Few cars have encapsulated the spirit of Australian muscle cars the way the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore have.
Though it’s common to see the two icons on local roads, this collection, up for auction, captures the peak of Australian motoring throughout the decades.
The auction, run by Australian-based auction house Burns&Co, features 16 iconic Australian models with a sprinkle of Americana thrown in. Among the sea of Holden Commodores, Ford Falcons, and Ford Mustangs are some limited-edition versions that could have car enthusiasts wagging their tongues.
For example, this 2004 Holden HSV Coupe 4 (photo below) was limited to just 134 production examples, with 20 examples exported to New Zealand.
According to Burns&Co, the example in question was the 89th car that rolled off the production line, with the car clocking 30,504km on the dash since.
As previously reported by Drive, the automatic coupe debuted at the 2003 Sydney International Motor Show and is powered by General Motors' iconic LS1 V8 engine, which was also found in other American muscle cars like the Chevrolet C5 Corvette and the Pontiac GTO.
The car's coupe body is derived from the Holden Monaro, but features an all-wheel-drive system, whereas the Monaro was specified with a rear-wheel-drive configuration.
The auction collection also showcases three distinct homologation Holden models. Among the rarest is the 1990 Holden HSV SS VN Group A (below), a six-speed manual sedan limited to just 302 examples, with this specific auction example identified as build number 50.
The Commodore sedan is a homologation special built to ratify Group A touring car rules – a set of specific motorsport regulations in Australia between 1984 and 1992 – and is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 engine.
This specific example comes equipped with an HSV-designed aerodynamic body kit while the car’s odometer reads 35,537km. As an added bonus, the vehicle also comes with original books and certificates.
While we’re on the topic of Group A touring cars, a further two homologated Commodore specials are up for grabs.
These include the iconic 1985 Holden Commodore VK Group A SS, made famous by legendary Australian motorsport driver Peter Brock. Colloquially known as the ‘Blue Meanie’, the sedan is number 10 out of 500 production examples and is powered by a 4.9-litre V8 engine.
Burns&Co claims the HDT sedan has clocked 25,962km throughout its life and comes with the original owner’s manual, as well as an HDT letter of authenticity. The auction example features “specially ordered” HDT Momo wheels.
As reported by Drive, Brock’s personal 1985 Holden Commodore VK Group A SS fetched $1,057,509 – not including the auction fee – at a 2021 auction, which at that time was believed to be the most expensive Holden road car ever sold.
According to the auctioneer, the model was the second car Holden produced specifically for Group A regulation requirements, and was also the last HDT car driven by Brock. The auction example is build number 405 out of 500 production units.
The car is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 engine and has accrued 61,867km on its odometer.
Adding to its rarity is that this specific example also comes with Peter Brock's controversial 'Energy Polariser', a resin-covered box that housed magnets and crystals that the legendary driver famously claimed helped with the car's performance.
Before die-hard Ford Falcon fans get upset, the auction lot also features some exclusive models from the Blue Oval brand.
Among the rarest is this 1992 Ford Falcon EB GT, a five-speed manual sedan developed by Tickford Vehicle Engineering (TVE), Ford Australia’s high-performance division that ran between 1991 and 2002.
The Ford Falcon EB GT had a limited production run, with only 265 units produced, of which 15 were exported to New Zealand, while 250 remained in Australia.
Further adding to its exclusivity is the fact that this manual sedan, finished in Cobalt blue, is “believed to be 1 of 36 built with this colour combination”, as per Burns&Co.
The car has clocked 23,375km on the odometer and features a unique body kit and lowered ride height, while the interior showcases leather seats with walnut trim.
The four-door manual sedan is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 engine with a claimed power output of 200kW/420Nm, good for a 0 to 100km/h sprint in 7.3 seconds.
As far as the Blue Oval's Australian history goes, this 2014 FPV Falcon GT-F could be one of the most highly sought-after models in the domestic market, given it was the last model to carry the Ford Performance Vehicles badge.
Ford only produced 500 examples of the FPV GT-F before it stopped producing the car in 2014, and this auction example from Burns&Co is as close as you can get to a new model, as it's only clocked 8460km since the first owner took delivery just over a decade ago.
As previously reported by Drive, the four-door sedan is powered by a supercharged V8 engine that has a claimed power output of 351kW/570Nm.
Interestingly, the specific 351kW figure pays homage to the Ford Falcon 351 GT, a lineage of muscle cars from the 1960s and 1970s that spawned other famous Ford Falcons like the XY Falcon GT and GTHO Phase III, with both models powered by the legendary 351 cubic-inch (5.8-litre) V8 engine.
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
