High-Performance Cars Lead Highlights Of April’s Auctions in Australia

Following on from a record-setting month in March, led by a 2020 Ferrari 488 Pista which sold for A$805,500 and a trio of desirable high value Porsches including a 2022 992 GT3 Touring ‘70 Years Porsche Australia Edition’ which went for A$670,500, April saw many more classic, collectible and iconic cars find their way to new homes in Australia.

Porsches continued to be strong in the market, led by a 2018 911 (991.2) GT3 Touring which sold for $410,000 late in the month. Finished in GT Silver Metallic, the Australian-delivered car had just one private owner and was offered at 4,926 kilometres. The ‘Touring’ edition of the lauded Porsche gains a manual gearbox and replaces the large rear wing with a deployable spoiler.

Going the other direction to an all-out race machine, a 2019 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport race car was sold out of Sydney from its first owner this month. This car was offered in Porsche’s ‘Competition’ guise, powered by a 3.8-litre flat-six capable of 313kW through a dual-clutch automatic paddle shift transmission and mechanical differential.

Race features included three-way adjustable shock absorbers, a 115-litre safety fuel tank, brake balance system, integrated air jack system, automatic fire extinguishing system and quick-release steering wheel adopted from a 911 GT3 R. The car fetched A$250,000.

Complementing the more modern cars, we offered a set of classic Porsches to market, including a 1971 911 E ‘930/964 Turbo Evocation’ which had been built up into a handsome tribute to the 964 generation 911 Turbo and reached A$100,000, an ‘82 Porsche 911 SC, which fetched A$90,500, a 1980 911 SC which went for $72,488 and an ‘81 928 S in manual which sold for A$42,000.

We were pleased to help three classic Ferraris find new custodians in April. A 1982 512 BBI finished in the marque’s iconic Rosso Corsa paintwork sold for £197,500 (A$367,000) in New Zealand. Following on from the 365 GT4 BB and 512 BB, the BBI continued the model line of flat-12 Ferraris, which would culminate in the legendary Testarossa series.

The 512 was joined by a 1997 355 F1 Berlinetta. Also finished in Rosso Corsa, the car rode on correct 18-inch Speedline magnesium alloy wheels and included a Ferrari stereo with CD changer, switchable Sport mode, heated rear screen, air conditioning and electric windows in its factory specification.

The third car of the trio was an attractive left-hand drive 1991 348 TS. Finished in rare Giallo Modena yellow paintwork over a Nero leather interior and riding correct 17-inch Speedline five-spoke light alloy wheels, the car was originally sold into the Middle East before making its way to Australia. It was accompanied by sought-after Ferrari Classiche certification and was arguably an excellent buy at A$93,500.

Joining the European exotics was a 1987 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth, which fetched A$256,500. A concours-winning car in its home market of the UK, the iconic homologation special was presented with just 50,355 miles on the clock and in largely standard specification.

From Japan came a 2002 Mazda RX-7 Series 8 ‘Spirit R’ in ‘Pure White’ with a sparing 18,635 kilometres on the odometer. Just 1500 of the Spirit R were produced as the final production variant of the Japanese performance car and are considered among the most collectible RX7s.

This car was offered in ‘Type A’ specification, equipped with a 1.3-litre twin-turbocharged 13B rotary engine with a five-speed manual ‘box, riding uprated Bilstein suspension and forged BBS alloy wheels, with lightweight Recaro bucket seats and no rear seats.

Finished in Iliad Blue Metallic and riding 18-inch alloy wheels with AP Racing calipers, a 2004 Renault Clio V6 ‘Phase 2’ was another highlight of the month, selling for A$123,501. Imported to Australia, it is one of only 21 understood to have been delivered in right-hand drive. It was powered by a mid-mounted 3.0-litre V6 driving the rear wheels via a six-speed manual, providing a sprint to 100km/h in less than six seconds.

For something a little different, a classic 1963 Volkswagen T1 Splitscreen campervan sold for an impressive A$120,000 this month. The Aussie-delivered car was treated to a complete body-off restoration and bespoke build by Volkswagen expert Steve Hopkins, and fitted with a 2.4-litre CB Performance flat four and four-speed RaceTrans IRS gearbox along with Volkswagen front discs, upgraded VW drums on the rear, adjustable front beam, external oil cooler and fuel cut-off protection system.

We also featured a slice of Hollywood memorabilia in the form of a 1998 Land Rover Defender 110 300 TDI which was used on the set of Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, for which $30,000 AUD was spent on exterior upgrades and servicing prior to filming.

Our consignment teams around the world are always keen to hear about special cars, so if you have a rare supercar or sought-after limited-edition model that needs to find a new home, then contact us today to find out more.