Aussie muscle auction
November 16, 2007 by Matt Brogan
Okay, this is CarAdvice. Current cars, reviews, news, I know this. But like so many of our devotees, I too love Aussie Muscle and just thought I’d give our more nostalgic readers a very quick heads-up on an upcoming auction that may be of interest.
The Shannons Melbourne Summer Auction will take place on Monday the 26th of November with five special vehicles from the golden age of Aussie muscle to go under the hammer.
1968 Holden HK Monaro GTS 327 (Pictured above). Build number 74 and coming from a private country collection this immaculate coupe finished in Warwick Yellow has all numbers matching and is an unrestored original vehicle. Expect bids up to $175,000.
1970 Ford Falcon XW GT-HO. This Candy Apple Red four speed manual is fully restored to concourse condition and is expected to fetch up to $380,000 which could mean a new record in Victoria.
1974 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000. This Bathurst spec model is a rare Sable Metallic colour highly sought after model among L34 Torana enthusiasts. Fully restored, this car has taken out many awards and is expected to go for circa $120,000.
1972 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1. One of two hundred Bathurst Edition models built, this Phantom Grey II coloured car represents an immaculate example of the vehicle Peter Brock won Bathurst in that year. Although it does not have its original engine block, the car is still expected to attract offers of around $100,000.
1971 Chrysler VG Pacer Hemi Coupe. With 19,276 miles on the clock, original delivery papers, books and all receipts for work done since delivery, the bidding, although not as frenzied as Holden or Ford models, is still expected to reach about $28,000.
Anyone interested in attending or wanting further details on these cars (or other vehicles at the auction) can visit the Shannons website.
Print it: 
I’ll have the XU-1 thanks.
That is all.
Awesome cars. Love the HK and XU1 especially. Wonder how many HO\’s there are remaining out there..
I would gladly have any one of those cars. I actually like that Pacer and it sounds affordable :) And the HK. Mmm pillarless coupes.
ImportJap – I agree, pillarless coupes *drool* About the closest thing to one these days in the RX-8.
Have always fancied the 8 series bimmer. No B pillar in that either. Throw on a set of 18″ M Double spokes and you’re set. You can also get pillarless in the current CLK merecedes I think
Too true Godspeed – but sadly these are WAY out of my price range ;)
A bit OT i suppose, but yeah matt if you’re into the Mercs, Mercedes did make a few with the pillarless style, you could go for a late 80’s or early 90’s SEC coupe or E class (300CE?), pick up a neat one and put some AMG “Hammer” type rims on.
Can Someone tell me out of interest why the Valiant Pacer is not as valuable as the holden or ford vehicles
I understand the GTHO, the Monaro and the two Toranas are sort after and are well reknowned but the last time i saw a Pacer was at least 10 years ago and it was the shape after (mid to late 70’s)
The XU-1 Torana does not have the original engine block but could possibly fetch 100k yet this Pacer with 19 thousand original miles, delivery papers and documented service work from day 1 till now will only fetch 28k, sounds strange?
Hey Bubba,
I’d only be guessing but I reckon it’s all about what people would pay for it. I don’t think it’s any lesser car, but people are very nostalgic about 60-70s Fords and Holdens and pay obscene prices.
Perhaps if you gave Shannons Auctions a call they’d be able to fill you in a little better. They’re fantastic to deal with honestly.
Cheers & hope this helps, Matt.
Bubba.
If the XU-1 has had the JP block removed, but replaced with an NP block (Repco replacement part) then it should still get the figures quoted. But if it doesn’t, then it will get less.
They’re all good but like Karl, I’ll take the XU-1!
thanks matt and karl much appreciated
Good to have this diversity of articles on Car Advice. Most of us here probably have a broad interest in motor vehicles. My neighbour has an immaculate condition sl/r 5000 in turquoise (anyone know the correct Holden colour name?)no amount of money would ever part it from him!
oh i want the pacer…… i might just go to that…. no that is a bad idea!!
Pacer it cheap, but I’d rather have a XY than that XW.
I think you will find RT Chargers are bringing good money though,mainly cause they also have race heritage.
Ill have the XU1 too ! So thats not an L34 but they still are expecting that money for it?
Was there such a thing as an XU2 Karl,I once was told there was.I looked at a Burgundy one in Tas over 20 years ago owned by the Hurds ,it was race prepared cage ect but hadn’t been driven for years.You know of such a car? Cant remember what they wanted for it then, but it was for sale ?
I think most would Me,but compared to the XAs they both drive like crap. When my other half owned his XYGT he preferred to drive the XAs cause the stock XY bored him! Sounded tough idling but didn’t handle.
Hes wishing he hadn’t of sold it now though!
I loved the A9X to drive was such a fun car .
