Turners Auctions resembled an Aladdin's cave of automobiles yesterday, with a collection of 20 cars, bikes and boats that once belonged to convicted fraudster Michael Swann, to go under the hammer next month.
The former Otago District Health Board information technology manager, Swann was sentenced in 2009 to nine years and six months' in prison after the theft of nearly $17 million from the board between 2000 and 2006.
Last September, the High Court ordered Swann to forfeit $3.5 million of assets and awarded the Crown a pecuniary penalty order of $6 million.
Turners Dunedin branch manager Andrew Spiers estimated the most expensive vehicle, a 1938 Rolls-Royce V12, would sell for between $170,000 and $180,000.
"We asked Rolls-Royce in England for information on the vehicles, but they wouldn't tell us anything. I think Rolls-Royce are planning to bid for them," he said.
"We've been getting a tremendous amount of interest from all over the place.
"We're expecting up to 700 people for this auction. The biggest auction we've ever had before was about 350 people for [late Northern Oaks Autodrome owner] Sandy Long's motorbike collection."
The auction includes three Rolls-Royce Phantoms, a 1911 Cadillac, 1928 Buick convertible, 1969 Mercedes Benz 280SL convertible (pagoda-top), E-type Jaguar, Porsche 928, United States Army World War 2 Willys Jeep, 1924 BSA motorcycle, a pleasure cruiser and three inflatable boats.
The auction is at 1pm on March 5.
