$2mil Phase IV + US clearance - auction round-up

By: Guy Allen, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 22.10.2018

Phase IV Falcon.

1958 Oldsmobile 98.

De Lorean movie car replica.

Phase IV Falcon.

1958 Oldsmobile 98.

De Lorean movie car replica.

Big weekend for car auctions

Last weekend was a big one for car auctions, with $2 million bid on a Phase IV GT-HO XA Falcon, and a massive collection of USA classics going under the hammer up in Newcastle.

Just four of the near-mythical XA Falcon Phase IV GT-HOs survive - three track cars and one road version. The machines actually never saw proper race service under the Ford banner, as their career was killed off early by a performance car scare that hit the media just before they were due for release.

Three race versions of the 351 manuals had been under development, with the prime target being the annual Bathurst enduro. With no actual race history on its side, but unquestionable rarity, there was much pre-auction speculation about what the car would fetch.

In the end it pulled up at $2 million, just a touch below the $2.1 million bid for an ex Peter Brock race-winning Commodore just a couple of weeks earlier.

Three other Phase cars were on offer at the Lloyds auction: a Track Red XY Phase III road car, widely regarded as one of the best in existence, a Track Red XY Phase III competition car, plus a Reef Green XW Phase II.

None of them passed reserve and negotiations were continuing. Top bids on the night were $900k, $675k and $275k respectively.

Meanwhile there was a massive US classic auction over in Newcastle, effectivley a giant clearing sale for the Lost in the 50s museum. Owner Glen Jennings had decided to close the doors and do something else, which led to a two-day auction with 692 lots by the time all the accessories and displays were included.

There was some reason to wonder if such a large collection would flood the market and soften prices, however that seemed not to be the case. Solid money was being paid at the Burns & Co event, particularly for special cars.

Two good examples are lots 604 and 605. The first was a 1958 Oldsmobile 98 hardtop sedan. This was the company's top of the line model at the time and this example had undergone a premium restoration. It fetched $140,000.

Meanwhile it seems De Lorean and the car from the movie Back to the Future has lost none of its magic. What was billed as an exact movie replica constructed by Danny Bodkin in California sold for $130,000.

See the Street Machine mag feature on the Phase IV.

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