2023 Sales Highlights In Australia

2023 was a record year for Collecting Cars in Australia, with well over A$40 million worth of collectible cars and bikes sold to new owners. Among the highlights were numerous modern supercars, iconic classics, high-value Porsches, rare imports, and sought-after motorcycles.

The consignment team in Australia is now bigger than ever, and towards the end of the year we officially expanded into New Zealand, securing strong results among our first auctions there. Skip to: Home-market favourites Modern performance heroes The pick of the Porsches Classic icons Track-ready racers Two-wheeled treats Sought-after '90s and '80s imports

It’s no surprise that when consigning vehicles from enthusiasts ‘Down Under’, there will be plenty of Australian-built cars in the mix. Two of the biggest home-market results of 2023 were icons of the ‘70s and ‘80s from Holden: the first a very rare 1977 Torana SLR 5000 A9X in remarkable condition for its age (A$235k), and the second a low-mileage 1988 HSV VL SS Group A Walkinshaw – one of just 750 built (A$221k).

A 1966 Ford Falcon XP Futura Coupe was one of the oldest classics sold in Australia (A$77k), fitted with some discerning upgrades and offered in impressive condition. From more recent years, two more Holdens proved popular with bidders, including a 2002 V2 Monaro CV8 with just shy of 40,000 km (A$52k) and a striking 2017 HSV Maloo GTS-R with just 11,000 km on the clock (A$111k).

Collecting Cars has established itself as the leading platform for buying and selling high-value vehicles online. Among our biggest sales of the last year were 21st century supercars, along with other sought-after performance models.

In January, a sensational 2017 Lamborghini Aventador LP740-4 S was brought to market having covered around 10,000 km from new, and was evidently well-maintained and presented in very good order (A$742k). Selling for similar money a couple of months later was the 2020 Ferrari 488 Pista, finished in Argento Nürburgring over Nero and featuring the highly desirable carbon-fibre wheels ($A805k).

Considerably more affordable but no less exotic was the 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo sold in June. The rare specification saw Blu Caelum paintwork paired with dark blue and cream leather upholstery, but far more significant was the sought-after open-gate manual transmission (A$132k). Another popular consignment was the 2016 Audi R8 V10 Plus; painted in Suzuka Grey, it had been refinished with an eye-popping Lime Green wrap, and came to market with strong history (A$239k). A few months later, the team sold an as-new 2022 BMW M4 CSL; one of a limited production run of just 1,000 cars ($350k).

Two desirable British supercars sold in November round off our highlights here; the first being a 2020 McLaren 720S Spider Performance with just one private owner from new (A$450k), and the second being an exceptionally rare 2015 Jaguar F-Type Project 7 with only 1,195 km on the clock – believed to be one of just 10 cars delivered to Australia (A$330k).

Regular browsers will know well that Porsche is the best-selling brand on Collecting Cars, with more than 2,000 changing hands via the platform to date. In 2023, our team consigned a great selection of Stuttgart’s finest, which achieved some fantastic results for the sellers.

The 991.2 GT3 Touring is one of the most well-reviewed 911s of recent years, and the 2018 example sold in June was specified in striking Carmine Red with the desirable carbon bucket seats. Not only that, but it had just a single owner from new and full main dealer history (A$374k). Its successor, the 992 GT3 Touring, was an even more hotly anticipated model, and in March the platform sold one of the 25 delivered ‘70 Years Porsche Australia Edition’ cars that had covered just 763 km (A$670k).

A 2022 992 Carrera GTS with delivery mileage attracted plenty of interest, featuring a raft of factory options including the rare Aerokit (A$412k). For a similar budget, bidders could also have snapped up the 1997 993 Turbo with just 65,000 km from new. Originally delivered to South Africa, it boasted a unique Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur specification as well as the sought-after ‘X50’ Powerkit (A$405k). Snapped up by a buyer just in time before the cooler autumn weather set in, the 2021 718 Spyder sold in March had the engaging manual transmission and had covered less than 5,000 km from new (A$210k).

Numerous ‘Rennsport’ models also found new homes last year, including the low-mileage 2016 991.1 GT3 RS. Offered for sale from its first owner, the Lava Orange car was also handed over fresh from a major main dealer service (A$342k). In June, a nearly new 2023 718 Cayman GT4 RS was listed, equipped with the desirable Clubsport package and ordered with extended leather and Race-Tex plus the suspension lift system (A$357k).

Of course, it’s not all about new supercars on the platform. The team in Australia consigned an impressive array of sought-after classic cars for sale in 2023, representing some of the very best of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s.

One of the earliest models was the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster; equipped with a replacement engine running on twin SU carburettors, and finished in a beautiful Pastel Blue metallic hue (A$150k). Another charming roadster was the 1962 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, benefiting from a nut-and-bolt restoration and specified in the popular silver-over-red colour combination (A$198k).

