Happy ending to 44-year dream

The 1963 Chrysler Imperial Crown (above) and 1967 Shelby Mustang were sold at auction. Photo / Supplied

An Australian man's dream to own a 1963 Chrysler Imperial Crown that he fell in love with 44 years ago came true at auction in Melbourne.

"Paul" was an 18-year-old bank teller in Perth in 1966 when he first saw the claret metallic convertible with maroon interior.

"My father had an S-series Valiant, which had a similar front-end look, and it was love at first sight," he said. "There and then I vowed to own it one day."

For the next 20 years the Virgil Exner-styled Chrysler was stored underneath a house in Perth, not far from where Paul lived.

Then it came up for sale - but Paul couldn't afford it. The same thing happened in 2003, when it was sold again.

But Paul's luck changed a couple of weeks ago. He was returning from a truck show in Alice Springs when a mate phoned to tell him the Imperial Crown was to be sold at a Labour Day auction in Melbourne.

"I was determined this would be third time lucky," said Paul, who bought the Chrysler with a winning telephone bid of A$41,000 ($52,797).

"I hadn't seen the car in 20 years, but I never had a moment's doubt."

The right-hand-drive soft-top, whose first owner was purportedly the Emir of Kuwait, will now rub mudguards in Perth with a 1962 Chrysler Imperial Le Baron four-door pillarless hardtop owned by one of Paul's mates.

"We plan to take both cars to shows around Australia," Paul said. "They will look spectacular together."

The Chrysler Imperial Crown Convertible was one of a number of classics to do well at the auction.

A restored and converted right-hand-drive 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 sold for a top price of A$195,000, pipping the A$193,000 paid for a 1934 3.5-litre "Derby" Bentley Convertible.

A 1973 Ferrari Dino 246GT coupe was knocked down for A$170,000, a 1973 Holden Torana XU-1 fetched A$81,000 and a 1956 Holden FJ Special Sedan sold for A$38,000.