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Prestige Classic Car collection to be auctioned in New Zealand

1 March, 2019

 


 

On Sunday, 17 March, Auckland-based auction house Webb’s will offer one of the most distinguished personal collections of Classic Cars to be auctioned in New Zealand: the Roy Savage Collection.

The auction follows the successful sale of the first part of the Roy Savage Collection in 2016. This auction focused on British post-war classics and achieved multiple auction records, such as a 1955 Jaguar XK140 selling for $258,750, and the 1972 Rover P5B, 1966 Jaguar MK II, and 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL selling for $149,500, with total sales of nearly $1.5 million.

This time around, the auction will feature some of the most prestigious marques ever to come on the market in New Zealand, with seven Rolls-Royces offered, including a New Zealand–new 1951 Silver Dawn and an ultra-low mileage 1978 Corniche Convertible. Further highlights include a rare 1955 Allard Palm Beach Mark 1 Convertible (only 74 of this model ever manufactured), a 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Manual, and 1953 Bentley R-Type.

For buyers whose need is more fundamental, there are two 5-Series BMWs, and for those who favour the rural pursuit, there’s the 1964 Land Rover, which carries a cult-classic status due to its enduring and iconic look. Also up for auction is what was often Roy’s daily driver, a Rover 3500 that he owned since 1973 and has just 62,623 on the clock.

Following Roy’s passing in 2017, the Savage family have again entrusted Webb’s to market the balance of their father’s passion. The collection is not the disposal of a static museum, but every car is registered, warranted, and has detailed service records.

The auction is set to take place at the Southward Car Museum in Paraparaumu, one hour north of Wellington, on Sunday, 17 March at 2pm. Prior to the auction the vehicles can be viewed at the museum 14—16 March, 10am–4pm and 17 March, 9am–11am. To view the full catalogue of 18 cars, visit webbs.co.nz.

Taipan – surpassing interest

“It’s merely a passing interest,” insists Selby — despite owning three variants of the classic VW Beetle, including an unusual VW van that was sold as a body kit for a Subaru. In his defence he points to a 1961 Ford Thunderbird, a car that he converted to right-hand drive. However, on the VW side of the ledger, since he opened Allison Autos in Whanganui 27 years ago, Selby has built 15 VW-powered Formula First cars, followed by a beach buggy, restored a derelict Karmann Ghia, and hot-rodded a common or garden Beetle into something that has to be seen to be believed. As speed is not something generally associated with classic VWs, though, Selby is still waiting for this particular modification to catch on amongst the hot rod faithful.

Travelling companion

It’s easy to see why the Morris Minor Traveller was one of the best-loved variants of the Morris Minor. Introduced in 1953, it was equipped with the same independent torsion bar front suspension, drum brakes, and rack and pinion steering as its saloon sibling but, with their foldable rear seat increasing versatility, many Travellers were used as trade vehicles, says Derek Goddard. Derek and Gail Goddard, the owners of this superbly restored example, have run Morris Minors since before they were married in 1974.
“Our honeymoon vehicle was a blue Morris Minor van — it was a rust bucket,” says Derek.