Ford XY Fairmont + Porsche 996 GT3 RS + Renault R8 Gordini - Ones That Got Away 417

By: Cliff Chambers

Date: 28.09.2018

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

FORD XY FAIRMONT 250 - August 2003

Elsewhere in this issue you will find a Guide to buying the cars of which Australia can be very proud. Most interest in XY Fairmonts currently rests with V8 versions but here is a six-cylinder performance Ford that someone using their instincts back in 2003 should have bought. XYs with factory four-speed gearboxes were rare when new and today would be less common and also vastly less expensive than a genuine XY GT. Spend $40K today on a Fairmont in this condition and there’s a strong chance of it continuing to make money.

Then: $9800. Now: $35-40,000

RENAULT R8 GORDINI - August 1989

Back when giving cars an award for just doing their job properly was a new concept, the Renault R8 was named Australia’s very first ‘Car Of The Year’. Most people will never have seen an R8, much less owned one however they were pretty special for their time. Best of them all was the Gordini version which had four disc brakes in an era when most cars had none and could keep XU-1 Toranas honest in top-level rallying. One was offered locally at $75,000; a figure that’s comparable with the £45,000 available in Britain. Certainly confirms how much of a bargain this car was in 1989.

Then: $8750. Now: $65-70,000

PORSCHE 996 GT3 RS - August 2008

Porsche throughout the long history of its 911 made a habit of periodically adding RS or ‘Rennsport’ versions to the range. The lineage began in 1972 with a ‘ducktail’ version of the 2.7-litre 911S that would hit 240km/h. Move 32 years ahead and while the shape was still demonstrably 911 a GT3 like this was rated for 310km/h. Out of the box in Australia they cost $288,000 so this one five years old and discounted to below $200K was a bargain. At a recent overseas auction, one hit 359,000 Euro (about A$560,000) but here you might still find them under $500K.

Then: $199,000. Now: $450-500,000

Reader's One That Got Away:

1955 Cadillac Fleetwood

Growing up in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray as a kid, I remember the neighbour down the street had the flashest car in town. It was a beige ‘55 Cadillac that was so huge his garage tilt door was on a permanent angle to house the thing! The car and house are long gone and now I want one...

Eddie VLAsic - Geelong, Vic

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