A classy 1952 W187 Mercedes-Benz 220A Cabriolet in pristine, fully restored condition is an early highlight of Shannons Sydney Spring Classic Auction to be staged on Monday October 22.
Introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1951, the luxurious W187 was sold as a sedan, a coupe and in two cabriolet models – the two-door ‘220A’, of which only 1,278 were built and the four-door ‘220B’, both powered by a 2195 cc straight-six engines producing 60 kW.
The stunning and now-rare left hand drive car being auctioned by Shannons has led a sheltered life since it was recently restored and is expected to sell in the $90,000-$120,000 range.
Also from the 1950s, but even rarer is the unique Scarab/Triumph 650 Group L Historic race car built in 1958 by noted automotive engineer, Henry Nehrybecki for fellow Sydney enthusiast John Lumb.
Originally powered by an Ariel Square Four engine before overheating saw it replaced by an air-cooled Triumph 650 Twin, the Scarab/Triumph has an extensive racing history in New South Wales, making it an interesting part of Australian motoring history.
The vehicle, which uses early RALT open wheeler racing parts including its steering rack and wheels with integrated front brakes, was completely restored five years ago and according to Shannons, remains in excellent ready-to-race condition. It is expected to sell in the $12,000-$15,000 range.
From the 1960s, Shannons has a very desirable and collectible 1966 Sunbeam Tiger Mk I convertible.
Developed in the United States from two prototypes build by the late Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, who fitted a 122kW, 260 cubic (4.2-litre) Ford V8 engine into a re-engineered Sunbeam Alpine body shell, the Tiger was effectively a clone of the famous AC Shelby Cobra.
It was launched in 1964 and built by Jensen Motors in the UK, although a small number were also assembled in South Africa from CKD kits.
Production of the MK1 Sunbeam Tiger ran from June 1964 until December 1966, with approximately 6,550 built, but few made it to Australia.
The four-speed manual and well-presented Tiger Mk I with its removable hardtop being auctioned was imported 18 months ago from the UK, where it is understood to have undergone a bare metal restoration in 2003.
“Given the model’s blue chip heritage and scarcity world-wide and because they rarely change hands on the open market, a Tiger in this condition represents a great opportunity for collectors,” said Shannons National Auction Manager, Christophe Boribon, who expects it to sell in the $48,000-$56,000 range.
Finally from the 1980s comes a now rarely seen two-door Volvo 242 GT. Going someway to altering the perception of Volvos as performance cars, the 242 GT was the forerunner to the 240 Turbo that won the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1986.
Introduced in 1978 to compete with BMW’s sporty 3-series variants, it received a raft of updates during its lifespan, including a larger 2.3-litre, 104kW version of the B23E four-cylinder with fuel injection and a four-speed manual transmission with overdrive.
The very well presented and Tamworth, NSW-delivered 1980 model being auctioned has had four owners from new and was thoroughly restored by the previous owner in 2007, including a full engine rebuild to factory specifications. With only 600 brought into Australia over three years, the 242GT is a rare and interesting sight on our roads today, and makes for a reliable classic that stands out from the crowd.
It is being offered with no reserve, with Shannons quoting a guiding range of $8,000-$12,000.
For all auction results, visit www.shannons.com.au