The achingly beautiful 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione coupe. Source: Supplied
A HUGE week at the auctions in Arizona. If you weren’t prepared to write a cheque for $10 million then the pickings were poor. But before we go to the US let’s check on the big news right here at home.
First up, Australia’s auto clubs have once again got together for their annual Australia’s Best Car Awards. Call me old-fashioned but what does it say about this country when there were no V8s on the podium? Worse, there were only two sixes and the rest were four and five cylinders except for a three! Then they gave the prize for the best sports car under $50,000 to the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which last time I looked wasn’t even a sports car. Hullo NRMA, RACV, RACQ, RAA, RAC, RACT and AANT — where is the Toyota 86 and the Mazda MX-5?
But there’s worse. They gave the best 4×4 Dual Cab Ute gong to the Ford Ranger, not the Mazda BT50. In case you’re interested, the Hyundai Sante Fe Highlander rightly got the best SUV between $45,000 and $65,000, the best large car under $70,000 went to the Commodore but the top 2WD under $35,000 went to the Nissan Qashqai.
The what? Would any self-respecting RSL or surf club let a Qashqai in the parking lot? Come back Pauline Hanson and rescue our cars. Oh, she is trying to come back. Oh!
Then just when you thought it was Ferrari prices that were heading for the moon, we have our own dinky di, blue-singlet contender. Genuine Australians, the Sandman is making a run for the Olympic Gold. We used to call them hotel Holdens but now, with a NSW person selling a 1979 HZ Overlander Sandman for close to $120,000, can it be too long before we start calling them the Ferraris of the south?
A really good, fully optioned Sandman can sell for around $40,000. These cars cost the equivalent of $60,000 new. The Overlander is more problematic. Tasmania’s Arthur Hayward built 120 sensationally made 4×4 Holdens based on utes, panel vans and station wagons. Look for Arthur’s ID plate and the GM ID plate if you are thinking of replacing your Range Rover for something more practical.
Back to our person (me) in Scottsdale for this brief update: Barrett Jackson sold a 427 Shelby Cobra Super Snake for $6.3m. RM gave away a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM for a record $12m and a 1961 Maserati 3500 GT Spyder by Vignale for $1.6m, Dave Gooding’s top sale, no surprise, was another one from Enzo, 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider for less than $10m and, start looking in the back paddock boys, a 1976 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser for $75,000.
Over at Bonhams, someone stole this achingly beautiful ex Le Mans 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione coupe for $11.4m. This was the second last GT to come from the race factory. It was owned and campaigned by Georges Filipinetti who made quite a few francs in the aircon caper before setting up some luxury car dealerships. In fact Georgy Boy as we all called him then was a great mate of the Aga Khan who let him in on a few deals. No wonder he employed some of the greatest ever drivers to race for Scuderia Filipinetti.
Continue reading here: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/executive-living/clubs-snub-v8-heroes/story-e6frg9zo-1227201945103
