1948 Tucker 48 + 1987 Porsche 959 Komfort + 1971 Datsun 240Z - AUCTION ACTION

By: Mark Higgins

Date: 20.03.2024

The auction world is full of surprises, with ever changing values, along with the occasional bargain. Here are some of the highlights. Presented by Donington Auctions

1948 Tucker 48

Sold: A$2.70m

MECUM, Lot S194 Kissimmee 

After stints at Ford and Cadillac, Preston Tucker had a go at making his own car, the distinctive Tucker 48. It lasted 51 cars. This is number 21, completed on August 29, 1948. It’s one of four in black, the rarest Tucker hue.

Power is from an air-cooled 335ci horizontally-opposed rear-mounted flat 6-cylinder engine. A three-owner car, it was repainted and reupholstered and starred in the movie Tucker: The Man and his Dream. It sold with the original bill of sale from Tucker Corp, copies of factory build records and other Tucker-related documents.

2017 HOLDEN HSV GTSR W1

Sold: A$350,888

Collecting Cars 

This W1 has covered just 32 kilometres and had two owners. It has a supercharged 6.2-litre V8, with 

474kW and a six-speed manual. Only 275 were made. There is carbon-fibre body parts, custom-tuned suspension, matte-black 20-inch alloys, red brake calipers and Pirelli P Zero tyres. This one is painted ‘Light My Fire’, with the cabin trimmed in quilted Alcantara seats with red stitching. A great addition to any Aussie car collection, it sold with the owner’s book pack and special keyring.

1987 Porsche 959 Komfort

Sold: A$2.79m

Mecum Kissimmee, Lot S148 

Made famous winning the Dakar Rally, only 292 were built. This matching-numbers silver metallic example shows just 14,686 miles on the clock.

Powering it is a 2.85lt twin-turbo flat six derived from the 962 Le Mans race car. It makes 444hp and drives all wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. This one came with Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, import documentation, owner’s manuals and tool kit.

1978 Alfa Romeo Spider

Sold: A$21,600

Bring A Trailer

Forty-six years old and still turning heads. This Alfa Spider boasts a rebuilt twin-cam, fuel-injected two-litre four-cylinder, and the odo shows 78,000 miles.

The black paint, soft top, wood-rim tiller and gearshift knob and red trim, all look in good nick, though the dash is a replacement item. The boot-mounted luggage rack completes the picture. It rides on refinished Campagnolo wheels and went with extensive service records.

ON THE BLOCK: 1969 Cadillac Eldorado Sport Wagon

Guiding Range: No Reserve

Donington Auctions Summer Classic Car & Number Plate Auction

Built by renowned Hollywood car guru, George Barris, for entertainer and Rat Pack member, Dean Martin. The crooner's cruiser is dubbed 'Casa de Eldorado'.

After spending time in its home country, it then travelled to Australia many years ago and has been tucked away in several private collections since. Unearthed in barn-find condition, this exciting discovery is offered with No Reserve. It comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from Barris Kustom Industries confirming the Dean Martin provenance. Online pre-bidding opens February 19.

2010 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

SOLD: A$92,000

Bonhams Cars, Bond St Sale

The road-going Vantage you see here, is in the famous Gulf racing livery that adorned the factory AM racers at Le Mans in 2008 and again in 2014.

It‘s one of seven commissioned by a private collector. This one has a mere 395 kilometres on the clock and spent most of its life as a static display. It has a host of special features and sold with the sales invoice and specification sheet.

1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe

Sold: undisclosed

Mecum Kissimmee, Lot S 168 

Of all Chev RPOs, the L88 is one of the most revered and rarely seen on the auction scene. This is the only known Rally Red with red interior L88 Corvette coupe from 1967.

It’s one of 20 L88s made that year. A multi-award winner, under the bonnet lies the 427ci, 430hp L88 that grabbed the high-performance high-ground back in the day. It’s attached to a Muncie M22 four-speed manual.

1971 Datsun 240Z

Sold: A$58,250

Collecting Cars

The 240Z is one of the great Dattos and has been owned by the vendor for a decade. It has several discreet performance and cosmetic upgrades.

