• Lamborghini Countach records top price of auction of $490,500;
  • Numerical number plate frenzy delivers $2.65m result;
  • Bathurst' Ford and Holden V8 Supercars battle for local honours;
  • Early aircooled Porsches reinforce their 'blue chip' potential;
  • High demand for Japanese sporting cars and classic motorcycles.

Heavy competitive bidding in its final minutes took Shannons Timed Online Spring Auction to an impressive $8.5 million result, with 94 per cent of all lots sold.

Absolute highlights include the prices paid for two iconic restored Australian V8 Supercars, with $373,500 achieved for a Ford XW Falcon GT-HO Phase II Sedan and $301,000 paid for a three-owner 1968 Holden HK Monaro GTS 327 Coupe – both as the result of final hour duels between determined rival bidders.

Other top results for Australian-made cars included $45,501 paid for a 1978 Holden LX Torana SL Hatchback in 'project' condition and $50,000 achieved by a restored 1968 Holden HK Kingswood Utility.

However, the top selling vehicle of the auction was an immaculate red 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Coupe, which sold for $490,500 after late competitive bidding.

Equally impressive was the $146,000 paid for a fabulous, right hand drive-converted and Maserati V6-engined 1973 Citroen SM and an Australian auction record $80,500 achieved by a stunning 1970 Mini Cooper S Mk II.  Supporting these results were the $57,500 paid for a 1974 fuel injected Citroen DS23 Pallas and $39,500 given for another 1970 Mini Cooper S Mk II.

British sports cars also produced outstanding results, with $66,500 paid for a 1962 MGA 1600 MkI Roadster restored to MkII specification; $104,000 achieved by a restored 1958 Austin-Healey 100/6 BN4 Roadster and $57,500 for a beautiful 1955 Triumph TR2 Roadster.

The three early aircooled Porsches in the auction all produced great results, with a beautiful Australian-delivered1971 911E 2.2 Sportomatic coupe realising $225,500; a 1969 911T 2.0 Sportomatic coupe in 'project' condition brought an excellent $115,000 and an early four-cylinder 1965 912 coupe sold for $93,000.

German Mercedes-Benz SL models continued to post strong results, with a classic 1968 280SL Convertible selling for an impressive $189,000; a 1998 SL500 R129 Convertible bringing $72,000 and a 2003 SL500 W230 Convertible also exceeding its pre-auction high estimate at $64,000.

Amongst other good results for German cars, a beautiful, Australian-delivered 1962 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Type 1 Coupe made $62,800; a South African-delivered, right hand drive 1970 Volkswagen Beetle Karmann Cabriolet sold for $38,000; a 1976 Kombi Camper Van went for $46,500 and a beautiful, fully-restored and an on-trend Queensland-built Meyers Manx Beach Buggy achieved $35,000.

Of the nine Japanese sporting cars, the surprise result was the $33,500 paid for a rare 1992 Autozam AZ-1 Turbo gull-wing door micro car that was expected to sell in the $16,000-$22,000 range, while a 2000 Mitsubishi EVO 6.5 'Tommi Makkinen' sedan and one of the 100 Australian-delivered Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R coupes each sold for $91,000.

The standout result of the classic American cars in the auction was the $256,000 paid for a right hand drive-converted 1968 Shelby Mustang GT500 Fastback, with $130,000 given for an immaculate 1960 Chrysler 300F Coupe and an excellent $82,610 paid for a spectacular left hand drive 1961Cadillac Series 62 Convertible.

The 22 motorcycles in the auction also saw some strong results, including $45,000 paid for a 1953 BMW R68 motorcycle, $37,750 given for a rare 'sand cast' 1969 Honda CB750 KO; $27,500 for a 1979 Kawasaki H2C 750cc three-cylinder superbike and $30,500 for a British 1937 AJS V-Twin 37/2 990cc motorcycle.

Black and white New South Wales and Victorian numberplates continued their popularity with collectors unabated, with all three-digit plates achieving more than $220,000, with the top price being $344,944 for VIC '247'. The top four-digit result was $180,500 for the VIC plate and birth year '1.992'.

To view all auction results, visit www.shannons.com.au
To talk to a Shannons Auction Team member, call the 13 46 46, Option 6.