A full restoration had also been carried out to the 1963 Volkswagen T1 Splitscreen Campervan, as well as an upgrade to a 2.4-litre CB Performance flat-four engine and RaceTrans IRS gearbox, and front disc brakes (A$120k). Similar money snapped up a 1967 Maserati Mexico, presented in very usable condition following a restoration in 2013-2015 (A$113k).

For those wanting a classic cruiser, it is hard to beat the W111-era Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Coupe for its combination of performance, style and build quality. The 1970 car sold in August was one of just 88 Australian-delivered cars, initially owned by Lady Walton of the famed Walton Department Stores (A$180k). An even rarer coupe was the 1974 Rolls-Royce Camargue sold in March; a pre-production example used for the model’s official launch in Italy, and magazine-featured in period (A$88k).

Prior to the introduction of the famous Testarossa, Ferrari set the tone for its flat-12 production cars with the Berlinetta Boxer series. The 1978 512 BB sold last year was offered from cherished 24-year ownership, benefiting from major maintenance within the last few years (A$290k).

While enthusiasts love buying toys for the road, the only place to really exploit the full performance of a car is on track. Last year we found new homes for a great variety of circuit-going racers in Australia, spanning all budgets.

In January we listed a fascinating 1971 Porsche 911, which had been rebuilt for racing by Australian driver Chris Hones in the mid-1980s, before becoming a foundation vehicle in the Porsche Cup Australia, winning back-to-back Class A championships in 1991 and 1992 – and beating a lap record at Amaroo Park that had been set by a 934 Turbo (A$148k).

The same month, the team consigned a 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP520 GT3. Originally built for FIA competition by Reiter Engineering, it had been upgraded to EVO specification in 2012 and with an engine rebuild in 2014 (A$98k). The 2019 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport sold in April was a full ‘Competition’ specification car, incorporating three-way adjustable shock absorbers, 115-litre fuel cell, brake bias adjuster, integrated air jacks, and a quick-release steering wheel from the 911 GT3 R (A$250k).

At a more entry-level budget, but no less thrilling, was the 2011 Radical SR3 RS. Rebuilt in 2022, it was powered by a 190kW 1.5-litre Suzuki Hayabusa engine, and was ready to use on track days, hill climbs or various racing series.

Despite the platform name, our teams around the world have sold more than 500 collectible motorbikes since launch, including rarities from Ducati, Honda, Yamaha and MV Agusta – and setting a number of world record prices.

Ducati is unsurprisingly the best-selling brand when it comes to two-wheeled machines on Collecting Cars, and one of the stars in Australia last year was the 2020 916 Panigale 25th Anniversario. One of just 500 built, the bike had covered only 2,300 km and benefited from regular servicing (A$66k). Similar money was achieved for the 2005 999R Xerox, which was an as-new example of the racing replica, with just 10 km on the clock (A$63k); and the 1974 750 Sport, which had raced extensively in period and had been meticulously restored within the last 10 years (A$65k).

Other Ducati favourites included the 2009 1098R Troy Bayliss, preserved in immaculate delivery condition with just 3 km on the clock (A$59k) and the 1983 900 Mike Hailwood Replica, reported to remain highly original (A$45k).

The 1995 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail sold in April reflected the popularity of the best custom machines, having been modified with a raft of upgrades including air ride suspension, Cobra exhaust, Le Pera seat, and braided lines (A$39k). Two delivery-mileage superbikes round out the highlights here, including a 2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2R, which was the world’s fastest motorcycle upon its release (A$34k), and a 2002 MV Agusta F4 1000 Senna that was in exceptional condition offered from 21-year ownership (A$40k).

We’ve already covered some of the best home-market cars sold in 2023, but of course there were also plenty of rare machines brought to Australia from Europe, the US and Japan.

One of the highest-value imports last year was the 1986 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth; an original UK-delivered car that had won multiple concours titles before being exported (A$256k). Sticking with the homologation theme, there was also an impressive 1985 Renault 5 Turbo 2, with low mileage and offered in well-preserved condition (A$155k). From the same year was the 1985 Ferrari Testarossa, imported from the US and in highly desirable ‘Monospecchio’ (single-mirror) specification (A$197k).

Representing the early part of the next decade, the 1991 Honda NSX had some subtle upgrades and was in very usable condition (A$101k). For around the same price, the 1996 Mercedes-Benz SL60 AMG sourced from the UK was a remarkably low-mileage example of just 49 right-hand-drive cars built (A$104k).

A 1998 Subaru Impreza STI 22B was brought to market with low-mileage and some discerning modifications to enhance its usability (A$197k), and a similar upgrade approach had been applied to the 1999 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R V-Spec sold in June, featuring numerous HKS parts and GReddy suspension (A$164k). One of the most esoteric imports to find a new home in 2023 was the 1997 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution. The model was built to homologate the 4x4 for the Dakar rally, this particular car was finished in very rare Passion Red (A$61k).

If you have a high-value, high-performance, or rare classic vehicle to sell in 2024, then you can contact our Consignment Specialists to find out how to get a great result at auction, with your car expertly marketed to our global audience of enthusiasts.