Quirky Euro classics at Shannons' Sydney auction

A host of small cars from Europe – or at least spiritually from Europe – are going under the hammer at Shannons' Sydney Summer Classic Auction on February 6.

Fans of the Volkswagen brand are offered the choice of a 1956 'oval window' Beetle or a 1974 Microbus. Curiously, neither vehicle was built at Wolfsburg. The Beetle was assembled in Australia and the Microbus hails from Brazil.

Shannons expects the Beetle to sell for somewhere between $30,000 and $36,000, citing the car's rarity, and its original delivery sticker from the dealer, Lennox Motors of Blacktown.

One of the last T1 models produced, the 15-window Microbus is a left-hand drive vehicle that was imported to Australia just last year. Offered without reserved, the restored Microbus will fetch between $40,000 and $45,000, the auctioneers estimate.

An unusual vehicle also going to auction is the blue Citroen AK400 Forgonnette – the light commercial variant of the Citroen 2CV. This particular vehicle arrived in Australia via South Africa back in 2008. Before it was shipped here it underwent a body-off restoration which also involved fitting a reconditioned engine and transmission supplied by the factory. Like the Microbus, the Citroen is left-hand drive. It has notched up just 151,291km and Shannons estimates it will sell for a price between $18,000 and $22,000.

A couple of British cars at the auction are a customised Morris Minor that has been converted to light-commercial duties, and an Aussie-built Mini Moke. The Minor dates from 1958, but was converted to a pick-up about 10 years ago. It's powered by the ever-reliable Datsun 1200 A12 four-cylinder with extractors. Unusual underpinnings include a Torana differential and four-wheel disc brakes. All mod cons inside include reclining bucket seats, heating and demisting, a collapsible steering column, premium audio system and modern instruments. Shannons anticipates the Minor's selling price will fall somewhere between $12,000 and $15,000.

The Moke is one of the first later models to be fitted with larger wheels. It was revived about 20 years ago by the current owner, who found it in a long-term state of neglect somewhere in the central west of New South Wales. Shannons expects the Moke to sell for between $8000 and $12,000.