BM,
XU2, no.
There was an XU-1 V8 that Harry Firth built for going up against the Phase IV. The supercar scare ended that one. Two cars were built, both had the V8s ripped out, and both were never sold.
Anyone who tells you that there is such a car is lying. Sure, there were XU-2 decals commissioned, but despite what Fiv Antoniou’s book states, I have pictures of the XU2 stickers on a pre-production LH.
It was never used.
If a PHASEIII XY can be more than $500,000.00, wonder how much would an XA PH4 be? There was less than 5 made I think.
There were 4 made and 3 are in existence.
None are for sale.
Don’t even try to make an offer. You’ll get a very rude response. Yes, I asked the question of one of the owners (Dan Bowden)
He said, “If anyone asks me how much, I tell them to **** off.”
There were 4 made and 3 are in existence.
None are for sale.
Don’t even try to make an offer. You’ll get a very rude response. Yes, I asked the question of one of the owners (Dan Bowden)
He said, “If anyone asks me how much, I tell them to **** off.”
Everyone has their price…
I mentioned figures of $1 million plus.
He said “Doesn’t matter. It’s not for sale. Where else do you get another car like that?”
Someone mentioned 2 million a few months ago,for the Dentists one I think! But I doubt he would sell at that even.
Funny you say that Karl about the XU2 at the time we investigated it we though it was a load of crap too. I guess the fact this was a race car at the time made made more believable!
We use to think RPOs were a load of crap in the 80s too cause they may of had all the GT stuff for the XAs but no ID plate and Ford still at that time wouldn’t confirm they existed.
we assumed they were just jazzed up Fairmont’s! How wrong a lot of us were. We looked at one in Tassie for $9,000 ,that was a lot in 1987 ,we after all had paid $9,500 for the one we still have now and that was a real XAGT Coupe .It also was yellow but the so called RPO had a black vinyl roof..yuk I know. But had some of the so called RPO options. We later did a search with Ford to find it was an RPO years all those years later but was originally black.Looking back now and knowing what we know on RPOs it would have been a cheap car then!
You live and learn!
Bavarian missile
what was an RPO optioned falcon? was it similar to G.S optioned falcons
also what was the deal with those superbird xa coupes
sorry born in 79 lol!
It was actually called a Regular Production Option 83. (RPO 83). Only fitted to XA GTs and it was basically a way for Ford to get rid of all their Phase IV parts without anyone knowing.
See: http://www.falcongt.com.au/XARPO83WheelsTest.html
I too find it a bit hard to believe that probably the rarest most unique car out of the lot – the Hemi Pacer Coupe has the lowest value.
However; as I am looking at an E38 or E49 Charger –
“the best car never to win Bathurst”
as my next “project” car I’m not complaining..
Yep my other half loves E49s as well……under rated cars!
Hey Bubba Ganush .
I have cut and pasted some info for you bellow
The GT Special, which was called RPO (Regular Production Option) 83, featured certain GTHO Phase 4 bits such as the 780 cfm Holley carburettor and the exhaust headers, but it did not have the camshaft and valve gear modifications of the Phase 4, or the special “finned” sump of that car.
The result was a bit of extra power (about 330 bhp at 5400 rpm), most of which came in at the higher rev ranges, but the scope for race development was much greater than the standard GT’s.
Some of the GT Specials featured four-wheel disc brakes, as did the last batch of normal XA GT’s, the advantages of these in racing being obvious.
To achieve homologation of the new brakes, 250 cars had to have them, and Ford argued that their Landau model, a fully optioned and dressed-up hardtop with 351 cu.in motor and four-wheel discs was a variant of the GT Falcon.
The rules stated that if a particular component was to become part of the future standard production car, its incorporation in the race cars was within the regulations. Ford’s 1974 Falcon GT was to get four-wheel discs, but Ford built enough XA GT’s with the new brakes just to make sure they were covered.
In all, there were 259 built.
Now the interesting thing is RPOs sell for more than normal XAGTS. A guy in our club recently paid $200,000 for a coupe that had been restored!
The Superbirds…….I dont know that much about them,they are collectible too now. We had an orange one but put big wheels on it and painted the ugly brown bonnet body colour. Dumped to the ground it was cool,even thru a cage in it to get the race look that all did in the late 80s. Hubby used to put the dingy in and out of the water when he didn’t wish to take the Shark Cat out. He would put the whole back end under water sometimes…….I guess if its still around it got a bit of rust in it. But he only paid a couple of grand for it,was just a hack!
the SLR 5000’s look miles better in yellow/black paintwork. the grey is a bit conservative for such a car and if i bought one i would want one that was instantly recognisable
Na all one colour looks good you just need wheels to break it up!
ford offered 2 mil for the dentists car and he refused!
