Crazy price paid for classic Aussie Torana muscle car
A BRIGHT pink Holden Torana that is almost half a century old and was used for racing has sold for more than the price of a brand new Porsche Boxster sports car.
The Strike Me Pink 1972 LJ Torana XU-1 was one of the highlights of the latest Shannons auction in Melbourne on Monday night, where it sold for $183,000, 51 times its original asking price.
Helping attract the big ticket price were claims it was the first XU-1 of its type to be produced at Holden's South Australian production line at Elizabeth, a plant that eventually produced the last Australian-made Holden late in 2017.
When it was produced in 1972, the Bathurst-readied performance flagship of the Torana range had a $3550 list price.
The Torana XU-1 also has an illustrious history in Australian motorsport, helping racing legend Peter Brock win the first of his nine Bathurst 500/1000 victories at Mount Panorama.
The XU-1's smaller body and lighter six-cylinder engine helped it crush the V8-powered Falcon GTHOs in the wet 1972 race at Mount Panorama.
Its tuned 3.3-litre six-cylinder engine made 149kW of power, less than many modern four-cylinders.
But the price for a piece of Australian motoring history was eclipsed by "59" black and white Victorian heritage number plates that sold for a whopping $535,000.
Another three-digit number plate "822" sold for $175,000, reinforcing the demand for early Australian registration plates, one of which sold in 2017 for $2.45 million.
The diverse auction included 46 cars among its 78 lots, with just nine passed in and one withdrawn.
Other impressive results included a 1982 Toyota LandCruiser ute that sold for $29,000, a 1962 V8-powered Ford Falcon XK Windowless Panel Van that sold for $50,000 and a modified 1969 Holden HT Monaro that collected $107,000.
There was also a 1971 Citroen DS apparently owned by the lead singer of the Seekers, Judith Durham, that pulled in $40,000.
Among the big prices were some apparent bargains, such as the 1962 Holden EJ Special that sold for $8500.
There was also an early 1974 Toyota Celica snapped up for $8000.
For the bargain hunters was a life-size poster of five-time motorcycling champion Mick Doohan that sold for $300 and an old fire department pedal car that went for $850.
