The Aston Martin, a 1967 example of the DB6, was presented in ‘project’ condition needing its full restoration completed. It found a buyer after 10 bids with the buyer paying $226,000.

Other cars of note that came close to the Aston’s top value was a 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Coupe ($186,000), a time-warp 2017 Holden HSV GTS-R sedan that has covered just 2036km since new ($153,000), and a rare 1994 V12-engined Ferrari 456GT Coupe, one of only 31 made in right-hand drive with a six-speed manual. This fetched $120,000.

Shannons said that other exotic European GT cars to sell well included a left-hand drive DeTomaso Pantera Coupe ($91,000) and a BMW 840Ci coupe ($38,500).

There was also interest in a 1999 Ferrari 550 Maranello coupe; a 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo ($141,000); a collectible Ford XB Falcon ‘John Goss Special’ Hardtop ($140,000) and another rare 2017 HSV GTS-R sedan that covered just 2,023km ($138,000).

Shannons said that its Autumn auction continued to deliver strong results with high bidding participation from the enthusiasts motoring community.

Volvo P1800S coupe

“As expected from recent Shannons auctions, the top-selling lots of the sale were heritage black and white numerical number plates,” it said.

An early New South Wales-issued ’31’ attracted a top bid of $1,648,000 to win the ‘state of origin’ war over the Victorian plate ’52’ ($1,457,000) in the auction’s final hours.

The triple digit VIC plate ‘535’ sold for $500,000; NSW ‘232’ sold for $470,000; NSW ‘421’ went for $311,000; and VIC ‘7-799’ sold for $318,000. 

Another Victorian plate ‘91.111’ with a strong Porsche flavour sold for $221,000 and the ‘lucky’ plate VIC ‘13.888’ brought $201,000.

Amongst the motorcycles, the top-seller was a rare restored 1916 Indian Power Plus 990cc selling for $67,000; a 1926 Indian Big Chief 1200cc twin sold for $49,500; ahead of a 1929 Harley-Davidson JD 1200 ($44,000) while the top-selling Japanese motorcycle was a Suzuki RG500 sports bike at $28,500.

Quality early American cars were also in demand, with a rare 1928 Cadillac LaSalle V8 Boat Tail roadster bringing an excellent $52,000, while a stately 1937 right-hand drive Packard 120 sedan sold for $48,000.

1967 Aston Martin DB6

The only power boat in the auction – a superb circa 1948 Chris Craft 20ft Custom Cruiser – sold for $80,000.

Shannons said that commercial vehicles continued their popularity with collectors, with a 1982 Holden WB Kingswood Ute selling for $39,500; a 1974 Holden HQ ‘Sandman Tribute’ Panel Van bringing $38,000; a very authentic 1971 Holden HG Belmont 186 Ute selling for $22,000; and a ‘HSV-Enhanced’ Holden Commodore VR Wagon that brought $23,000.

A Ford F-250 dual-cab utility fitted with the optional 7.3-litre diesel powertrain sold well for $63,000, while a restored 1978 Toyota FJ40 Landcruiser 4.2-litre station wagon produced an on-estimate $26,500.

The other Japanese vehicles in the auction to perform strongly were a 2000 Subaru Impreza WRX STi sedan ($45,000) followed by a 1979 Mazda Series 1 rotary-engined coupe ($37,000).

Collectible classics to post good results included a stylish Volvo P1800S coupe that exceeded expectations, selling for an excellent $84,000 after 40 bids; a restored circa-1957 Volkswagen ‘oval window’ Beetle that brought an excellent $23,000; a 1989 Subaru Brumby ute that sold for $15,000; and a unique 1951 DKW Schnellaster van that made $40,000.

Amongst a lot of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the auction, Shannons said that the standouts were a 1993 V12-engined 600SL Convertible ($53,000) and a stylish 1993 320CE Cabriolet that fetched $42,500.

Ford XB Falcon ‘John Goss Special’ Hardtop

By Neil Dowling