Once again, the Sydney auction house has unearthed some rare 1950s’ Mercedes-Benz motor cars, such as the 300SL ‘Gullwing’ and ‘Car of the Stars’ Type 300 S. There’s also a (RHD of course) 2004 Bentley Continental GT estimated at AUS$260,000 - 290,000, that’s around market price in Europe.
The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL ‘Gullwing’ may well have had an interesting history as copies of documents in the auction house’s possession from Daimler-Benz show that this example was given to HIH Princess Soraya of Iran, on the occasion of the visit of His Imperial Majesty the Shahinshah to the works in Stuttgart.
The car is believed to have had just four owners only, and that there is no reason to doubt the present indicated mileage of 40,313. Meticulously restored over a period of three years under the supervision of the knowledgeable and fastidious vendor it was the overall winner of the NSW Mercedes-Benz Club Annual Concours. The estimate of AUS$480,000 - 550,000 (285,000 – 328,000 EURO) is competitive and the car presents well in the catalogue.
 BSA Goldstar Clubman 1962 - AUS$16.000 - 22.000 |
 Mercedes-Benz Typ 300 S 1954 - AUS$150.000 - 180.000 |
Costing more than the 300SL when new, the 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300S Coupé, estimated at AUS$150,000 - 180,000, is one of just a limited run of coupés and cabriolets sold to a discerning international clientele. This particular car had been delivered new in September 1953 to the Mercedes-Benz agent in Buenos Aires, Argentina and is elegantly finished in silver with red leather interior.
There are two more Mercedes in the sale, a 1974 Mercedes-Benz 600 at AUS$55.000 - 80.000, and a 1970 Mercedes-Benz ‘Pagoda’ 280SL at AUS$45,000 – 65,000, as well as an example of that other well-known car manufacturer from Stuttgart, a 1980 Porsche 928 Auto Coupé at AUS$ 18,000 - 26,000.
Of the other cars there’s some home-grown Australian muscle in the form of the 2004 Holden Monaro CV8 (fitted with a supercharger and water-injection, estimated at AUS$ 30,000 - 40,000), as well as that evergreen British sportscar, the metallic blue/Old English White 1967 Austin-Healey BJ8 MKIII for AUS$50,000 - 70,000.
Full lotlisting -
Please note:
The vehicle names/details below are as given by the auction house, in $Aus.
We have used an approximate conversion to show Euro estimates.
| Car | Estimate $Aus | Estimate EURO |
| Austin Healey 3000 BJ8 Mk III 1967 | 50.000 - 70.000 | 29.762 - 41.667 |
| Bentley Continental GT 2004 | 260.000 - 290.000 | 154.762 - 172.619 |
| Chevrolet Corvette C4 Coupe 1984 | 40.000 - 50.000 | 23.810 - 29.762 |
| Holden Monaro Ex- Pro Hart 2004 | 30.000 - 40.000 | 17.857 - 23.810 |
| Mazda RX7 1985 | 8.000 - 14.000 | 4.762 - 8.333 |
| Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing 1955 | 480.000 - 550.000 | 285.714 - 327.381 |
| Mercedes-Benz Typ 300 S 1954 | 150.000 - 180.000 | 89.286 - 107.143 |
| Mercedes-Benz 600 1974 | 55.000 - 80.000 | 32.738 - 47.619 |
| Mercedes-Benz SL Pagode 280 Auto 1970 | 45.000 - 65.000 | 26.786 - 38.690 |
| Motorcycles BSA Goldstar Clubman 1962 | 16.000 - 22.000 | 9.524 - 13.095 |
| Porsche 928 Auto 1980 | 18.000 - 26.000 | 10.714 - 15.476 |
An excellent entry, all of which can be seen with photographs and descriptions on the Classic Driver Car Database.
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Bonhams & Goodman
7 Anderson Street Double Bay NSW 2028 Australia Tel: + 61 (0) 2 9327 9905 Fax: +61 (0) 2 9327 2917 [email protected] |
Text - Steve Wakefield
Photos - Bonhams & Goodman
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