First collectors car auction for Mossgreen

Mossgreen will hold its first Collectors’ Cars & Automobilia auction as part of The Australian Motoring Festival – a joint initiative between the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce and the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria from Thursday March 26 to Sunday March 29 at Melbourne Showgrounds.

The auction, from 3pm on Sunday, will feature a range of iconic vehicles, including several E-Type Jaguars and the 1981 RALT RTH Cosworth Australian Grand Prix winning car – and Martin Burger’s incredible collection of Michelin memorabilia.

Burger’s collection comprises more than 150 lots that tell the story of Michelin and its iconic mascot Bibendum over the years.

Michelin was founded in 1832 in France, but Bibendum did not appear until some years later when founders Edouard and André Michelin noticed a stack of different size tyres, which resembled the figure of a man missing arms and legs.

Iconic vehicles to feature in the auction include a 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback, a 1939 Oldsmobile 60 series, a 1971 Chrysler Valiant VH Charger, a 1967 Marcos 1650 GT Lawrence-Tune, a 1927 Marmon E75, a 1959 Porsche 356A 1600 Super ‘Sunroof’ Coupe and 1966 Shelby Mustang GT 350-H (LHD) – which carries the highest auction estimate of $180,000 to $200,000.

One of the E-Type Jaguars on offer is a 1963 Series 1, 3.8-litre roadster.

The E-Type was initially produced in 1961 for export with the domestic market launch some four months later in July.

The cars at this time were fitted with tripe SU carburettors and powered by 3.8- litre six cylinder motors from the XK150S.

Only 942 right hand drive Series 1 3.8-litre roadsters were produced between 1961-64.

The 1927 Marmon built by the Marmon Motor Car Company, founded by Howard C. Marmon (1876-1943), was a significant American automobile maker from 1903 to 1933.

In that time, the company built more than 110,000 cars – but only 391 in various states of repair survive to this day, according to the 2014 Marmon Directory.

Less than half are driveable or totally restored and the oldest is a rare 1910 Model 32.

The 1959 Porsche 356A was originally owned by NSW Porsche distributors and discerning enthusiasts the O’Neill family was fully restored from 1996 to 1998.

The model is famous for its participation in hill climb and speed events in Australia at the time.