Auction Result
Mossgreen’s important Collectors’ Cars, Motorcycles & Automobilia Auction, held on Sunday 27 November at Lorbek Luxury Cars showroom in Melbourne, achieved almost AUS$2.4 million, making it the highest by dollar value classic car auction in the Southern Hemisphere in 2016.
The Auction saw bidding interest from around the world with the stunning 1971 Ferrari Dino 246 GT Berlinetta Coupé achieving the highest price, selling for Aus$546,250, making it the highest price ever paid for a Dino at auction in Australia, and yet another auction record for Mossgreen.
Another star of the show was the 1957 Molina Monza racing car powered by a supercharged Holden ‘Grey’ engine with Repco Highpower head, with its amazing design and period racing history was sold for Aus$241,500
Domestic auction record prices were also set for the 1963 Lancia Flaminia 2.8 GT Coupé by Touring well above estimate at Aus$192,625, the 1938 Lancia Astura Cabriolet by Pinin Farina (Aus$218,500), the 1911 Hotchkiss Type AB Series 1 (Aus$69,000), and the 1934 Lagonda M45 Rapide, pictured below, with Brooklands pedigree and held in single family ownership for the last 82 years which achieved Aus$218,500.
Important Cars at Auction
I am very excited about the prospect of being involved in the first auction with Mossgreen to which I have made a contribution, which will take place in Melbourne on Sunday 27th November. There are some really important and interesting cars in the sale and the catalogue looks great:
http://www.mossgreen.com.au/content/catalogues/MG124_Cat_Flipbook/
We have had some excellent editorial coverage around the sale too, as evidenced by this piece by John Connolly in The Weekend Australian:
It is nice to get a mention alongside Donald Trump (I suppose…). Rather than politics though, perhaps it is better that I stick to cars, like this beautiful Lancia Flaminia that will be on offer on the 27th.
The Common Pursuit
Those of you not lucky enough to live in Australia, and even some of those of you who do, may not have been able to view Car Chronicles which appeared on the Discovery Turbo Channel recently. So if you want to see what I and a few like minded others can be like in front of camera here are some links that you may wish to follow. As well as being one of the presenters, I am also credited with being the co-writer. I hope you enjoy the show, and of course feed back is always welcome…..
Password is:
Car Chrons GT 1
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Car Chrons GT 5
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Car Chrons GT 8
Beaux Arts
Motor car design and designers are fascinating topics. I just love those wonderful coach-built vehicles from the French and Italian masters, Saoutchik, Chapron, Vignale, Touring et al. It was a pleasure then to catch up with Belgian modern master, Louis de Fabribeckers of Touring Superleggera at the Windsor Concourse (pictured top). You can read about his latest projects in Issue 30 of Rewind Magazine (www.rewindmagazine.com). Also in the same issue is my exclusive interview with another creator of wonderful cars, Flavio Manzoni, Head of Design at Ferrari. But if it is the older stuff which gets you going there is yet another of my articles in Issue 30 on a 1934 Lagonda M45 Rapide. Its an amazing car owned by father and then son since new, when it ran at Brooklands in an endeavour to achieve 1,000 miles in 12 hours. Bad weather meant that it did not make it unfortunately. Rewind is not the only magazine in which the Lagonda has appeared however, as it was on the cover of the December 1934 issue of Motor Sport magazine (pictured middle). This remarkable Lagonda will be offered for sale for the first time in its 82 year history at auction by Mossgreen (www.mossgreen.com.au) on November 27th in Melbourne, as will a wonderful 1938 Lancia Astura Cabriolet (pictured at bottom) by Pinin Farina, another of the old masters.
Good Fun at Goodwood Revival
A visit to the Goodwood Revival has to be on everyone’s motoring ‘bucket list’. A three day extravaganza of historic motor racing and related activities, coupled with the large crowd entering into the spirit of things by adopting period dress and generally having a good time at the home of British motor racing. Despite the incessant rain on the Saturday, it was great fun and a most enjoyable event.
High Society
It has been a busy week for the aristocracy in England. First it was to Blenheim Palace, where Sir Winston Churchill was born, for Salon Privé; then on to Windsor Castle to help celebrate the Queen’s 90th Birthday with a Concourse of Elegance hosted by Prince Michael; and finally to Goodwood House, home of Lord March, for the Revival. It was not just the aristos who were invited, however, as yours truly also managed an invitation. Despite the vagaries of British weather a grand time was had by one and all.
Perfect Day
A perfect day with a perfect 40 degree wake at the back of Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell is the first Fairey/Campbell Christina 23 ever made. Hull number 1 was built by Bruce Campbell Ltd at Badnam Creek, Hamble in England in 1958 on a Ray Hunt designed Fairey Marine hot moulded hull. Somehow it found its way down to Australia, possibly via Bermuda. The other week we brought the boat down from Berowra Waters out into the open Pacific Ocean and down through the Heads into Sydney Harbour and its new home on Quaker Hat Bay. Its was a great journey and the deep-V hull enjoyed the 3 metre swell out in the open water! If you want to know what it looks like just think of the ending of the James Bond 1963 film ‘From Russia With Love’. We probably will not be making a movie with Tinkerbell but we will be returning it to her original colours in the next few weeks.
Happy Sailor
Some things never change and whilst holidaying visiting the islands of Hydra and Capri, I can gladly say that the water is as blue as ever. One thing that has changed recently though is one of my clients. I am now consulting for Mossgreen, Australasia’s leading auction house. It means that I will not be running the Motorclassica Auction this year after four increasingly successful years, but there is still plenty of exciting work ahead with the opening of the new Mossgreen Sydney sale rooms.
Still the same!
Vesuvio in the distance!
CAR CHRONICLES HAS ARRIVED
We have been working on the Car Chronicles tv show for what seems like ages but at last it has made it on to tv. To see what all the fuss is about check the promo below.
The Four Graces?
Surely there can be no other car event as glamorous and aristocratic as the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza. Set amidst the amazing grounds of the hotel with a history spanning nearly 500 years the event has been run since 1929. This is where the rich, beautiful and famous have always come to play and still do.
