As the weather begins to warm, Uncle Phil has his eyes peeled more than ever as the prime cruising climate puts him on the look out for a nice new toy. Here are a few he likes...
1987 Holden VL Commodore
$26,900
When unleaded fuel was introduced Holden’s old 202 turned its nose up at the new nectar, so the General did a deal with Nissan for their smooth, powerful and light 3.0-litre straight six to stuff into the VL Commodore. The Nissan’s motor was a beauty, smooth, powerful and happy to guzzle the new brew.
At the time it was a marriage of convenience. Now the VL is highly sought because of this. Here’s an original one owner example that has travelled 67,000km and is in good nick according to the ad. There won’t be many like this around.
| See the VL Commodore listing here
1957 Mercury Classic Cruiser
$59,500
Does anyone remember the advertising campaign for the” big M” on the Ed Sullivan show? This 1957 Mercury is an excellent example of 50s engineering, like the push button auto and space age styling. A rare car even in its home country, the chance of finding another example in what appears to be nice condition would be harder than winning a lottery. With miles of chrome the cost of restoring one would need a lotto win, but this one looks like it’s ready to roll. It has a fantastic colour combo and has already won a trophy or two.
| See the listing for the Mercury here
1976 Holden HX LE Monaro
$89,000
I remember when these wafted into Holden dealerships. By then the racing success and muscle car stature of what was once the Monaro were a distant memory. The LE was a soft tourer complete with burgundy paint, burgundy velour interior and gold wheels giving it a decidedly American look. This matching numbers car with a five-litre V8 claims 77,000 on the clock and wears original paint that seems to be in pretty good condition. Always wise to buy the first or the last of the breed, I reckon.
| See the listing for the Holden HX LE here
2002 Holden Monaro CV8
$29,990
Didn’t the new-gen Monaro cause a stir when it was launched as a concept in 1998 and then a production model at the 2001 Sydney motorshow? Ford’s AU Falcon never got a look in. This one is finished in a rare combo of silver with a red interior. I bet Higgo, our resident Monaro nut, is salivating. This two-owner CV8 has stood the test of time pretty well and claims logbooks and service history. I reckon they’ve bottomed out price wise and they have a good whiff of becoming a future collector star.
| See the listing for the Monaro here