You Know You Want To: Brock's Holden Commodore
The other star of THAT video, Brock's heroic sounding V8 Commodore is up for sale
One careful owner? Not quite, but a cool one
Shared genes or not, you can hardly compare an old Senator with a Group A Aussie touring car but it goes to prove that whatever side of the world you live on and at whatever level there's fun to be had flinging apparently unsuitable barges around racetracks beyond the limits of what they should be capable of. It's a real man's car this too - just look at how much muscle Brock has to put into making it turn in, both hands on top of the wheel and almost lifting out of his seat with the effort, that monstrous V8 alternately belching black clouds of unburnt fuel and flames out of that drainpipe-like side exhaust while seemingly determined to smear the bodywork against Mount Panorama's unforgiving walls. Mega!
£250K for a V8 barge? We'll go for that
But if you need inspiration just watch that video again and listen to the noise. Still not convinced? Here's some more in-car of Brock in the race that followed that amazing qualifying lap, chasing down a Skyline and a Cosworth Sierra. Cool cars both, and quicker than the Holden too. But once you've heard the noise from inside the Commodore neither gets a look in. OK, you won't be able to drive it like Brock. But you can live the dream just a little bit. And that's got to be worth a plane ticket to the other side of the world.
HOLDEN COMMODORE GROUP A
Price: £250,000 (estimated)
Why you should: A legendary car, driven by a legendary driver; the reason we love V8s in one simple package
Why you shouldn't: You'll be taking your life in your hands shipping it out of Australia; you won't be able to drive it like Brock
See the original advert here.
the aussies had thier noses put out of joint by the GTR and Sierra's, i am not sure they liked the pommie cars showing them how it was done
i had a Holden VN - was really fun to drive, you have to love the aussie mentality - stick a big engine in it !
for those thast are interested a bit more RS500 fun - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb-9sExObMs
The majority of Brock's old cars are owned by this guy in Queensland. They were on display up until recently but that link reveals, the display is now shut, which is a shame.
Same chap who owns them also bought the HDT name. HDT was the Holden Dealer Team, a network of Holden dealers licensed to sell and maintain cars specially prepared by Peter Brock's workshop. They fell out (long story) and the phoenix out of those ashes was Tom Walkinshaw's HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) which now produces the VXR8s and Monaro VXRs that were on sale here.
Well HDT now fettle Commodores again in much the same way HSV do, although on a smaller scale. Many of the styling kits are deliberately reminscent of the old Peter Brock cars (I like the VH Group 3 best) but you can now buy a healthy alternative to an HSV and for me the HDT is far nicer and more exclusive than the HSV. Its still a lot of money to drop on a Holden, but I drove one last year and was very very impressed. Its where my money would go, had I the choice.
If you dont remember the HDT VK COmmodore, I dont imagine you're going like that much ^^^
On my euromillions list would be a trip to this guy's collection and start haggling over one of the VL or VK Grp A cars. Afterall, everything is for sale!
ETA:
I even lashed up a Forza effort on a Monaro
EATA: You have to be *very* careful in Oz buying "ex Brock" cars, as people will slap that label on anything. For instance, this one may have come from Perkins engineering and been built for *someone*. but was it actually a Brock car? TO my eye there are few things not quite right about the one for sale. Im inclined to think they are different cars, although closely related. Although obviously they are changed/rebuilt crashed over the years. Its not quite faithful enough to be original and not perfect enough to be a good repro.
Hmmm....the front end looks a little more VN than VP to me.
The old 'Energy Polarizer'
http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/holden-...
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HOLDEN-BROCK-HDT-VK-GRO...
http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/holden-...
Here's a VH SS Grp 3
and HDT's modern incarnation:
Brock was looking for a successor to the Torana and I think he struck gold here and in fact, probably wasnt far off creating the modern day Monaro, way before Holden did. But as with so many good automotive projects, ADR's killed it stone dead.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEK7POxpVeE
Here's a VH SS Grp 3
and HDT's modern incarnation:
I recall when I was young, my "modifier" uncle had a Capri with those fins running along the wings to "channel the airflow up and over the car to push it into the ground" .... as a primary school lad, they were the coolest addition to any car, and I made some recreations from platicine for my RC car
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