Finished in Vibrant Orange, its grunt is from a naturally-aspirated 2.4-litre straight-six fed by triple Solex carburettors and was first registered October 1971. It has been well cared for and would be a good toy for weekend runs through the hills.

ON THE BLOCK: 1971 VH Valiant 770 Charger 

Guiding Range: $80,000 - $90,000

Donington Auctions, Lot 1A Summer Classic Car & Number Plate Auction

Harry Firth, Howard Marsden and John Ellis. Ellis was Chrysler’s competitions program manager, at age 28. This was his car. Over the years, this 770 has morphed into an R/T ‘lookalike’. As an historical link to the marque’s history, it doesn’t come much better. Online pre-bidding opens February.

1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra

Sold: A$6.25m

Mecum Kissimmee, Lot F231.1

Even in his wildest dreams Carroll Shelby wouldn't have expected someone to fork out this much for one of his creations.

It’s one of the original 23 factory 427 competition Cobras made, and retains its original aluminium body and chassis. It was raced by stars including Chris Irwin, David Piper and Bob Bondurant, and won the 1966 Ilford Films 500 at Brands Hatch, UK. It has undergone an extensive refurb by the Legendary Motorcar Company back to original specifications.

1991 BMW 850i v12

Sold: $162,600

Bring a Trailer

See what a bit of notoriety does to the price. Take this 850 Beemer, its first owner was none other than Michael Jordan. He sold it four years later and it now shows 30,000 miles on the clock. Mauritius Blue in colour with parchment leather, it has a 5.0lt V12 and a six-speed manual. It sold with documentation featuring Michael Jordan’s signature. Great provenance.

1965 Porsche 911

Sold: A$92,000

Bonhams Cars, Bond St Sale

A very precious Porsche, being the first right-hand drive built, delivered and registered in the UK. Being a prototype, it was built in Porsche’s experimental division, not on the Stuttgart production line. It has matching prototype, chassis and engine numbers, exceptional provenance and comprehensive history documentation. An incredible find.

1966 Ford GT40 MkI Road Car 

Sold: A$10.36m

Mecum Kissimmee, LOT F155

You’ve won the lottery and are a blue oval fan. Here’s your car. It’s one of 30 road-going GT40s ever made in excellent nick and with 13,442 original miles on it. Behind your head is a 289ci V8 and a five-speed manual gearbox. It has been with the previous owner for 30 years and unseen by the public. It has never been in an accident and sold with a copy of its original build sheet. 

1962 Chevrolet Corvette 327/300 4-Speed

Sold: A$87,000

Bring A Trailer

This is a two-owner Vette. Acquired by the current owner’s late spouse, from the original owner 31 years ago. Up front is a 327ci V8 tied to a four-speed manual. It was repainted in its original Honduras Maroon and has a removable, body-colour hardtop, and a black convertible top. It sold with 86K miles on the odo, service records back to the 1993, and material to reupholster the trim and the seats. 

1962 Lincoln Continental

Sold: A$362,000

Mecum Kissimmee, lot s263

This Lincoln land yacht has undergone a no-expense-spared restoration. Power comes from an LS3 V8, no it’s not a misprint, grafted to a four-speed auto. Keeping it off the ground are 20-inch Kendall chrome wheels with Toyo tyres featuring a low profile whitewall. Inside are custom bucket seats draped in napa leather. Big enough to have its own postcode, it’ll sure turn heads.

1993 Mercedes-Benz SL 500

Sold: A$31,000

Collecting Cars lot 30

Talk about bang for your buck. When new, these cost the same as a suburban street, well almost. Now you can snaffle one like this two-owner, sold new in Japan but here for a year, with 78,263km, for the price of a small hatchback. Yes, please. A technical tour de force and one of the finest from the Stuttgart carmaker, it went with the Japanese owner’s manual, a Japanese maintenance green pass and service history from new.

ON THE BLOCK: 1948 MG TC ‘Tillett’ Special

Guiding Range: $50,000 - $60,000

Donington Auctions, LOT 1C Summer Classic Car & Number Plate Auction

Considered by many enthusiasts as an icon, the MG T-Type series put the marque on the map. Driven by Steve Tillet, this car won the 1951 Australian Grand Prix based on handicap, and raced regularly until 1963 including three more AGPs. Online pre-bidding opens February 19.

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