Bill's 'Bathurst' Big Six on the Block at Shannons Melbourne Motor Show Auction

MELBOURNE – June 14, 2011: One of Australia’s best known Citroens – the burgundy ‘Big Six’ owned by late Shannons auctioneer Bill Wellwood – will be going under the hammer at the Australian International Motor Show Auction at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre on July 10.

And it will be sold just the way that Bill would have wanted – with no reserve to the highest bidder.

One of only a handful of the 3.0-litre six-cylinder versions of Citroen’s pioneering ‘Traction Avant’ still on the road in Australia, Bill’s Big Six has a fascinating history.

It is believed to have been raced to victory by Peter Damman in the very first saloon car race ever held at Bathurst – the five-lap Closed Car Handicap staged on Monday October 2, 1950. Thus it can be argued that Damman’s victory was the progenitor of today’s ‘Great Race’ winners.

The front wheel drive Citroen proved its prowess on the rain-soaked Mt.Panorama circuit, recording 3min 56sec on its first flying lap and closing rapidly on the leaders.

As ‘Australian Motor Sports’ reported in its October 1950 issue: “The only driver apparently not affected (by the wet conditions) was Damman, who was closer to the leaders than he had any right to be.”

A spin coming out of Forrest’s Elbow on Lap 3 failed to slow the Big Six’s progress and Damman eventually took the lead and went on to win “by half a mile” over a Peugeot 203, with Tom Geoghegan – father of later legendary racing brothers Leo and Ian – fourth in his Jowett Javelin.

Again driven by Damman, the Big Six later went on to give Australian Grand Prix winner Doug Whiteford’s Austin A90 a run for its money at the inaugural Ballarat Airfield race meeting in Victoria on November 18-19 the same year.

Bill Wellwood acquired the Big Six some years ago and while he was patron of seven different car clubs, it immediately took pride of place in his garage amongst a number of other classic vehicles.

The Big Six will be going under the hammer as one of the feature vehicles of the Melbourne Motor Show Auction presented by Shannons – continuing an unbroken association by Shannons with Melbourne’s premier motor show since 1996.

The only thing missing from the Shannons auction will be Bill Wellwood himself. He would loved to have knocked his beloved ‘Big Six’ down!

Shannons expect this very special and well-known Citroen to bring $20,000-$25,000 with no reserve.