'Barn Find' A9X Barnstorms to $149,000!

MELBOURNE – July 25, 2011: A 1977 Torana A9X Hatchback that was stored under the house of its late collector owner for more than a decade produced the standout result of Shannons Collector and Muscle Car Auction at MotorEx on July 24 when it sold with no reserve for $149,000.

The unrestored Flamenco Red A9X that will require a restoration to realise its full potential was one of just 100 hatchbacks plus 33 lightweight body shells produced by Holden to homologate the model for the Bathurst 1000.

A unique floor pan, a Salisbury rear end with different final drive ratios, rear disc brakes, revised steering, a front spoiler with brake cooling ducts and a bonnet featuring a large reverse air scoop were amongst more than 100 differences that set an A9X apart from a standard LX Torana.

Purchased by its late third owner in 1998 after seeing it advertised for $19,000 in Unique Cars magazine with 99,000 indicated kilometres, the A9X was the centre of a bidding war witnessed by a crowd of nearly 600 at the Sydney Showgrounds auction, with an interstate collector in the room triumphing over more than a dozen phone and floor bidders.

Another benchmark sale saw a rare, one Japanese owner 1970 Mazda Familia R100 Coupe bring a world-standard $45,000. The time-warp 10A rotary-powered R100 in showroom original condition was discovered recently on display at a dealership in Japan with just 37,364km – understood genuine – on its odometer and was snapped by an Australian collector.

In other good results, a three-owner 1985 Formula Blue Holden VK Commodore Group A Group 3 sedan believed to have covered 33,851km since new brought $99,500 after another bidding duel, a 1969 Grecian Gold Falcon XW GT Sedan in very original condition and in the hands of its second owner for the past 32 years sold for $65,000 and a 1971 ‘Vitamin C’ 265-cid two-barrel six cylinder VH Charger R/T Coupe in excellent original condition sold for $47,000.

Meanwhile a time-warp, unrestored and very original 1967 Holden HR Special Sedan that had covered a claimed 13,700 miles from new brought $28,000.

American Muscle Cars were also in demand, with a left hand drive 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 big-block Coupe replica finished in arresting ‘Go Mango’ selling for $44,000, while a right hand drive 2003 Corvette ZO6 with just 24,851km on its odometer brought $60,000.

Amongst other notable results, a beautifully-kept and former concours-winning 1928 Stutz Model BB Wyman-type Sports Tourer sold for $120,000, and a three-owner 1970 Fiat Bambino 500F Sedan that had been in the vendor’s hands for 22 years achieved an excellent $17,200 after fierce floor and phone bidding.