Bonhams Australian motoring division has been entrusted with the sale of a rare 1949 Jaguar XK120 alloy-bodied Roadster from the highly esteemed collection of The Late The Hon. John Dawson-Damer.

On Saturday 13th November Bonhams Australia will hold their first collectors’ motor car auction as a wholly owned subsidiary of the international company. Early entries for the sale indicate that a mouth watering array of cars will go under the hammer not least of which is the aforementioned Jaguar.

This rare car is the 17th Jaguar XK120 made and is one of only 58 right hand drive alloy-bodied roadsters produced. Chassis number ’660017? was sold new in Australia and carries extensive local race history including a number of appearances at the world famous Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst, NSW. Having passed through a number of local owner/racers the car was purchased by world famous Lotus collector/historic racer and rally ace John Dawson-Damer in the late 1970s. Having been fully restored by Dawson-Damer in the mid-late 1990s the car has seen little use since and is offered for sale on the open market for the first time in over three decades. It is estimated to fetch at least AUD $140,000.

Robert Glover head of collectors’ motor cars at Bonhams Australia comments “Having overseen the successful sale of John’s exceptional collection of Lotus racing cars in late 2008, we feel both privileged and honoured that Bonhams have been entrusted with the sale of further motor cars from one of the most highly regarded collections in Australia and indeed the world.”

Also offered for sale from the same collection will be a 1979 Lotus Esprit JPS Edition. Purchased new from the factory by John Dawson-Damer, this single owner from new car is offered for sale without reserve. It will give collectors’ an affordable opportunity to purchase a part of the Dawson-Damer Lotus legacy not to mention a rare example of Lotus’s first true super car.

The Late Honourable John Dawson-Damer was an expatriate Englishman who spent most of his life in Australia. During his life John became heavily involved in motorsport mainly through rallying but also became famous throughout the worldwide motoring enthusiast group by amassing the most significant collection of Lotus Single-Seater racing cars in the world outside of that owned by the family of Lotus founder Colin Chapman. John, a much loved and highly revered historic motor racer and enthusiast did a huge amount for the motor racing movement both in Australia and Europe. Tragically he was killed whilst competing in England in one of his beloved Lotus Formula 1 car in 2000. Since then his family have continued to maintain some of his superb collection. In 2008 6 of the 7 Lotus racing cars from the collection were sold in Sydney. His children retain and race a significant Formula 1 Lotus racing car in memory of their late father.

www.bonhams.com/carssydney

A handwritten account of an extraordinary trip to the remote areas of Western Australia’s North-West Coast is being auctioned at Bonham’s Travel and Exploration sale in London on 15 September 2010.

In 1982, five famous Australians, the artist John Olsen, writers Dame Mary Durack and Geoffrey Dutton, the conservationist Vincent Serventy and the art dealer and collector Alex Bortignon, set out on a 10 week journey to visit Aboriginal and other isolated communities and to study the land forms of the area.

The fruits of their adventure are celebrated in the 1984 book, ‘The Land Beyond Time’, but Alex Bortingnon and John Olsen also collaborated on a diary. Written after the event, it was transcribed by Olsen from Bortignon’s notes and recollections and is illustrated by 133 photographs and 42 original sketches by Olsen including some pasted into the manuscript from a sketchbook used on the journey. The diary is a vivid account of their observations as they criss-crossed several thousand miles of terrain on land and by air.

The dairy is accompanied by a copy of, ‘The Land Beyond Time’, signed by Bortignon and Olsen, with two original sketches by Olsen, and a collection of source material, newspaper cuttings, etc relating to the journey. It is estimated between £30,000 – 40,000.

For further sale information please go to www.bonhams.com/travel

Pickles Auctions, in partnership with FleetPartners will be hosting a one-off Certified Fleet Vehicle Auction on Saturday 31 July at their Belmore facility.

Over 80 vehicles will go under the hammer including three unreserved vehicles. A huge range will be on hand including, sedans, hatches, 4WD’s and light commercial vehicles.

In addition to the great bargains buyers will secure, every car sold includes a three month/5,000km statutory warranty and Free Roadside Assist for twelve months. A discounted five year warranty for the price of three will also be available.

Brands that will feature in the Auction include:

-BMW
-Toyota
-Holden
-Ford
-Mitsubishi
-Honda
-Mazda
-Nissan
-Subaru and more

Eddie Abounader, National Account Manager from Pickles Auctions explains. “A variety of quality vehicles with low kilometres will feature at the Certified Fleet Vehicle Auction. Three unreserved vehicles will also be on show and buyers will save thousands.

