only two Phase 2s sold delivered through Byrne Ford of Chermside, Queensland.

The Ford originally belonged to a roads and pavement contractor based in Brisbane, who intended to race the car, but it was reportedly damaged by a mechanic, and he campaigned a Valiant instead.

It was then sold through a car yard in Moorooka in late 1972, with the new owner having it rebuilt by Bryan Byrt Ford’s Race Division.  Updated with Phase 3 headers, mufflers and sporting a set of 15-inch Globe alloy rims, the XW ran a 14.5 second quarter mile at the Surfers Paradise drag races, before it was sold to its current owner in 2002 with 72,000 miles on its odometer.

The GT-HO has since been cosmetically refurbished in the current owner’s hands, with fresh Brambles Red paintwork, its upholstery redone and sporting a set of 5-slot rims with wheel trims and caps.

With genuine GT-HO Phase 2 models rarely available on the open market, this fabulous XW presents a wonderful opportunity for muscle car collectors or enthusiasts and is a well-known car in GT circles. It is expected to sell in the $350,000-$450,000 range.

A collectible alternative to the GT-HO is an early 1968 Shelby GT500 coupe finished in the rare optional factory colour of Raven Black.

Documented by the Shelby American Registry, the formerly Acapulco Blue 1968 GT500 with four-speed manual transmission (build number 01408) left the factory with several desirable options including Selectaire air conditioning, an AM radio and tinted glass.

The car was originally delivered in New York city to an American Serviceman who was then stationed in Italy. After successive owners in the UK and USA, the Shelby was sold to an enthusiast in Sydney, where it was restored by Bosskraft over a nine-month period.

Since completion of the restoration, the Shelby has been used sparingly and carefully maintained by its fastidious current owner.

Offered with an extensive history file including the original build sheet and accompanied by a De Luxe Marti Report, it comes to auction with a guiding range of $150,000-$180,000.

More ‘affordable’ Ford Muscle Cars are a 1974 Falcon XB GT automatic sedan, slated to sell in the $70,000-$80,000 range and a 1973 Ford XA Falcon 500 Superbird automatic coupe ($140,000-$160,000).

There are also two fully-restored left-hand-drive Ford Mustang manual-transmission fastbacks in the auction – a restored 289 V8-engined silver 1965 Fastback Coupe ($35,000-$45,000) and a restored red 1969 Mustang Mach I 351 V8 ($75,000-$85,000).

A number of HSV vehicles are also available for auction, including three Commodore sedans – a VN model SV-T30 (No. 26 of 30 built) – $30,000-$40,000; a VT model R8 sedan with 17,236km on its odometer at the time of cataloguing ($60,000-$70,000) and a 1995 Holden HSV VS GTS Sedan (No. 1) – $120,000-$150,000.