Im reality there is only one genuine phase four, the calpsyo one the dentist in sydney owns, it is the only car with phase 4 on the compliance plate.
Yeah……I didn’t know it was Ford that made the offer !
Your right about about the dentists car , I have always thought the same.
Do you have any of the early Ford books with phase 4s in them? The phase 4s as you know did a lot of rally’s one car Ian Geoghegans had 630 bhp,imagine that grunt on dirt with globes no wonder they lost so many in the rallys. I recall reading a phase 4 in a rally had left the road gone thru a paddock no tyres left and was still trying to stop on 8 inch globes at 80 mph,how scary would that be? Bloody good mags he thought after he did finally pull up!
i do have the wheels mag with the phase 4 article in it, and a few ford articles i have collected reagrding XA and the Phase.
True, even the bowdens car is not tagged phase 4!
Apparently ford wanted the phase 4 for the discovery centre, so they offered it!
thanks for that BM
I am still on shock that you used a xa coupe as a HACK! that is incredible but then again who would of thought back then that a 70s ford falcon could possibly be worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Sad but true they only had a 302 in them too although it did have a toploder in it. It just didn’t have any posture as an Aussie Muscle car back then……..how things have changed!
Hey how much would people pay me to take these old tin cans and drive em over the nearest cliff?
william,
Uni must be very boring for you i suggest you go back to where you came from! have you had anything positive to say in any posts?
can someone confirm this?
“ref to GM’s baby article Australian V8 Action mag not only was the L34 a handling option vehicle but the power plant was a Repco modified Phase 4″
thankyou
WILLIAM, you sound like an anti-History bogan. If you hate cars so much, WTF made you post here? All your posts have been all been againts cars….You stupid Prius owner.
Agree Me.but it would be an insult to all Prius owners to be associated with someone who would indulge in waste on this scale.
Just a stupid negative post we dont need.
qestion: L34……….sorry you mention L34 AND Phase 4 together! What did they say…..more detail if you could?
I was reading an artical titled GM’s baby from Australian V8 Action mag,I think it was publish 1974 were Mark Andre (one of the engineers who designed the L34 motor) refers to the L34 as a Phase 4 308. IS this correct?
thx
Ok now I understand………the L34 yes had the most engine modifications to any of the Toranas ,and yes some heavy duty hardware like the Phase 4 ……phase 4 was a lot faster though.I have a book called “THE MUSCLE CAR LEGEND”from 1987 that has all Australias Muscle Cars in it. Its got all the specifications on all the models and how to determine the real deal! Great book but out of print…..
HI, BAVARIAN MISSLE MENTIONED THE FORD LANDUA COUPE, CANT UNDERSTAND WHY THE VALUE OF THESE COUPES HAVNT GONE THROUGH THE ROOF YET, CONSIDERING THEY WHERE FITTED WITH GT FALCON DRIVLINES AND THE RARITY OF THEM NOW?
True Makka…….Dont see any Landua’s any more the LTD Coupe weren’t they!
Havent seen one for sale for years.
BAVARIAN MISSILE, YES LTD COUPE, I WOULDNT MIND BUYING 1, MY MATE HAS 1 HE’S OWNED NOW FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS, NEVER DONE ANYTHING WITH IT,JUST SAT IN THE SHED, NEEDS VERY MINOR RUST REPAIR AND REPAINT, BUT IT’S ONLY DONE 42000 MILES AND NEVER BEEN TOUCHED, PAID BIG DOLLARS FOR THAT CAR BACK THEN, PROBABLY WORTH A DECENT BUCK NOW EVEN, I RANG A BLOKE WHO HAD 1 ADVERTISED ON EBAY SOME TIME AGO, AND HE WANTED $10000 FOR A ROUGH AND RUSTY SHELL WITH A FEW HANG OFF BITS, BIT STEEP I THOUGHT, LIKE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE I SOLD A COUPLE OF COUPES I HAD YEARS AGO, 1 XB GS AND 1 XA GT AND GAVE THEM AWAY AS COMPARED TO WHAT THESE CARS ARE WORTH TODAY, IF ONLY WE HAD THAT CRYSTAL BALL, MACKA
Yep been there done that too babe.
Coupes have always been more desirable than sedans ,although I wish I hadn’t sold my XAGT 4 Door 15 years ago for $13,000.And I thought that was good money for one back then when a XY GT was bringing $25,000.
Some of the stuff on ebay is off the show….I saw a pair of spot light for a XA GT for $3,000 a while ago.I guess if people keep paying stupid money for stuff the prices will keep going up.
Hey Wheelnut I never knew you liked Chargers…..
Very underrated.
I like the GTHO, coz its kwl