Rare and highly desirable vintage cars ruled the day in Miller & Miller Auctions Automobiles, Motorbikes and Advertising auction, featuring the lifetime Mike and Wendy Fairbairn Collection, held June 14, online and live on-site at the Fairbairns Car Barn in Chatham, Canada. Roaring into the winners circle and taking top lot honors was a 1973 Pontiac Trans AM LS2 455 cu. in. Super Duty car, packing a 430 hp V8 engine with 800 CFM Holley carburetor. Its provenance as the Toronto Auto Show feature car, combined with its pristine, unrestored condition, low production and nearly every option available, made it the ultimate muscle car. Owners of these cars make no bones about their pride in owning the swan song of Detroits most outrageous era, and bidders eagerly met and exceeded the $175,000-$225,000 pre-sale estimate. When the dust settled finally after spirited bidding, a dedicated collector drove the prize home for $341,000. It was the last, and arguably the pinnacle, of the muscle car era. All prices quoted in this report are in Canadian dollars and include the buyers premium. Cars that sold for more than $250,000 had a 10 percent buyers premium. Cars $250,000 and below had a 12 percent buyers premium. All other lots had an 18 percent buyers premium. Three other automobiles also topped six figures in the 286-lot auction that grossed a little more than $1.5 million. The first was a 1966 Jaguar E-Type Series I 4.2-liter fixed head coupe, a classic British sporting car. The car was a solid and rust-free example before benefiting from a comprehensive ground-up restoration in its original livery of British Racing Green with tan leather. It came into the sale with a $100,000 high estimate but ended up bringing $128,800. The second was a 1970 Chevrolet Corvette LS5 roadster, one of the last of the great pavement pounders of the muscle car era. The 1970 Corvette marked the third year of the C3 generation, introduced as an upgrade to the 427-cubic-inch engine to the mighty LS5 454 cubic inch V8. The LS5 was rated at 390 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. Of the 17,316 Vettes made in 1970, 10,688 were coupes. This one was bid to $112,000 against a high estimate of $100,000. The third was a 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351, a full-strength American street monster but one that proved to be a final offering for true muscle car fans from the blue oval team. Yes, the 351 big block engine was a hit and an upgrade over the 302 and 429 Boss Mustangs, and the body was redesigned. But the looming gas crisis of 73 spelled the end of the road for the muscle car era. This relic from the past sold for $100,800. The high estimate was $80,000. The unilateral respect that comes with the Fairbairn name translated into feverish buyer confidence at the auction block, said Ethan Miller of Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. Collector cars soared past high estimates in part because they were from the collection of a founding partner and specialist of what became the worlds largest car auction company, RM Sothebys. The Fairbairn collection was more than muscle cars. In addition to those described, the auction also featured historic objects, petroliana, soda advertising, advertising signs, general store items, motorcycles, automobilia and coin-ops. A total of 1,800 in-house and online bidders combined to place 7,981 bids. 98 percent of the 286 lots were sold, and 44 percent of the top 50 lots exceeded estimate. Online bidding was through www.LiveAuctioneers.com and www.MillerandMillerAuctions.com. A 1920s Canada Vulcanizer double visible Red Indian gasoline pump brought $70,800, nearly doubling the $40,000 high estimate. It had a show-quality restoration to automotive paint standards as completed by Bob Krist, outfitted with correct white rubber hoses, brass nozzles with gilt-painted fittings and two reproduction double-sided Red Indian gas globes. It was embossed Property of Supertest Petroleum Corp., London, Ontario. A Canadian 1930s McColl-Frontenac Red Indian Motor Oils single-sided porcelain dealer sign, five feet in diameter, more than doubled its $12,000 high estimate by changing hands for $25,960. McColl-Frontenac played a significant role in early Canadian petroleum history and was well-known for its distinctive Red Indian branding. This example was graded well, at 8.5 out of 10, with excellent color and gloss. For additional information, visit www.MillerandMillerAuctions.com.