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Aston Martin AMV8 + Torana XU-1 + MGB GT V8 – Ones That Got Away 421

Cliff Chambers takes a look back through the Unique Cars classifieds...

Aston Martin AMV8 – Advertised October 1999

Not quite the Hon. Brett Sinclair casually awaiting the arrival of his crime-cracking partner Danny Wilde (aka Roger Moore and Tony Curtis of  The Persuaders) but the photo was a clever idea. Back in 1999 the market for older, V8-engined Astons was tough and any ploy that got buyers’ attention was worth a shot. The situation 19 years later is of course very different, especially when the car on offer is carb-fed with the desirable five-speed manual-transmission.  Hardly any AM V8s pop onto our market  but in Europe where lots of these Astons are sold, A$250,000 is feasible. 

Then: $45,000. Now: $230-250,000

 

Holden LC Torana XU-1 – Advertised June 2000

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Forget the duck-tail spoiler and triple carbs. The most shocking thing about Holden’s first XU-1 Torana was that you could buy one in screaming, eye-watering PURPLE. Aussies behind the wheel of their white HRs and powder blue Falcons sat stunned when overtaken by an LC with ‘XU1’ labels on the back. So did GTHO Falcon drivers when on tighter race circuits they couldn’t catch the lightweight XU1s. Holden sold 1633 of the LC version – not sure how many were painted Plum Dinger – and very few survive yet they are generally cheaper than the more easily-found LJ.

Then: $14,500. Now: $80-100,000

 

MGB GT V8 -January 1996

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‘Right car, wrong time’ summarises the failure of MG’s V8-engined B GT to capture a arket which seemed to be begging for a car of its kind. The hatchback MG wasn’t a powerhouse (102kW from the 3.5-litre Rover V8) but it would do 190km/h and had less weight up front than the ‘four’ so handling was undisturbed. Most of the 2591 V8s made were sold in the UK and none came officially to Australia. None went to the USA either, for reasons of internal British Leyland jealousy or so the speculation goes. Prices stayed for years at $25-30,000 before recently heading for $50,000.

Then: $29,500. Now: $45-50,000

 

Reader’s One That Got Away

1963 Lincoln Continental
Paul Romiki – Ringwood, Vic

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10 years ago I was is California and got talking to a fellow about his triple black ‘63 Lincoln Continental convertible, it was a stunner and was for sale. The sums did not work for me or him at the time, but I later realised that he was Frank Corrente of Cadillac fame and owner of the world famous Cadillac Corner in Hollywood!

 

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