Probably the most striking car was the 1961 De Soto.   De Soto is not a well known brand in Australia.  It is a former Brand of Chrysler that slotted in between Plymouth and Dodge.   The family resemblance was there for the more famous Chrysler products of the year like the 300G.      As I was leaving there was also a nice D Special arriving that I went back to photograph.     At the event, there was a modern Ferrari parked near a MGB.   The size difference of sports cars was striking.   The Ferrari looked rather bloated compared to the MGB.

The representation of Classic Mercedes was a bit thin on the ground.   There was a nice 190SL, a 107 SL with a body kit, and a /8 that had been unfortunately slammed and bagged.    I went in my 450SLC so I could take two of my children who enjoyed walking around and choosing which of the cars they liked the most.  Last time I took the 300SE, but back in November of last year I was there in the SLC.   There were a couple of Classic Jaguars, but only the one Citroen.

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Some of the cars I liked were a very original looking Bentley S1 Continental, a couple of nice Jaguar XK140 FHCs, and a former vice regal Rolls Royce Phantom V that took Sir William Kerr to make his announcement that he had dismissed the Whitlam Government.

An interesting piece of information I overheard was during a discussion by some Jaguar Owners, one of them mentioned that there is a man in Melbourne who is making 5 speed gearboxes that are a better fit than the ones out of the UK and America.  Many sporty Jaguars were originally sold with Automatic transmissions that really don’t suit the character of the cars.   Many have been converted to manual over the years, either from a wrecked car or through a 5 speed transmission.   This is particularly the case for MK II models.

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Lot 4: 1951 AUSTIN A90 ATLANTIC 2 DOOR COUPE

This is not a car I know much about, but it has oodles of character and a price guide of $18,000-$24,000.   The paint work is not in great shape, but it looks like a nice car nevertheless and it has loads of cool period details.

Lot 7: 1975 CITROEN D SUPER 5 SEDAN

This is a car that caught my eye at first, but on closer inspection I am not so sure.   A D Super 5 is popular model – basically a DS21 engine and 5 speed transmission in the D Super body with its simpler hydraulics and less trim.   The D Super 5 is also a model we never got here in Australia, so are not common as all are private imports.

However, on closer inspection, the VIN listed on the Shannons website shows that the car started as a 1975 D Special and has been modified to become a D Super 5.   Nothing wrong with that, but it should be disclosed.   Secondly, for a near new paint job, there is already bubbling below one of the headlights, and it looks like they were masked off and not removed.   They list the price guide as $24,000-$28,000 which I think is a tad high given it is not an original car.

 Lot 14: 1934 STUDEBAKER DICTATOR ‘6-WHEEL EQUIPPED’ SEDAN (RHD)

Unfortunately the photo I took didn’t come out but this car was rather interesting.   It is called a six wheel because it has two spares, not because it is a tank.   Since it has not been used since 1995, there is probably a reasonable amount of work needed, but this car is striking and has great period styling features.   Being a flat head six it is probably fairly reliable.    And it’s called a Dictator.

I wonder sometimes what will happen with cars like this.   As you could imagine, this car is being sold by an older gentleman and I’m not sure that cars like this appeal as much to the generation of car enthusiasts who are born in the 60s and 70s rather than those born in the 30s and 40s they are replacing.     Price guide: $18,000-$22,000

Lot 18: 1967 JAGUAR E-TYPE 4.2 SERIES 1 COUPE

I include this car because I think it was the worst buy there.    In my view, you either buy a car that is at least a 6/10, or buy a 2 or 3/10.    Cars that are 4 or 5 out of 10 need a full restore anyway, so might as well start with something that is compete but not pay a premium for something that is very tatty and will always be that way without a restore.     To me, this car is a 5/10.  It needs EVERYTHING.   for example, every piece of rubber is crumbling away, the body is covered in dents and the inspection report is not promising.

Lot 20: 1954 AUSTIN-HEALEY 100/4 BN1 ROADSTER

This was one of my favorite cars on display.   Less money (and arguably better looks) than a 3000, this little beauty was offered for sale with a price guide of $52,000-$58,000.

Lot 22: 1958 JAGUAR XK150 ROADSTER

A lovely XK150 roadster.   It needs to loose the silly racing harness, but other than that, this car looked great.   Price guide $105-$120,000.   Based on other XK sales, this does not seem out of line.

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