If only we had a spare garage and half-a-million in change
Shannons’ Sydney autumn auction has got some of the sweetest cars money can buy up for grabs.
Here are our four favourite picks:
1970 Ford Falcon XY GT
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Arguably Australia’s greatest muscle car, the Ford XY GT was a true hero of the road and track. First let loose in 1970, the XY replaced the outgoing XW Falcon. The GT utilised a revised version of Ford’s Cleveland 351-cid V8 that put out a massive 225kW (300hp) to the rears via either a four-speed manual or three-speed auto. All in all, only 1528 XY GTs were ever made, making them truly rare beasts.
This particular GT is a matching numbers 1970 model, and one of just 301 produced in the month of November. Even more impressive is that this car is just one of six ever made with this particular colour, trim, engine and transmission configuration. It also has the distinct advantage of being an original 4-speed manual.
Check out our review of the Ford Falcon XY GT
1982 Holden HDT Commodore VH SS Group 3
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The second iteration of a Brock HDT modified Commodore, the VH was available in three different guises: Group 1, Group 2 or Group 3. The Group 3 was the full-fat, top of the range version, and was a proper weapon on the black stuff thanks to a stonking great 5.0L L31 V8 that churned out 185kW (246hp). Additional performance upgrades also included a limited slip diff, rear disc brakes, bigger radiator, heavy duty alternator, heavy-duty suspension with uprated springs and Bilstein dampers, heavy-duty master cylinder and a set of 15-inch Irmscher alloy wheels.
This particular Group 3 VH is a three-owner vehicle and has been kept in remarkably original condition, both inside and out. In addition, the original HDT certificate and build sheets are included with the car, and what’s more, the vehicles glove box adorns the signature of Peter Brock himself.
Check out our review of the HDT VH Group 3
1969 Holden HT Monaro GTS 350 ‘Bathurst’ Coupe
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Another classic of the Aussie muscle car world, the HT Monaro was the successor to the highly successful HK Monaro. Unlike the old HK however, the new HT had Chevrolet’s iconic small-block 350-cid V8 slotted into it, which was the first time the Holden had used the donk in a locally manufactured car. The GTS 350 was born, and instantly started winning on the racetrack, taking out the 1969 Bathurst crown at the hands of Colin Bond and Tony Roberts.
This particular HT GTS 350 has led an interesting life that began as a race car in the 1970s. The vehicle raced for several years, including stints in New Zealand, before it was crashed at Warwick Farm, at which point it was sold to an employee of one the race teams sponsors. The vehicle was then converted into a street machine that was converted to automatic transmission and painted white. However, once the vehicle was observed to be an original GTS 350, it was restored to original spec, complete with a 350-cid V8 and four-speed manual box. The Monaro was also re-painted back to its original ‘Daytona Bronze’ colour scheme.
Check out our review of the Holden GTS 350
1991 Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R
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Another King of the Mountain, the R32 Skyline GT-R was a simply an unstoppable force at Mount Panorama, and in the hands of Mark Skaife and Jim Richards, the twin-turbo Datsun took out the top spot in both 1991 and 1992. The R32 featured the now legendary RB26 engine, a 2.6L, twin-turbo, four valves per cylinder beast that chucked out in excess of 225kW (300hp), although Nissan underquoted the official power figure at 206kW (276hp). There are just 100 Australian delivered R32 GT-Rs in existence and they are truly rare beasts.
This particular R32 GT-R has covered a mere 88,697 kilometres since new and has been kept in completely original condition. In addition, it has just had an extensive service which cost the current owner almost ten grand in bills and included the following work: changing all fluids, doing the cam belt and all drive belts, resetting valve clearances and replacing spark plugs, servicing the brake and hydraulic systems and a replacing the turbo boost controller.
Check out our review of the Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R
If you want to view any more of the awesome metal on offer, check out the full listing here.