A unique piece of Australian motoring history will go under the hammer at the RACV Motorclassica show at Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building from 25-27 October.
Among the lots will be the only surviving Australian-made prototype of the original Holden. Hand-built in 1947, it was the fourth prototype of the first 48-215 Holden and has been in the Peter Briggs collection since 1980. Naturally big numbers are being bandied about, with auction house Theodore Bruce suggesting AUS$1million could be possible.
That's quite a contrast to the AUS$200k expected to be raised by a 1977 Holden A9X Group C Hatchback, complete with famous GMP&A racing bodyshell and raced by Brian and Graeme Wilson, at the 32-lot sale.
Other big sellers should include the first Lamborghini Miura P400 imported into Australia (AUS$700k) and two 1913 cars, a Hispano-Suiza Alfonso XIII T15 delivered new to Australia and a Nazzaro Tipo 2, the same model with which marque founder Felice Nazzaro won the Targa Florio 100 years ago.
There are a couple of real oddities (for Australia) as well, including a 1952 Tatra Tatraplan T600 and the 1972 Project 500 Jet Car, a Rolls-Royce jet engine-powered car that failed to break the Aussie Land Speed Record, but did record 378mph in testing.
