Record-Setting Annual Auction Spectacle Also Set to Feature in US Reality TV Series
A gorgeous “Super Rhino” 1972 Ford Fairmont GT, one of the fewer than 2 000 ever produced locally and the African response to Australia’s “Super Roo”, is a late-comer star lot at this weekend’s annual collector and classic car auction showcase at Montecasino in Johannesburg.
The GT brings Creative Rides’ auction catalogue total to 183 incredible lots – this year featuring a stellar line-up of the rarest and most valuable autos to ever go under the hammer in South Africa.
The two-day feast of automotive engineering and design – ranging from supercars to sports cars, collector off-roaders to rare and distinctive classics – starts at 10am on Saturday and runs through to late afternoon on Sunday.
And according to Creative Rides CEO Kevin Derrick, there’s little doubt that South African classic car auction records will tumble over the two days.
“Based on the viewer and bidder interest we’re seeing from across the country and indeed across the world ahead of the sale, we’ll be seeing bidding wars for more lots than ever before – this Fairmont GT among them.
“The few classic Fairmont’s that Creative Rides has auctioned previously have all been snapped up by Australian buyers. Bidders from Down Under are again well represented this year, so it’s anyone’s guess where this phenomenal car will end up a week from now.”
Derrick says the 1972 Fairmont GT is one of two muscle cars that has Australian gearheads buzzing over the auction this weekend. The other is a 1969 Holden Monaro GTS V8 – an iconic first-generation Oz V8.
“This Monaro is special; something you definitely don’t see every day! It’s had one owner since 1969, is numbers matching and has only 74 000 miles on the clock. Between this car and our 11th hour showstopper Fairmont, it’s anyone’s guess how high the bidding will go.
“Die-hard collectors don’t stop until they own their dream cars, and that’s what we’re likely to see this weekend.”
Lights, Camera, Action…!
Creative Rides Director and Lead Auctioneer Joff van Reenen says this year’s Montecasino auction showcase will be a red-letter weekend for another reason – that it will feature in a US reality TV show called Going Once…
The crew will be showcasing the auction in its spotlight episode on Van Reenen, who is the only international director ever elected to the board of the National Auction Association (NAA), the world’s largest professional association representing the auction industry.
The production team gathered some material for the Van Reenen feature during his recent participation in the World Auction Championships at this year’s NAA conference in Pittsburgh, but the bulk of the footage will be shot in South Africa this month – the shoot timed specifically to showcase the Creative Rides auction event at Montecasino.
Van Reenen says while he’s no Kardashian and being followed around by a TV crew is disconcerting, it is an incredible opportunity to present the best of the auction industry, educate the public about auctions and to showcase South Africa as a stunning tourism destination.
Global Interest
“Having US viewers for this programme also dovetails perfectly with the online audience engagement demographics we’ve seen ahead of this auction,” says Van Reenen.
“American car collectors are among the highest international audience groups engaged in this year’s sale, along with bidders from the UK, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Italy and other European countries.
“Bidder registrations and buyer enquiries are up by more than a third compared to last year, and we’re seeing them come from all over the world. Bidders from every inhabited continent in the world are represented in this year’s auction.
“And this is where the power of technology comes into play. Collectors know about is because of our online presence, and our app that both live-streams our auctions and offers real-time bidding, no matter where you’re based across the globe.
“Being a technology leader gives our sellers a leading advantage. Creative Rides is reaching buyers for them that would have been entirely out of reach a decade ago.”
All-Star Line-Up
Derrick says the quality of the cars on the block also has a lot to do with attracting an international audience.
“Every year the quality of the collector autos under the hammer at our Montecasino showcase gets better and better, and every successive year we set new South African auction price records for classic cars.
“This year will be no different. The catalogue of reserved and unreserved lots is magnificent.”
Other cars in the spotlight this weekend include:
- A 1958 Mercedes Benz 220S Ponton, and rarer than this, buyers will battle to find across any model. Produced in limited numbers, the 220S coupe and cabriolet were produced from 1956 until 1959 and just 3 429 were ever made, of which only 23 were right-hand drive. The model on auction is not only one of those 23, but is also a stunning cabriolet in immaculate silver, boasting a red roof and red leather interior.
- A 2006 Lamborghini Murciélago. The Murciélago hit the road in 2001 as the next chapter of sleek, scissor-doored supercars from Lamborghini. As the successor to the Diablo, the Murciélago was an improvement in every way. Between 2001 and 2006, total worldwide production of the original 6.2-litre Murciélagos was on 1 921 units.
- A 1938 Mercedes Benz 170V Cabriolet, believed to be the only one of its kind in South Africa. In its heyday this two-door, four-seater cruiser was estimated to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 53 seconds. This gorgeous four-speed manual transmission, inline four-cylinder, has a stylish silver and black exterior that compliments the deep red interior seats and trim.
- A 1963 Porsche 365B Cabriolet – special because it’s one of fewer than 60 Porsches that the German manufacturer has ever permitted to be built outside of Germany, and all of those beauties were born in South Africa in the 1960s. It is believed that around 50 1963 Porsche 365Bs were imported in a knock-down format; only a handful of them cabriolets.
- A 1973 Maserati Merak, of which according to the ‘Catalogue Raisonné 1926-1990’ by Gianni Cancellieri, only 430 were made that year. The Maserati Merak was introduced at the 1972 Paris Auto Show, over a year after the Bora. The model was named after Merak, a star in the constellation of Ursa Major.
- A 1973 Lamborghini Espada, which believe it or not, is a Lamborghinis that comes with more than two seats. One of the Lambo ground-breakers in this field was the Espada, a four-seater grand touring coupe built between 1968 and 1978. The Lamborghini Espada was unveiled at the 1968 Geneva Auto Show, after company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini demanded that Marcello Gandini of Bertone design a four-seater to expand his lineup. And according to lamborghini.com, with a total number of 1 227 units made over a decade, the Espada became Lamborghini’s bestseller from when it launched in 1968. It’s rare, and very desirable.
- One of the supercar greats, this 1995 Ferrari 348 GTB is one of 252 ever made – and one of only 14 original right-hand drives to have ever come from Ferrari in this model. Although based on the 348 TB, the 348 GTB differed with the V8 bumped up from 300 to 320bhp, the suspension geometry was revised, and the fuel tank size reduced to make space to improve chassis rigidity. The model on auction has been fitted with a Challenge body kit, but original parts are available in the sale.
Auction Streaming to Global Audience
Van Reenen says the Montecasino auction this weekend will be both a live and online event, and live-streamed through the Creative Rides app to a buyer pool across the world. The live stream can also be watched on YouTube and on www.creativeridesauctions.com.
“Qualified bidder registrations have also climbed dramatically.”
Van Reenen says all information about this year’s Montecasino auction can be found at www.creativeridesauctions.com and on the Creative Rides app, which is a free iOS and Google Play download.
Bidder registrations can also be done through www.creativeridesauctions.com.
“We’re expecting record crowd numbers through the gates on both days, because this year’s sale is going to be the best collector car auction yet,” says Van Reenen.
Entry tickets for adults are R250 for the whole weekend. Entrance is free for children under 18.
