The cars we should have bought or are just glad we didn't
See the next Lloyds classic auction
Holden HK GTS327 – December 1998
If you weren’t alive back in 1968 you may not truly understand the effect this shape had on car pervs of all ages and persuasions. We had seen Mustangs and Camaros come in from the USA but this pillarless beauty was home-grown Aussie exotica and even Ford enthusiasts were excited. Thirty years after the HK version was released, a GTS that arguably was the best in existence appeared in at around six times original cost. A decade later you could have added a zero to the price and still found buyers.
SINCE THEN: Gasps were heard clear across the country when a GTS327 sold for more than any Monaro in history. Whether $300,000 represents a new bench-mark is something we won’t know until the next one sells.
Then: $25,000. Now: $220-250,000
Jaguar XJ6 4.2 Series 1 – June 2006
2018 will mark the 50th Anniversary of Jaguar’s XJ6 and finding excellent, authentic cars has become a struggle. During the 1990s it was trendy to drop a V8 into the engine bay then scrap the car because its authenticity was compromised. This Damson Red example seems to have escaped intact and comes with the added attraction of air-conditioning. Restoring a worn-out XJ can cost $60,000 so finding one in this condition for less than $9000 would have sent Jag enthusiasts scampering.
SINCE THEN: Finding an outstanding first-Series XJ in authentic condition remains very difficult. As people come to realise the brilliance of this design, demand has grown and so too prices.
Then: $8990. Now: $20-27,000
Lancia Flaminia Super Sport – August 1988
Being kind, you might describe the Zagato-bodied Flaminia as ‘bold’ or ‘purposeful’. Perhaps you might also wonder why these cars have become significantly more valuable than the GT version from rival coachbuilder Touring. The clue is right there in the advertisement: just 150 Super Sports built between 1964 and ’67, of which a couple maybe found their way to Australia as new cars. The USA was a more popular destination and a recent auction saw one in restored condition make over $190,000.
SINCE THEN: A very hard car to value given so few come up for sale and prices at auction can vary significantly. With some certainty though we would expect $300,000 to be possible for a car like this.
Then: $35,500. Now: $300-340,000
Lamborghini Urraco P300 – September 1999
Although seen as a Porsche and Ferrari GT4 rival, the Urraco is a more complex and sophisticated car. 2.5-litre versions didn’t have the mumbo to match their style but the 3.0-litre did enough to rate as half-sized but not half-baked supercar. They were expensive when new arriving during a time of global privation that made P300s scarce. Of the 205 made, only 38 were RHD and at least one Australian-delivered car popped up a few years ago in Britain. LHD models sell in the region of US$60,000 and can be registered here without issue.
SINCE THEN: The P300 is so scarce that buyers of exotica sometimes overlook it. US sales set the benchmark and prices from there confirm that cars selling here at around $170,000 should have a good chance.
Then: $53,000. Now: $145-175,000