Sporty classics at Shannons' Sydney auction

The Shannons Sydney auction on May 18 will showcase a diverse range of classic driver's cars, including a Jaguar E-Type Roadster selling without reserve.

Imported from California in 1991 and converted to right-hand drive during its restoration here, the E-Type is a 1969 Series III Roadster finished in Imperial Maroon and fitted with a rebuilt 3.8-litre six from a Mark X sedan. The engine retains triple SU carbs and the car has been retrofitted with ventilated disc brakes and adjustable dampers. According to the vendor, the car has cost $69,000. Shannons anticipates it should fetch between $70,000 and $90,000 at auction.

Among the other cars going to auction are a 1958 Austin-Healey 100/6 BN6 estimated to sell for a price between $50,000 and $60,000, and a 1954 MG TF that is believed to be worth a sum between $30,000 and $35,000. A South Australian Porsche 911S, fitted with a rebuilt 3.0-litre engine could be an affordable entree to 911 ownership, with Shannons predicting a selling price falling somewhere between $32,000 and $38,000).

For those hankering after something a little more modern, there's a 1986 Ford Sierra Cosworth ($30,000 to $40,000), a 1988 Lotus Excel SE ($14,000 to $18,000) and a Holden Commodore VN Group A SS ($46,000 to $52,000). The Holden was one of the earliest cars built by HSV, in 1990, and is powered by a 5.0-litre fuel-injected V8.

Fans of American Fords may be interested in the three on offer during the auction. A 1956 Thunderbird convertible ($35,000 to $45,000) is joined by a 1965 Mustang converted to right-hand drive ($22,000 to $26,000) and a modified Mustang – still left-hand drive – from 1970 ($34,000 to $42,000).

If performance and sportiness are not your cup of tea, Shannons is also auctioning two 1960s-vintage Volkswagen Kombis.

One is a 1962 windowless van – with the widely-sought split windscreen – and the other is a '21-window' Samba Microbus from 1966. Both vehicles were built in right-hand drive form.

Shannons anticipates selling prices between $100,000 and $130,000 for the Samba, on the basis of its rare sliding door option that was fitted at the factory and a sympathetic restoration, although the owner has carried out some modifications in the process, to make the vehicle more 'liveable' on a daily basis. These modifications include non-original disc brakes, a 'dual-port' 1.6-litre engine and rack-and-pinion steering. The owner has also sprayed it blue in lieu of the original Tiziano red.

The van was found by its current owner four years ago, under a tree in Queensland. According to the owner, the Kombi had been there for 25 years, but remained in original condition. Over the four years since, the van has been restored mechanically and cosmetically, and is expected to reach somewhere between $60,000 and $70,000 at auction.

Shannons have sold three Kombis in recent times, with another Samba selling in Melbourne recently for $220,000 and a campervan going for $74,000. Even a dilapidated 'barn find' Kombi that had sat in a field for 15 years sold for $30,000.