“Finance packages, trade ins and extended warranty will be available on the day, which means that buyers not only save thousands on quality used cars, but they also receive all of the add-ons and assurances usually associated with purchasing a new vehicle.” Eddie continues “We have scheduled this auction to run on a weekend to allow buyers who can’t make it to our regular mid week auctions to attend.”
The Certified Fleet Vehicle Auction is on Saturday 31 July at 2:00pm at Pickles Auctions, 54 Kingsgrove Rd, Belmore.

Viewing times will be held on Thursday 29 July from 9:00am-8:00pm, Friday 30 July from 9:00am-4:30pm and from 9:00am on the day of sale.
All the vehicles can also be viewed prior to auction at www.pickles.com.au. Buyers can view the vehicle listing, photographs and find out how to register to participate in the auction.

For bidders unable to attend the auction, Pickles also offer ‘Pickles Live’ online bidding. It enables bids to be placed in real time using the internet.

For more information, please contact (02) 9704 6769.

Pickles Auctions will be hosting a special two day Fixed Price Vehicle Clearance on Friday July 24 and Saturday July 25 at their Geebung facility.

This is a one-off event with over 80 vehicles available for sale prior to auction. Along with three month/5,000km statutory warranty, buyers will also receive Free Roadside Assist and the chance to purchase discounted five year warranties.

Brands that will feature in the Auction include:

-Mercedes
-Toyota
-Ford
-Holden
-Mitsubishi
-Mazda
-Subaru
-Nissan and more!

Robert Webster, Branch Manager at Pickles Auctions Geebung explains, “The two day Fixed Price Clearance will be ideal for those unfamiliar with the auction process. With vehicles listed for sale under retail pricing, buyers will be able to purchase before the auction without any pressure.”

The Fixed Price 2 Day Sale is on Friday 23 July from 8:00am-5:00pm and Saturday 24 July from 9am- 3:00pm at Pickles Auctions, 280 Bilsen Road, Geebung.

Viewing times will be held between 9:00am-4:00pm on Thursday 22 July.
All the vehicles can also be viewed prior to auction at www.pickles.com.au. Buyers can view the vehicle listing, photographs and find out how to register to participate in the auction.

For bidders unable to attend the auction, Pickles also offer ‘Pickles Live’ online bidding. It enables bids to be placed in real time using the internet.

For more information, please contact Robert Webster on (07) 3632 9400.

The date for Bonhams first motoring auction in Australia as a wholly owned subsidiary of the international company has now been set – Sunday 3rd of October in Sydney, and the early entries are sure to help shake off the Australian winter blues.

Leading the charge is a delightful 1925 Bentley 3-Litre Speed Model Tourer, which carries original coachwork by Vanden Plas. “This Australian delivered matching numbers example is in wonderfully correct and original condition even retaining most of its original upholstery. It is one of the finest examples of its type I have ever seen,” enthuses Bonhams’ motoring specialist Robert Glover. “Speed Model 3 Litre Bentleys in any form are highly sought after in the current market. Obtaining a matching numbers car that retains its original and desirable Vanden Plas coachwork is becoming increasingly challenging and thus we expect to receive interest in the car from both Australian and international collectors of the marque.” The motor car is estimated at AU$290,000-340,000.

Continuing with the vintage theme, the Bonhams team have also consigned an extremely original and very rare 1928 Sunbeam 20/70HP ‘Light Tourer’. It is thought that as few as three examples of 12/70 HP Sunbeams survive anywhere in the world. To this end the car is sure to receive plenty of interest from the vintage motoring cognoscenti who will appreciate the quality of the Sunbeam workmanship from the era. It is expected to achieve upwards of AU$50,000.

For those who prefer enjoy their garage time another interesting lot will be the 1926 Bugatti Type 38 restoration project that was unearthed from a barn in Queensland Australia earlier in the year. A great ‘entry level’ into the magical cars from Molsheim, the project is estimated to achieve between AU$15,000 – $25,000 and will be offered for sale without reserve.

James Knight, International Director of Bonhams’ Motoring division comments, “I was extremely interested in the collections I saw and collectors I met during my recent visit to Australia. The early consignments to our sale are very encouraging and clearly demonstrate why Bonhams feel it so important to re-establish our brand in Australia and continue servicing the market for the long-term.”

www.bonhams.com/australia

The Shannons MotorEx auction will be held on July 25 at the Sydney Showground. This will be the first year where the Holden Torana A9X will be up for auction.

