Sought-After Sports Cars And Majestic Mercedes Lead July’s Auction Results In Australia

July saw a broad collection of cars and bikes auctioned to the Australian market on Collecting Cars, hitting a variety of price points and offering machines ranging from the classic and collectible, to the luxurious or the modified, and to race machinery and the unusual.

We were pleased to see a particularly strong performance from Mercedes-Benz this month, with two beautiful classics and a supercar finding their way to new custodians. A stunning 1962 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL reached A$198,888, benefitting from a full nut-and-bolt restoration and wearing a timeless combination of silver paint over a red leather-trimmed cabin. Equipped with a 1.9-litre inline-four and four-speed manual, this car also featured the rare side-facing removable occasional rear seat.

It was closely followed at auction by a 1980 'W111' 280 SE 3.5 coupe, which sold for A$165,000 early in the month after nearly 90 bids. This Australian-delivered automatic example was powered by the 3.5-litre V8 and is believed to be one of only 245 cars built in right-hand drive, just 88 of which were delivered to Australia.

Jumping forward a few decades, a 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S sold a few days earlier at the same price of A$165,000. This twin-turbocharged supercar made 503bhp and 479lb-ft of torque from its 4.9-litre V8, equipped with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Well-equipped from the factory, it featured the Track Package, Keyless Go package and Comand infotainment system, along with a Burmeister sound system and satellite navigation plus other conveniences.

The most valuable car sold in Australia on the Collecting Cars marketplace in July was a 2021 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, which reached A$226,000 at the mid-point of the month following 119 bids. Equipped with Porsche's Clubsport package, adding a bolt-in rollcage, Schroth racing harnesses and fire extinguisher, it was also ordered with the Sport Chrono pack, Porsche Active Suspension Management, sports exhaust, switchable electronic stability control and traction control, and Porsche Communication Management.

The Cayman GT4 was closely followed by another German – a 2016 Audi R8 V10 Plus which made A$215,000. Wrapped in vivid Wasabi Green and wearing a carbon-fibre front splitter, rear spoiler, rear diffuser, side blades and door mirrors; the car was equipped with a naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and rode on upgraded H&R coilover suspension.

A 2006 Ferrari F430 F1 was another highlight, sold at auction for A$212,000. Finished in the classic combination of Rosso Corsa over a Nero leather-trimmed interior and boasting the desirable carbon-fibre Challenge rear grille, this car had been imported from Hong Kong to Australia.

Nissan Skylines show consistent high demand, with a 2000 ‘R34’ GT-R V-Spec reaching A$177,000 in July. The ever sought-after Japanese modern classic had been imported from Japan to Australia, and was equipped with a twin-turbocharged 2.6-litre ‘RB26DETT’' straight six and six-speed manual transmission. It was believed to be one of just 227 specified in Athlete Silver and benefited from some considered performance upgrades.

It was joined on Collecting Cars by another popular Japanese model, a 1998 Honda NSX-T, which sold for A$113,500 late in the month. Finished in Midnight Purple, this automatic example was delivered new to Springwood Honda in Queensland in 1998 and featured a removable Targa-style roof.

From America came a 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 understood to be one of just 700 Australian-delivered cars and boosted by some highly desirable Herrod Performance upgrades. Its supercharged 5.0-litre 'Coyote' V8 developed 578kW thanks to a 3-litre twin-screw Herrod supercharger and exhaust system.

A desirable auction consignment for racers and track-day lovers alike; a 2011 Radical SR3 RS was sold on Collecting Cars in July for A$48,260. This car had just eight hours on its 1.5-litre Suzuki Hayabusa inline-four and three hours on its gear drive unit, having been comprehensively rebuilt in 2022.

If you have a special car to sell, and want to find out how to achieve a great result at auction, the contact the Collecting Cars consignment team today to speak to one of our market specialists.