It belongs to the Tyrrell family, who were photographed with the rare motor vehicle for their 2019 Christmas card.

Some years ago, the late family patriarch Murray Tyrrell came across the vehicle decaying in a shed in Quirindi.

Newcastle Herald wine writer John Lewis said Murray "set about having the Chevy fully restored and brought to Pokolbin".

"It's become a treasured family heirloom," John said.

"Bruce Tyrrell drives it to work when he's at the winery. He also uses it to get the weekend papers and go to local lunches and the pub."

The double shuffle clutch would be a challenge for the uninitiated, but Bruce has mastered it.

Speaking of the Tyrrell family, they have quite the history.

In the year 1100, King William (Rufus) II - son of William the Conqueror - was allegedly killed by an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrrell, the family's website says.

Sir Walter fled to England to live in exile in Normandy. He was later pardoned by the new king.

Many centuries spiralled through time before the Tyrrells arrived in the Hunter.

The year was 1848. It was then that William Tyrrell was appointed as Anglican Bishop of the diocese of Newcastle.

In 1858, Edward Tyrrell took up a large parcel of prime Hunter Valley land - limestone country near the Brokenback Range.

In 1863, the winery was built. The following year, Tyrrell's first vintage arrived.

Last year marked the 160th anniversary of the founding of Tyrrell's Wines.

Speaking of wine, a set of Penfolds Grange wines has sold for world-record amount.

The set of 65 vintages, which range from 1951 to 2015, was sold to an Australian collector at auction for $372,800.

In another pricey acquisition, two rare bottles of the first-ever vintage of Penfolds Grange from 1951 sold for $81,000 each.

This, too, was a record.

"It is believed there are less than 20 bottles in circulation. The 1951 Penfolds Grange is coveted among collectors who want to have a complete set," said Tamara Grischy, of Langton's auction house.

"This wine truly represents the beginning of modern Australian wine, as Penfolds Grange has put Australia on the world map of fine wine."

One of the more affordable bottles went for $30. It was a 1990 Penfolds Koonunga Hill claret-cabernet blend.

"This is an absolute bargain for a wine that is almost 30 years old, and it is drinking beautifully at the moment," Tamara said.

In all, more than 1800 bottles of Penfolds went under the hammer in the online auction and sold for more than $1 million.

"I think we love Penfolds because it's such an Australian story, it's the underdog story defined," she said.

Max Schubert was Penfolds first chief winemaker. He began making the Grange as an experiment.

"At the time, Australian winemakers were mainly making fortified wines," she said.

He believed in his conviction and kept making the Grange, despite supervisors telling him to stop.

"He was a rebel. The wine world can forever be grateful for his refusal to do what he was told."