The ultimate enthusiasts’ Holden – a totally original and undisturbed Torana A9X Hatch ‘homologation special’ – is a standout vehicle of the Custom and Collectible Vehicle Auction presented by Shannons at Sydney’s Meguiar’s MotorEx on July 25.

The Palais White A9X, serial number J590981, was the very first of just 100 two-door Hatch and 305 four-door Torana A9X sedans built for sale to the public between August and December 1977.

It was initially one of two GM-H press and promotional vehicles before being acquired by leading Sydney Holden Dealer and racing driver Ron Hodgson and has covered just 16,000km since new in the hands of a series of careful collector/owners.

Created as an improvement of the previous L34 racing Toranas, the A9X was actually a ‘Performance Equipment Package’ available on a range of LX models fitted with the 5.0 litre, 308-cid engine.
It was introduced in August 1977 to ensure its eligibility for that year’s Bathurst 1000 race and was priced at a now-bargain $10,600 for the four-door Sedan and $10,800 for the Hatch. Yet surprisingly the A9X was actually a slow seller at the time, leading GM-H to broaden the model’s colour palette to clear stocks.
While race versions were equipped with the L34 engine, T10 gearbox, roll cage, wide wheels and long-range fuel tanks, new Australian Design Rules and Emission laws dictated that all A9X Toranas rolled off the assembly line in the same, more basic specification, fitted with Holden’s stock L31 5.0-litre V8.
Significantly, the A9X was the first Holden ever to be fitted standard with rear discs and its Salisbury differential also meant the extra tall 2.60:1 final drive ratio could be used to advantage on Bathurst’s long Conrod straight. The cars were also clearly identified by their new rear facing, bonnet-mounted carburettor induction scoop, one of the 100 or so differences that set the A9X apart from standard LX Toranas.
The rest is history. Although failing to spoil Ford’s Moffat Dealer Team 1-2 party at Bathurst that year, the A9X went on to become the most successful Australian Touring Car ever built by Holden.
A9X Toranas won both the Sandown and Bathurst races and the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1978 and 1979.
This included the most crushing of all Bathurst victories in the pre-safety car era, when Brock and co-driver Jim Richards took a six-lap victory at Bathurst in 1978, ahead of a freight train of a further seven A9X models, with Brock famously thumbing it to Ford by claiming a new lap record on the final lap.
The A9X Hatch being auctioned by Shannons at MotorEx comes with its original logbooks, delivery documents and paperwork, making it a unique opportunity to purchase a special part of Australian motoring and motorsport history.
Because of its exceptional provenance, originality and historic significance, Shannons are quoting a guiding range of $270,000-$290,000.
Meguiar’s MotorEx is the largest and most prestigious motoring event of its kind in Australia and is being staged over the weekend of July 24-25 at the Sydney Showground.
Show times are: Saturday from 10am – 7pm, Sunday from 10am – 6pm.
The Shannons auction starts at 2.30pm on Sunday, July 25.
All details of all MotorEx auction lots visit www.shannons.com.au
For media information/images, contact: Michael Browning 0418 324 328. For further auction information, contact: Ian (02) 8019 4180 or Christophe 0413 567 308

MediaNet Group Technologies, Inc. announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, DubLi.com, Ltd., successfully launched its previously announced Global Auction Portal and Australian Auction Portal in late June. DubLi.com now offers four auction platforms; including the two existing platforms in the North America and the European Union, and two new platforms, one for Australia and the Global platform serving the balance of the world.

Highlights of the Multi-Platform strategy include:

Giving users from around the world the ability to bid against each other simultaneously on select products with the price of those products reducing, in real-time, on all four platforms.
Generating increased bidding activity and creating additional buying opportunities.
Increasing the activity from worldwide bidders, in every time zone, 24 hours a day provides for greater ability to add state-of-the-art luxury products and travel adventures.
Allowing customers to view auction items in their own local currencies.
Enhanced features and benefits that make the auctions more user friendly including a calendar showing how long the auction has been running.
Worldwide shipping to most countries based upon specific product selection criteria.
Michael Hansen, President and Chief Executive Officer of MediaNet Group Technologies and the founder of DubLi.com, stated, “Today we announce the successful launch of a global shopping revolution. We believe we are the first to offer consumers around the world a new and better way to get the most for their money while shopping online through the reverse auction platform. With DubLi.com, shopping online will no longer be bound by borders, time zones, language or currency. We are proud to offer the global shopping community a new way to find named brand products at a fraction of the price in an environment that is fun, exciting and easy to use.”