Striking when the icon is hot

Australian muscle cars from the golden era of the early 1970s will maintain their high flying status when five cars go under the hammer at the Shannons Melbourne Summer Special Auction on Monday November 26.

With prices expected to range from around $22,000 to as high as $380,000, the lineup of vehicles includes Bathurst-era icons such as a 1970 XW Ford Falcon GTHO, a 1968 HK Holden 327 Monaro coupe, a 1974 L34 Holden SL/R 5000 Torana and a limited-build LJ XU-1 Torana from 1972. Not quite Bathurst material, but of significance to the era and also due to go under the hammer is a 1971 VG Chrysler Valiant Pacer Hemi coupe.

The GTHO Falcon is expected to lead the charge with its Candy Apple Red paint and fully restored showroom presentation. According to Shannons, it has the potential to set a record price for an XW GTHO with bidding expected to reach as high as $380,000.

Not quite as glamorous, but equally as desirable is a very original 1968 HK Monaro GTS 327 finished in Warwick Yellow and complete with matching engine chassis and paint numbers. The Holden coupe is expected to bring in the region of $150,000 to $175,000.

Challenging the GTHO Ford for showroom impact is a Sable metallic 1974 Torana SL/R 5000 sedan which, like the Monaro, has matching numbers but was fully restored in the early 1990s to the point that it took out the award from the best LH Torana at the Shannons All Holden days in 2006 and 2007.

The SL/R 5000 is expected to bring a price in the region of $100,000 to $120,000.

The Torana nameplate also gets another mention in the form of a Phantom Grey Bathurst special XU-1, the same model that took Peter Brock to his first Bathurst win in 1972, ahead of the previously dominant V8s.

The car is in largely original condition and is expected to fetch between $80,000 and $100,000.

Mopar fans will gravitate towards the 1971 Valiant Pacer Hemi 245 coupe that comes with its original delivery books and owner's manual, showing just 19,276 miles on its odometer.

According to Shannons the Pacer coupe is a "future classic" in "very original condition throughout." "Vigorous bidding in the $22,000 - $28,000 range" is expected on November 26.