High-value Holdens on offer at Burns & Co. June auction

Burns & Co. Auctions’ Classic Car & Motorbike Auction on Sunday, 19 June, has Holdens of all ages and styles on offer, led by a couple of highly desirable classic Monaros. There are newer Holdens up for grabs, too, as well as classic American, European and British cars amongst the 93 consignments.

In addition to the cars, there are multiple lots of automobilia on offer, including Holden and HSV dealer lightboxes, a rare C1976 Holden travel bag and GM-H Parts signage.

Pre-bidding for registered bidders is open now, with selling commencing from 12 Noon on Sunday, 19 June, at Burns & Co’s Melbourne auction rooms in Bayswater.

For more details on this live webcast auction, click HERE.

Some of the highlights amongst the Holden consignments include the following:

1968 Holden HK Monaro GTS 327

Kept in dry storage in Western Australia since 1977, this genuine HK Monaro GTS 327 is a real time capsule. Unrestored and believed to be fully original, this matching numbers Monaro is finished in the desirable colour combination of Silver Mink with a red interior.

Powered by same Chevrolet V8 engine that was available in a Corvette in ’68, the GTS 327 was the premium model in the Monaro’s debut year and is sometimes referred to as the “Bathurst Monaro” after 327-powered Monaros finished 1-2-3 at the 1968 Bathurst enduro.

The engine was matched to a Saginaw close-ratio four-speed manual transmission and LSD that enabled the GTS 327 to hit 200km/h and cover the quarter mile in around 16 seconds.

As mentioned, this car is unrestored, so there are signs of wear, fading and minor damage on the body, but everything is there and serious rust appears to be limited to the rear quarters - a legacy of being a WA car for most of its life. Underneath, it’s a similar story, but the twin-exit exhaust has rusted through aft of the mufflers.

In the unrestored engine bay, all the plumbing for the dealer-fitted air conditioning is still in place and appears to be original, but the brake booster and master cylinder look to have been replaced. 

Moving to the boot, the “long range” 25-gallon fuel tank used for the Bathurst cars - and fitted to the GTS 327 - is evident.

Inside, this Monaro is even more remarkable for its age, with the seats (including the driver’s seat), door cards, headlining and dash pad showing only minimal wear and no obvious damage. Seat belts have been fitted front and rear, but there are no modern add-ons, like supplementary gauges or modern sound systems. Interestingly, the factory tachometer, normally mounted on the centre console on the HK GTS 327, has been repositioned under the dash on this car.

The odometer reads 7,508 miles (possibly its second time around the clock) and an abundance of original literature offered with the car includes the owner’s manual, supplementary owner’s manual, instructions for the air con and Air Chief radio, a sales receipt and registration renewal documents.

Genuine, unrestored, first-year Monaros like this don’t come on the market often, which explains why pre-bidding on this car was already over $200,000 at time of writing.

For more details, click HERE.

1976 Holden HX Kingswood wagon
In 1926, five years before the formation of GM-H, General Motors (Australia) Pty. Ltd. was established, replacing a number of independent local distributors for GM vehicles in this country.

To mark 50 years since GMA’s foundation, a limited number of ‘50th Anniversary’ Holdens were produced - some say as few as 250, others say around 500 - in November, 1976.

Based on the HX Kingswood that had been released earlier in 1976 and available in sedan and station wagon form (the latter being far rarer), the 50th Anniversary differed little from a regular HX Kingswood. There was a variety of two-tone colour schemes and colour-matched hubcaps (taken from the Premier), special ‘50th’ badges inside and out, bucket seats, rear venetians and full carpeting, but that was about it.

Most of these cars were equipped with the HX’s entry-level 202ci engine, matched to a three-speed auto with console shift, but those engines were subject to Australian Design Rule 27a that had been introduced to reduce exhaust emissions. Holden’s response to ADR 27a was less effective than those from Ford and Chrysler, so GM-H engines from this period have a reputation for running rough and being thirsty.

Finished in Persian Sand with a white roof and tan vinyl interior, the car pictured retains its identifying 50th Anniversary badges and runs the standard 202 and Trimatic auto.

Burns & Co. describe the car as having no visible rust, with the paint and interior said to be in very good condition.

Mileage is listed at 287,391km and genuine 50th Anniversary keys are included, along with an HX owner’s manual and brochure.

For more details on this car, click HERE.

1961 Holden EK panel van

Broadly similar to the FB range that preceded it, Holden’s EK series was defined by the availability of an automatic transmission – a Holden first – but one that was rarely fitted to Holden’s commercial panel van and ute when new.

This restored van has been fitted with the ‘Hydra-Matic’ column-shift three-speed auto, while the engine appears to be a factory authentic six-cylinder ‘grey motor’ of 138ci capacity.

Along with the auto, this van benefits from other updates introduced with the EK series, like better brakes and electric windscreen wipers. Manual trans EKs got an improved clutch, too.

