A stunning 1966 Shelby GT 350 fastback, a Torana XU-1 restored to show standard and an Australian-delivered 1959 Mercedes-Benz 220SE Cabriolet are the stand-out cars of an eclectic mix going under the hammer at Shannons Sydney Autumn Auction on May 5.
The fully restored left-hand drive Shelby is believed to be the first genuine GT 350 to come to auction in Australia and is amongst only a handful of these internationally sought-after muscle cars in Australia.
Powered by Ford’s evergreen 289-cid V8 producing 306HP (228kW) at 6,000rpm, the ’66 Shelby GT 350 weighed just 1267kg, accelerated to 60 miles an hour (96km/h) in 6.2 seconds and covered the standing quarter mile (approx. 400 metres) in just 14 seconds according to a contemporary road test by Car Life magazine.
One of only 1368 examples built in 1966, the matching numbers car being auctioned by Shannons has been correctly restored and repainted in its original factory white with trademark Shelby blue ‘Le Mans’ stripes, a GT 350R-style side outlet exhaust system and factory Cragar wheels.
The vehicle had one long-term owner in the United States from 1971 until 2001 and has been fully authenticated by the Shelby American Automotive.
Shannons expect the Shelby to sell in the $240-$280,000 range.
The 1972 LJ Torana XU-1 in the auction is another highly collectable muscle car that has been restored to an even higher standard – particularly under the bonnet.
Finished in silver metallic with a black interior, Shannons believe this example of the sought-after Bathurst-winning model would suit an enthusiast with an eye on show trophies and expect it to find plenty of bidders in the $80-$100,000 range.
Appealing to a very different collector, but equally beautiful is a 1959 Mercedes-Benz 220SE Cabriolet finished to a very high standard in White-grey that has won several trophies at Mercedes-Benz Car Club of NSW Concours events for its outstanding red leather interior.
A 220S Cabriolet in similar condition recently brought $170,000 at Shannons inaugural Brisbane International Motor Show Auction in February and Shannons believe this later fuel-injected model will sell in the $130-$150,000 range. Mercedes-Benz fanciers will doubtless also be looking at the very nice silver 1968 280SL with dark grey ‘Pagoda roof’ sports and red leather interior that is expected to sell for $50-$70,000.
Other interesting vehicles in the May 5 Shannons Sydney Auction include a Bronze Wine Falcon XY GT in good original condition with matching numbers ($120-$140,000), an Indy Orange HG Holden Monaro GTS 308 coupe restored over the past five years ($55-$65,000), a one-owner, yellow 1979 Ford Escort RS2000 ($12-$18,000), a one-owner, low kilometre, wide-bodied 1988 Porsche 911 Speedster ($75-$100,000), a former concours- winning red/tan leather MG TF 1250 ($25-$30,000) and a Jaguar E Type Series 2 roadster comprehensively restored by Eagle Racing in the UK in the late 1980s ($70-$85,000).
www.shannons.com.au