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The Good Oil - Issue 6 April 2010
Perhaps unsurprisingly, a number of us here at Turners Auctions are petrolheads at heart, so when V8s season rolls around we tend to get a little bit excited. Check out our take on some of the hot topics around the sport this year...
If your tastes run more to the arts than engines we've got something for you as well with a review of the Linwood College Fundraising Art Auction.
• V8 Supercars - Ford vs. Holden vs. ... Mercedes and BMW?
• And if the V8s has you dreaming of motorsport greatness...
• Holden Commodore VE SV6 vs. Ford Falcon FG XR6
• Linwood College fundraising art auction - Art, orchestras
and John Key's doodle
V8 Supercars - Ford vs. Holden vs. ... Mercedes and BMW?
Next week, thousands of Kiwi motorsport fans will flock to the Waikato to watch Australia's V8 Supercars thundering around the streets of Hamilton. Many will be staunch Holden or Ford supporters who will show loyalty for their brand by purchasing loudly decorated team shirts, jackets and caps - pure Aussie-V8 petrol heads all the way. So how would they feel about some German muscle joining the circus?
Proposed changes to the technical rules allowing more sophisticated engineering means that Mercedes and BMW are keen to be involved. And with the financial support of Ford and Holden to current teams now dwindling, it seems the organisers are ready to welcome them with open arms as soon as 2012.
V8s organisers have already been actively growing the sport's fan-base by appealing more to women, families and corporates, as well as by holding more overseas race meetings in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and New Zealand, with Singapore tipped to get a race in 2011. Introducing new manufacturers and teams will no doubt help grow the fan-base even further. Purists may see this as a gentrification of the sport. Before you know it, XXXX Gold will be replaced by Becks as the beer of choice for the new V8 Supercar fan!
One thing that won't change in the rules is the stipulation that the cars must be V8 and rear wheel drive, the way a V8 Supercar should be. Ironically, this could rule out the Falcon if Ford's plans to make it a front wheel drive car come to fruition. Now that doesn't bear thinking about.
To celebrate the Hamilton 400, Turner's Hamilton branch is holding a Ford vs. Holden commercial vehicles auction on the 15th April.
And if the V8s has you dreaming of motorsport greatness...
 This BMW 320 E46 race car is coming up for auction this month at our Classic & Collectables auction on the 24th of April. It's a bit of a mystery, but appears to have been imported and also looks to be a professionally built, circuit race car. Officially, that's all we know. However, it does look very similar to this one which is an ex- WTCC race car which would make it very desirable indeed. With a guide price of $35,000 - $55,000, it could be a bargain too.
 Comparison - Holden Commodore VE SV6 vs. Ford Falcon FG XR6
This month's head to head comparison is between the V8 race combatants; Holden's Commodore and Ford's Falcon. Specifically, we are going to compare the 2008 VE SV6 and FG XR6 models.
Holden Commodore VE SV6
Engine size: 3.6L -215kw
Transmission: 6 Speed auto
Fuel economy: 3.5/6*
Co2 emissions: 3.5/6*
Safety rating: 5/5**
Features
8x Airbags, Electronic stability control
ABS, cruise control, traction control
7 speaker audio with CD, aux input and steering mounted controls
Air conditioning, 18" alloys
Service intervals: 15000km
Price when new: $54090
Est. auction price
30000 - 50000km: $30,000-$31,000
*From www.rightcar.govt.nz ** From late 2008. Previously 4/5
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Ford Falcon FG XR6
Engine size: 4.0L -195kw
Transmission: 6 speed auto
Fuel economy: 3.5/6*
Co2 emissions: 3.5/6*
Safety rating: 5/5*
Features
4x Airbags, Electronic stability control
ABS, cruise control, traction control
6 speaker audio with 6 x CD, aux input with steering mounted controls
Climate air conditioning, 17" alloys
Service intervals: 15000km
Price when new: $51790
Est. auction price
30000 - 50000km: $30,000-$31,000
*From www.rightcar.govt.nz |
Like the V8 Supercars, these two compete so closely with each other it's very hard to pick a winner. Certainly there's not much difference between them when you compare the specifications and features. Both also have excellent safety ratings for passengers, although neither is flash when it comes to the safety of pedestrians, only scoring 2/5. However, with the two models coming out two years apart, the newer Falcon has the engineering edge over the Commodore, no doubt by virtue of having the extra time to study the competition's offering.
Click here to see Falcons or here to see Commodores up for auction at Turners.
Linwood College fundraising art auction - Art, orchestras and John Key's doodle
Every so often Turners hold auctions that are all about art and nothing about cars. One such auction was held at Turners Christchurch in March. More than 130 art works were auctioned with the proceeds going towards Linwood College's orchestra trip to Europe in 2011.
These weren't just any old art works either. Pieces donated from prominent New Zealand artists such as Keith Morant, Grahame Sydney and Bill Hammond, helped attract a crowd of over 400 to the auction. And it wasn't all about art with Prime Minister John Key donating his own masterpiece to the cause, a doodle of the Beehive.
Some of the highlights included Keith Morant's 'Tuscan song' selling for $3500, Bill Hammond's 'Canopy 1' selling at $3050 and Grahame Sydney's 'Morning' making $2000. And what of John Key's effort? Well, it made a very welcome $1050. Not bad for 30 seconds work.
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If you need to move a car from A-Z then give the team at Toll a call...
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 Future cars -
A front wheel drive Falcon?
With all this talk of Supercars we thought it timely to take a glimpse at the future of the iconic Aussie Ford Falcon. Unfortunately, for diehard Falcon fans, this could be a glimpse at Armageddon... only worse.
This year the Falcon celebrates 50 years on Australian roads but its future as an Australian designed and built car could be in jeopardy. Ford boss Allan Mulally has said that only one large car platform would be built for all world markets under the company's One Ford programme. It's not clear at this stage whether Ford Australia will have any input into this new design.
So what can we expect? Well, the likely successor will be the American Taurus which, unlike the Falcon, is front wheel drive. So quite apart from whether this new car will be truly Australian, the big issue is which wheels the engine will drive. There is, however, a glimmer of hope for those that like to spin up the rear wheels. It lies in the hot selling Ford Mustang which is rear wheel drive and could possibly be the basis for the next Falcon.
At least they're not talking about using a four cylinder engine. Oh wait, hang on.
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Police and Customs auctions - Cell phones, cameras, laptops... and concrete??
Have you ever wondered what happens to all the stolen goods that the Police recover and can't return to their owners? Or, if Customs intercept 5000 pairs of illegally imported jandals, what they do with them?
Each month these items are auctioned off at Turner's Penrose general goods branch . You name it and it's probably turned up at one of these auctions. Ok, so no illegal drugs, firearms or cash, but pretty much everything else. You may be surprised at what you can pick up. In recent times there has been a coffin, a luxury caravan (stolen in England and discovered when it arrived in New Zealand), performance car parts, arcade machines, 50 granite kitchen tops, 5000 pairs of jandals (yes, it's true), the contents of a pet shop, and 1000 bags of cement- possibly stolen to make cement shoes, mafia style?
Apart from the strange items there are the ever popular cell phones, cameras, TVs, laptops, beer, wine, car audio, cosmetics... etc. It's pretty much a one stop shop.
Police and Customs auctions are held on the last Tuesday of every month at Penrose.
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