Our picks from the $70 million Gosford Classic Car Auction

IT MAY seem opportunistic, but we couldn’t help but get excited about the influx of auto exotica due to be auctioned off in early April now that the Gosford Classic Car Museum has closed.

The $70 million auction will take place April 6-7 – a certified fire sale – with no reserves on over 150 cars hitting the auction block.

Going off listings from Lloyds Auctioneers and the Gosford museum website, there’s everything from a 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari to a 1983 American firetruck for sale.

Unfortunately a dispute with the Australian Tax Office is the reasoning behind the closure, with the ambiguous part-museum, part-car yard nature of the venture catching the eye of the powers that be.

While it is sad that the short-lived museum will shutter its doors, we’re taking solace in the fact that there are some absolute gems on offer. These are our favourites.

2015 HSV GTS Maloo

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Sure, there are plenty of special Australian cars, but when HSV decided to drop the gargantuan 6.2-litre supercharged LSA into a ute, Aussies collectively started to froth at the mouth. One of 250 examples, this silver GTS Maloo has 110kms on the clock and like most of the newer stuff in the Gosford collection, presents as-new. While it may have been a bit ahead of its time (HSV decided to do a full-run of LSA Maloos years later), this was the ute that HSV wanted to be remembered for.

1997 Aussie Invader III LSR JET

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How’s this for left-field? Built and piloted by maniac Rosco McGlashan, the Aussie Invader III is officially Australia’s land speed record holder and unofficially, former world land speed record holder. Boasting 26,000kW and capable of 641mph, this remarkable piece of Australian motorsport history deserves its place in your collection. Get bidding.

2015 Ferrari LaFerrari

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A mere 190km on the odometer, Gosford’s LaFerrari presents in immaculate, as-new condition in the Ferrari favourite, Rosso Corsa. Apparently all Australian taxes are paid (do your own research), and it’s eligible to be driven on Australian roads from 2019 onwards, due to recent law changes. While this one doesn’t seem to be part of the auction, interested parties are free to privately negotiate for what could potentially be one of Australia’s fastest road-going cars.

2006 Aston Martin DBRS9

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Never raced, pristine condition - it’s not often that can be said for any race car, let alone a Le Mans-spec Aston Martin DBRS9. Finding its way from Hong Kong to Australia, this GT3 racer features the racing version of the DB9’s ear-splitting 5.9-litre V12 and has travelled 245kms since its creation. Ready to be admired or raced, you don’t find examples like this very often.

1985 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV

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One of only 100 right-hand-drive examples of the Countach, this Australian delivered example sold new in Sydney in 1985. With 70,000kms on the odometer, this car retains its originality, sporting its original paintwork and leather upholstery. A poster car of the 80s, the Countach hasn’t quite hit the top of its stride in terms of value just yet, so we’d suggest picking one up before it’s too late.