Supercars Superpriced at Shannons Sale

MELBOURNE – May 14, 2010: Four of the worlds most recognisable Supercars will be going under the hammer at Shannons Melbourne Winter Classic Auction on Monday May 31.

And according to Shannons, the realistic reserves on all lots should ensure they sell at super prices.

From Maranello comes Ferrari’s flagship supercar of the 1980s – a 1989 Testarossa coupe, finished in the rare but striking combination of metallic blue with blue leather interior.

Equipped with a mid-mounted 4.9 litre flat 12-cylinder engine developing 390HP ( 290kW), the Pininfarina-designed Testarossa was the final iteration of the Ferrari 365 Berlinetta Boxer introduced in the early 1970s. It was very much the pre-eminent Supercar of its day and would accelerate from 0-100km/h in around 5.0 seconds and had a top speed of about 300km/h.

The Testarossa being sold by Shannons was delivered new through Maranello Motors in Sydney to a Melbourne customer in 1989 and is fitted with the desirable five speed manual gearbox. It is offered in pristine condition and is expected to sell in the $110,000-$130,000 range – around what you’d pay for a current model BMW Z4 Coupe.

From Stuttgart there’s a black on black, low kilometre 2000 model Porsche 911 GT3 ‘Touring’ coupe that is also presented in beautiful condition.

Introduced in 1999 as the most sporting Porsche 911, the GT3 was powered by a 265kW 3.6 litre version of the 996-series model’s new water-cooled flat six engine and was the basis of Porsche’s racing GT3 Cup series cars.

This Series I GT3 was sold new by Porsche Centre Melbourne in 2000 and comes with a complete service history, with its odometer currently showing 64,000km. The car was repainted in its original black two years ago, resulting in its ‘as-new’ appearance.

Offered with a very realistic reserve, Shannons expect the GT3 to sell for less than half its new price in the $100,000-$115,000 range – around that of a new Boxster.

From Sant’Agata Bolognese in Italy comes a striking and rare example of Lamborghini’s first full four-seater Supercar – a 1977 Espada Series III Coupe.

The Bertone-designed Series 3 being auctioned features a number of highly desirable options that only became available late in the Espada’s 10-year lifespan, including automatic transmission, a sunroof, power steering and electric windows. It was one of only two Espadas delivered new into Australia in 1977 in this configuration and one of 55 manufactured worldwide in right hand drive.

Finished in silver with a blue leather interior, the Espada has benefitted from recent restoration work, with receipts totalling $100,000.

Shannons believe the Espada is the finest example available for sale in Australia and expect it to attract bids in the $55,000-$65,000 range.

However the Supercar that could trump them all in the May 31 sale comes from a factory less than 50km from Shannons Melbourne showroom – Broadmeadows.

Despite many challengers over the past few years, the 1971 Ford XY Falcon GT HO Phase 3 remains Australia’s most desirable muscle car and the immaculate, nut and bolt restored Monza green with tan vinyl trim example offered by Shannons is unquestionably one of the finest available for sale today.

Because of its excellent provenance, condition and unquestioned collectability, Shannons expect the GT HO to sell in the $260,000-$320,000 range – more than double the price of its nearest European Supercar rival