Brock's Last Race Holden Sells For $320,000

MELBOURNE – July 14, 2011: The last Holden raced by Peter Brock – just a week before his death in 2006 –sold to a Melbourne collector at the Shannons Australian International Motor Show Auction on July 10 for $320,000.

The sale was one of the highlights of the 15th Shannons auction staged in conjunction with the Motor Show in Melbourne since 1996 and resulted in more than $2 million in vehicle and automobilia sales.

Conceived by Melbourne-based Brock fan Phil Munday, the 1953 ‘FX’ was built for the nine-time Bathurst winner to race at the 2006 Goodwood Revival in England.

Brock finished a fighting fourth in the main St.Mary’s Trophy race for Saloon Cars at the meeting, but his performance in the FX saw his team awarded the event’s prestigious ‘Spirit of Goodwood’ trophy, which was included with the race car in the auction.

Other standout vehicle sales included:

A 1958 Jaguar XK150S 3.4-litre Roadster that was the subject of a fastidious restoration in Sydney over 15 years ago sold comfortably above its pre-sale estimate for $120,000

A stunning Australian-delivered concours-winning 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Convertible sold for $100,000

A magnificent right hand drive Chevrolet Corvette Roadster believed to have been imported by GM-H for the 1954 Melbourne Motor Show sold for $100,000

An Australian-built Jaguar D-Type replica sold for $90,000

A matching-numbers and restored 1974 Holden Torana L34 SL/R 5000 Sedan brought $85,000

The vehicle believed to have won the first-ever touring car race at Bathurst – the 1950 Citroen ‘Big Six’ owned by late Shannons auctioneer Bill Wellwood – sold with no reserve for an excellent $37,000. It was an emotional sale for the Shannons team of which Bill had been a member for more than 25 years

An unrestored and very original 1962 Holden EK Utility believed to have covered just 33,220 miles (53,462km) since new sold comfortably above its pre-sale estimate for $27,500, while an unrestored low-mileage 1971 Holden HG Brougham 308 Sedan made $20,000

A restored Australian-built Morris 850 sedan sold with no reserve for $13,000 – almost double its high estimate.

Unusual classics to sell at the auction included a bright yellow 1956 Bentley S1 Saloon converted in NSW into a unique Ute, which sold over the phone to a UK collector for $40,000 with no reserve, while a 1962 Ferret Armoured Reconnaissance vehicle was purchased for $45,000 and a 1959 Porsche Diesel Junior V Tractor sold for $27,000.

Black and white Victorian numerical number plates were also the big movers in the auction, with more than $700,000 paid for 24 of the 25 three, four and five digit plates on offer.

The top prices for a three digit plate was $51,000 for ‘887’; the best four-digit result was $24,000 for ‘2.333’ while the top five-digit plate was ’92.229’ which went for $33,000 after a bidding duel.

Shannons National Auction Manager Christophe Boribon said the aucttion produced a good result for the current market.

“Very good quality and unusual vehicles had no trouble finding new homes,” he said.