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A historically significant Ford Falcon XR8 Sprint is likely to fetch upwards of $100,000 at auction this month as enthusiasts splash out on the end of an era.
With Ford, Holden and Toyota preparing to shutter their manufacturing operations in Australia over the coming 18 months, experts are forecasting a sharp spike in values for significant locally-produced vehicles.
For Ford enthusiasts, this limited edition Falcon is a prime demonstration. Ford Australia donated the Build No. 1 car of 750 last-hurrah XR8 Sprint models to charity ahead of its Australian manufacturing closure in October.
Proceeds from the sale of the white, manual-transmission XR8 will go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund, with the money committed to research and a 'technological cure' for type 1 diabetes.
Bids for the No.1 build have already exceeded $75,000 in the online auction, well above the manual XR8 Sprint's regular sticker price of $59,990 (plus on-road costs).
According to Shannons national auctions manager Christophe Boribon, bids will likely exceed $100,000 by the time the online auction closes on May 31.
"It potentially will, people get excited by a vehicle being number one in production or the last one of something," Boribon said.
"Speaking to many Ford enthusiasts in recent months, the Sprint seems to be one of the last big ticket items that Ford Australia is producing and it might well become one of those future classics. What you've already seen in the bidding, there is plenty of interest in this car in particular."
Ford confirmed it had sold out of every manual transmission XR8 Sprint at the launch of the special edition model earlier this year ? something Boribon said enthusiasts are acutely aware of.
"The reality is that this car is already sold out," he said. "There's only a certain allocation, so if you've missed out on that list, then it has given the people that have missed out a chance to get in the market.
"If you get to buy number one, you then can justify the extra premium and the thing is that the first and the last vehicles in a series production will always carry that premium when you go to sell."
The sharp spike in Falcon values isn't without precedent. In 2014, some Ford dealers whacked a $20,000 premium on the last ever Falcon GT, known as the FPV GT-F ? with prices soaring as high as $105,000. Values of historic Fords and Holdens have also started to recover following a crash in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis in 2007.
The Falcon Sprint demand punctuates what Boribon describes as a "buoyant" market for Australian muscle cars at present. He tipped the market to peak around the time of Ford and Holden ceasing their manufacturing operations.
"I think there's bound to be some interest in the classics and the modern classics as both those companies shut down their manufacturing," he said.
"From our end we've seen a a pretty buoyant market, and our clearance rates have been very high ? between 80 and 90 per cent."
Shannons will auction off two pieces of Australian motoring history later this month when Peter Brock's personal HDT Commodore and a one-off Opel Monza Coupe developed by his HDT Special Vehicles operation go under the hammer. Like the Falcon, both are expected to attract six-figure money.
The Falcon, meanwhile, is being auctioned online here. The auction runs until midnight, May 31 2016.
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