Booming Nostalgia: Underbelly Holden HK Monaro Up For Auction

[kgratton]

Buy an XE Fairmont Ghia V8 now - that's my tip.

[BBDOS CV8]

Or do you mean the ESP Falcons, kgratton? My brother had a near-new one back then came as a six, my two brothers dropped a 302 in it. Definitely the VE Calais-V of its' day. Unheard-of refinement and a very smooth, comfortable and yet reasonable handling car for then.

[Martino_z]

All this has been doing is bringing up the price to a reange above what real car guys can afford to pay for a muscle car. Basically we end up with a bunch of snobs driving around in cars bought based on a price tag. The value in a car like the monaro should be the satisfaction of bringing it back to perfection not $12,000 just because it's missing two doors.

One of my dads mates sold his 68 monaro which was originally a six but had a 350 crate dropped in it over ebay for $40,000. Try telling me people aren't stupid.

If anyone from the states is reading this article I can tell you that this is one of the main reason why the australian street machine scene has such a strong sedan following. It just ain't easy to get a coupe.

[kgratton]

Originally Posted by BBDOS CV8

Or do you mean the ESP Falcons, kgratton? My brother had a near-new one back then came as a six, my two brothers dropped a 302 in it. Definitely the VE Calais-V of its' day. Unheard-of refinement and a very smooth, comfortable and yet reasonable handling car for then.

Yes, my bad. ESP for sure.

[JoeT]

Record $600,000-Plus For GTHO Phase III

Chris Gable
26 March 2007
www.wheelsmag.com.au

The $683,650, including buyer's premium, paid at auction yesterday has set a new record price for an Australian muscle car.

We hate to say it, but Wheels predicted 30 years ago this month that Ford's 1971 legend was as good as money in the bank.

The $600,000-plus paid for a restored-but-original GTHO Phase III Falcon at yesterday’s Bonhams & Goodman tri-state auction is a hands-down new record price for an Australian muscle car.

The car fetched an incredible $683,650, which included the 14.3 percent, including GST, buyer’s premium. The actual “hammer price” for the car was $605,000.
Bidding opened at $400,000 and, we’re told, it accelerated quickly via telephone bids and from the floor in the Melbourne and Sydney salesrooms. The car eventually went to a Sydney buyer, who had bid on the phone.

Yesterday’s result is significant, and not just because it represented a phenomenal amount of money paid for a classic Australian muscle car. While rumours persisted of $400,000-plus private sales, this was the first Phase III in a long time to come up for auction, thereby setting an official price yardstick for the model.

Click here to continue article

[AusCalais]

Absolutely incredible.

My ex-wife's cousin had/has one of these...supposedly authentic, it was just about the only thing in his one car garage. He'd happily lift the roll-a-door for a look, but wouldn't let anyone sit in it!

In the mid-nineties he sold it...but was in tears for days afterwards...he bought it back within the week at a $2k premium. I thought he had rocks in his head....who's laughing now?

[JoeT]

HSV's Dice With Plastic Fantastic

David Morley
7 April 2007
www.smh.com.au

Yesteryear's ungainly king of the mountain is looking like a wise investment.

In an age during which a Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III is worth more than half a million dollars, interest in locally made performance cars has never been higher.

As a result, lesser Aussie muscle cars from the 1960s and '70s with some claim to Bathurst glory are now worth big money, with Chrysler Chargers fetching $140,000 and elderly Holden Monaros $220,000.

Cars from the 1980s are likely to be next.

Among these, the HSV Group A SS deserves attention. The mint-condition examples are already worth big money, but there are plenty of good, driveable SSs out there that should continue to appreciate in value.

And at the risk of raising the ire of every GTHO fancier, a more modern car such as the Group A SS is a much better vehicle to live with if you intend to drive it regularly.

The VL Group A SS was the first product of the fledgling Holden Special Vehicles operation.

Formed from the controversy when Holden split with Peter Brock's HDT operation in 1987, HSV was headed by Scottish race driver and team owner Tom Walkinshaw, which is how that first car came to be known unofficially as "the Walkinshaw".

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[RedVee8]

I shoulda bought that rusty old HK Monaro 186 for $500 20 years ago.... I'd be sitting on a gold mine...... at least a rust mine.

[Stéphane Dumas]

I wonder how's the value of another muscle car: the Australian Chrysler Charger with the Hemi-6?

[JoeT]

www.redbookasiapacific.com/au

[mikmak]

Can't believe you lose 20-40k on a trade in even based on 500000 to 900000 kms.
http://www.redbookasiapacific.com/au...p?key=FORD71AU

[mikmak]

Holdens equivalent at the time
http://www.redbookasiapacific.com/au...p?key=HOLD71CR

or

http://www.redbookasiapacific.com/au...p?key=HOLD71DG

Still fairly good money but totally different league!

[GMMediumDutyMQ]

Geez. If prices keep going upwards, there go my dreams of importing a XB Falcon GT sedan...

[mikmak]

Hey you cracked 1000! Holy Crap, I cracked 3k! Any way, the best chance wold be to chase one from South Africa. They have some hiding over there and freighters are pretty regular

Try calling Madmax Cars
Here's one of my faves, The Landau (Nothing to do with Empire Stirkes Back)

[AusCalais]

Last thursday during my regular Easter pilgrimage trip to Melbourne...I had a motor show happening on the opposite side of the Hume Hwy heading north....race cars, hot rods, old Austins, T Models... and a GTHO Phase III bobbing along on a crappy old trailer, what a way to carry around $500k+, not even a cover over it!!