Painted cream and fitted with a sunvisor and bonnet bird, this panel van has also been prettied up with full-width chrome hub caps, chrome trim rings and whitewall tyres. The finishing touch is the Arnott’s Biscuits livery, which has been painstakingly painted by hand.

Mild custom touches inside include a push-button radio fitted to the passenger-side dash, auxiliary gauges, tri-tone treatment of the vinyl-trimmed bench seat and modern seat belts.

In the load area, there is a new timber floor and a non-standard timber hurdle adorned with Arnott’s biscuit tin lids, while mounting points for appears to be bespoke storage features on the sides.

EK panel vans are a rare sight these days, especially in very good condition like this one. Described as a great club car and with 86,856 miles on the odometer, you can find more details on this van HERE.

1982 HDT VC Commodore

As the value of Brock Commodores continue to rise, early examples like this are regularly outselling older “pre-HDT” Holden muscle cars at auction and have become genuine collectables. 

The car on offer is a first-generation HDT Commodore, number 490 of 500 built on the VC platform. Completed in November, 1980, it’s finished in Firethorn Red, which was one of three colours offered (the others being Tuxedo Black and Palais White), reflecting the Marlboro colours of HDT’s main sponsor.

Holden’s 5.0-litre V8 was standard, but upgraded by HDT with a cold air intake, gas-flowed heads and ported intake manifold. Transmission choices included a four-speed manual, as fitted to this car, or three-speed automatic. Listed outputs of 160kW and 450Nm from this combination were complemented with retuned suspension and standard disc brakes. 

This car retains its original engine and transmission, but a new clutch has been fitted.

Exterior features included headlight wipers and chrome window trim, which were standard Commodore SL/E spec, while HDT-specific extras consisted of front and rear spoilers, body-coloured bumpers, 15 x 7-inch Irmscher alloy wheels, tri-tone striping and various decals.

All HDT VC Commodores were of SL/E spec inside, with Carmine velour trim (regardless of exterior colour), as well as central locking, air conditioning and power windows as standard, while HDT added a Momo steering wheel and branded footrest.

The HDT VC Commodore being offered here is a genuine, matching numbers example and has been with its current owner for 20 years. Refurbishment during this ownership includes repainting of the bonnet, left front guard, rear passenger door and fibreglass parts, as well as the aforementioned clutch replacement.

The air conditioning doesn’t work, but the rest of the car is said to present beautifully.

Listed mileage is 85,524km, with the original books and an HDT Letter of Authenticity confirming this car’s provenance included in the sale.

For more details, click HERE.

1976 Holden HX LE coupe

When is a Monaro not a Monaro? When it’s an HX ‘LE’ (for Limited Edition). The last full-sized Holden coupe in a lineage that stretched back to 1968, the LE wore no Monaro badge anywhere and wasn’t referred to as a Monaro in any of the brochures or press material announcing its release in August, 1976.

Based on the already premium HJ Monaro LS, the HX LE coupe upped the luxury ante even further, with air conditioning, power steering, power aerial, power windows, rear window demister, an 8-track player and velour seat trim all fitted as standard.

A ‘Limited Edition Red’ (aka maroon) exterior and matching ‘Cinnabar’ interior was the only colour combination offered, accented with gold pinstriping and Pontiac-style ‘Honeycomb’ wheels in gold.

There was only one choice of driveline, too - a 308 (5.0-litre) V8, matched to a TH400 three-speed automatic.

The HX LE on offer has had its 308 stroked, with other engine mods including an Edelbrock Torker manifold, Holley 770cfm carby, roller rockers, Hi Energy sump, ceramic-coated extractors and an MSD distributor, coil and leads.

Aside from these changes, this HX LE is stock in most other respects, but a modern stereo has been fitted. A bonus with this car is the signature of Leo Pruneau, former GM-H Director of Design, on the glovebox lid.

Provided documentation includes the original sales certificate, owner’s manual, owner’s guide and a Holden Historical Services production report. 

Only 580 units of the HX LE were produced and they’ve grown in value in recent years, so it’s no surprise that this example had already exceeded $100,000 in pre-bids at time of writing.

For more details on this car, click HERE.

Other Holdens consigned for this auction include a genuine ’74 HQ Sandman panel van, ’78 HZ GTS, ’64 EH Premier sedan, ’76 LX Torana SLR, modified ’75 HJ Monaro GTS sedan, ’84 HDT VK SS, 2004 Monaro CV8, ’84 WB Statesman, 2011 HSV VE Clubsport R8 sedan, modified FX sedan, ’94 HSV VR Senator and a supercharged 596kW 2011 HSV VE GTS, to name a few.

Burns & Co’s June Classic Car & Motorbike Auction will be held on Sunday, 19 June. Selling commences from 12 Noon on the day, with pre-bidding open now.

For pre-auction inspection times, how to register for online pre-bidding/bidding, the full catalogue and all other details, click HERE.