HDT VL Group A + Mitsubishi Cordia Turbo + Rambler wagon - Gotaways 432

By: Cliff Chambers

Date: 20.10.2019

Looking back through the Unqiue Cars classifieds...

HDT VL Group A - Advertised September 1992

By 1992 HDT had been out of business for  some years and HSV was having a tough time in a depressed market. Then up popped this undeniably excellent VL with a very hopeful price tag. Back in 1986, $29,600 was list price for a brand new Plus Pack car but six years later and with 40,000 klicks on the clock a vendor on the hunt for $300 more was delusional.  Quite likely the car would have sold but at 15-20 per cent below the money sought. It then would have bumped along in the mid-20k range until 2006 when Muscle Car Mania struck and values shot into six digit territory.

Was: $29,900. Now: $110,000-120,000

Mitsubishi Cordia Turbo - Advertised May 1991

If anyone back in 1991 still wanted to own a turbo Cordia then this would have been the turbo Cordia to buy. As major sponsors of the 1985 Australian Grand Prix, Adelaide-based Mitsubishi wanted to promote the wildest of its children to the world and the front-drive, 110kW GSR was the mount of choice for the AGP’s Celebrity Race. Seasoned racing drivers were known to struggle with the Cordia’s torque steer, so in a field of absolute novices these would have been a hoot. No one seems to have posted video of the race but this car could well have been the sole survivor.

Was: $22,000. Now: $15,000-18,000

Rambler Matador wagon - Advertised July 1997

No that price is not missing a ‘1’ from the front. Even in 1997 and with a major recession affecting car values, $1950 was just ridiculous for a vehicle of this Rambler’s size and apparently decent condition. No need for People Movers back then because the Matador would fit a large family and all their holiday gear and haul a big caravan or boat without blinking. Parts supply, even decades after local assembly had stopped, remained reliable and Matadors still appear quite often in the market. Just not at prices like this.

Was: $1950. Now: $10,000-13,500

Reader's One That Got Away:

Volvo 850R

Thomas Johnson - Rossville, QLD

My teacher in high school owned a new 850R Volvo, he always raved on about how good it was but I never paid much attention to the shiny red Swede in the carpark. I now desire to own that car, I pray that I can track down a pristine example.

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