Search for historic Holdens heads overseas as prices rise in Australia
The hunt for historic Holden cars has gone global, with some rare modern Monaro coupes selling at auction in the UK. Will they be coming home?
Priced out of the local market amid recent price rises and the rush on used cars, eagle-eyed enthusiasts in Australia are now searching the world for iconic Holdens.
A number of super-rare Holden Monaro coupes that were originally sold as a Vauxhalls in the UK have gone under the hammer in London.
This week, a limited edition 2005 Vauxhall Monaro VXR 500 – with a 6.0-litre V8 powered by an aftermarket but factory-endorsed Harrop supercharger – sold at auction for £38,000 ($AU70,000).
The vehicle showed 34,000 miles on the odometer (54,700km) and had an immaculate service history.
A similar example in Australia could fetch in excess of $100,000 locally.
Buyers are now looking overseas because affordable examples of historic Holdens are being snapped up by financial speculators.
The selling price of the black Vauxhall Monaro VXR 500 excludes a 5 per cent auction fee (£1900 or $AU3500) and the additional estimated cost of $10,000 to $12,000 to ship the vehicle home and have it complied to meet Australian regulations – even though it was built on Holden’s production line in Elizabeth on the outskirts of Adelaide.
One of just 18 examples built, the pristine black Vauxhall Monaro VXR 500 is believed to be the second of its type sold in the UK over the past three months.
An updated 2006 'VZ' version of the Holden Monaro, finished in silver, (above) had an asking price of just £7995 ($AU14,700) two years ago.
While the identities of the buyers are not known, industry insiders believe the cars were sold to Australian enthusiasts who plan to bring them home.
It is not known if the cars are a little worse for wear – versus Australian-delivered Holden Monaro coupes – due to corrosion and rust caused by the salt used on UK roads in winter as an anti-icing measure.
According to UK website collectingcars.com, the black Holden (Vauxhall) Monaro that sold most recently is described as follows:
- Under the bonnet is a 6.0-litre supercharged V8, producing 493bhp and 500lb-ft of torque, delivered to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox;
- Developed as the final farewell to the Monaro, just 18 examples of the VXR 500 were built, in a collaboration between tuning specialist Wortec and Vauxhall. This is believed to be the final car produced;
- This example has been discreetly modified with some further performance additions, and has low mileage supported by regular maintenance;
- This Monaro is finished in Phantom Black metallic over a co-ordinating black leather interior with white contrast stitching;
- It rides on its original 19-inch alloy wheels, shod with Continental tyres and housing upgraded AP Racing brake discs, pads, and red calipers
- Its factory specification includes electrically adjustable sports seats with three-position driver’s memory, cruise control, climate control, rear parking assistance, automatic headlights and a Blaupunkt stereo with six-disc autochanger
- The car is accompanied by the owner’s manual, service book and original bill of sale, as well as some previous (road-worthy) certificates and invoices relating to upgrades and maintenance. The car also comes with two keys, plus the locking wheel nut key.
The vehicle was also listed with an impeccable service history, demonstrating it had been well maintained since new.
According to the seller, the vehicle was sold with the original UK number plates.
It is unclear how many Vauxhall Monaros were sold in the UK between 2004 and 2006, but Drive understands it could be fewer than 200.
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