The Lodge, Toorak, sells for $2.72 million - ugly duckling or stylish MCM design?
The Lodge, 1 Gahan Court, Toorak, sold at weekend auction for $2.72 million.
It was built in the 1960s for General Motors Holden (GMH).
Kait Davis of William Batters South Yarra had given a $2.5 million to $2.7 million initial price guidance which proved highly reliable for the modernist style home.
One buyer's agent thought that it was "conservative" but then it attracted an unattributed Herald Sun $4 million price estimate, potentially debilitating on the morning of the auction.
The tabloid also called it an "ugly duckling".
The four bedroom house on a 579 cul de sac block was noted by the Modernist Australia website as one of "only a handful which truly croon Hollywood glamour pad".
"Every now and then a listing will come along which captures our imagination," it noted.
"Seemingly untouched it requires only the most simple of reconditioning to make it a living dream," the website suggested of one of Melbourne's remaining mid-century houses.
Title Tattle also hoped it would be retained by the new owner, certainly the overall facade and footings, but remains unaware of the intentions of its lawyer buyer.
I would suggest Melbourne's heritage authorities are unappreciative of the architecture of the 1960s when it comes to preservation.
Land title documents show GMH bought the Toorak property in 1968 and sold it in 1981.
It last traded at $237,500 in 1983 when bought by motel proprietor George Crocombe.
Little is known of the Gahan Court house's GMH connections, but Max E. Wilson was appointed managing director in 1966, taking over from David L. Heglund.
But there were long links between GMH and Toorak. Onetime GMH chief Harold E Bettle lived in Toorak as his Holden was stolen from his then home in 1948. In 1949 GMH bought Whernside, the Toorak mansion, selling it in 1954 to Myer.
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