The
Holden Dealer Team (aka HDT) was
HoldenGM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
’s semi-official racing team from 1969 until
1987The 1987 Australian Touring Car season was the 28th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
, primarily contesting Australian
Touring CarTouring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
events but also
rallyingRallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
,
rallycrossRallycross is a form of sprint style automobile racing, held on a closed mixed-surface racing circuit, with modified production or specially built road cars, similar to the World Rally Cars, although usually with about stronger engines, due to e.g. their 45 mm turbo restrictor plates. It is...
and sports sedans during the 1970s. From 1980 the Holden Dealer Team, by then under the ownership of
Peter BrockPeter Geoffrey Brock, AM otherwise known as "Peter Perfect", "The King of the Mountain" or simply as "Brocky" was one of Australia's best-known and most successful motor racing drivers. Brock was most often associated with Holden for almost 40 years, although he raced vehicles of other...
, diversified into producing modified
CommodoresThe Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured since 1978 by the Holden subsidiary of General Motors in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model...
and other Holden cars for selected dealers via HDT Special Vehicles Pty Ltd.
Holden ceased its association with Brock's businesses in February 1987, and for the remainder of that year the race team became known as HDT Racing, which name was later dissolved when Brock secured a contract with BMW Australia to operate a BMW M3 race team (formerly JPS Team BMW) in
1988The 1988 Australian Touring Car season was the 29th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
. Further into 1988, Brock sold off his HDT Special Vehicles road car business, which has nevertheless under various ownership continued to modify Holden vehicles to this current day.
The Firth Years
After showing an increasing interest in motorsport during the 1960s, Holden decided to form a team to enter both Touring Car and Rally events in 1969. However, Holden’s parent company,
General MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
forbade its manufacturers from officially entering
motor sportAuto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
circuit racing events. Holden was able to circumvent this directive by naming its team the ‘Holden Dealer Team’ which was officially owned by its dealers. In reality Holden bankrolled the entire operation and Holden executive John Bagshaw, who was the driving force behind the establishment of the team, created the financial framework which allowed the HDT to be funded without Detroit's knowledge. Holden appointed former Ford team manager
Harry FirthHarry L. Firth is an Australian former racing driver and team manager. Firth was a leading race and rally driver during the 1950s and 1960s and continued as an influential team manager well into the 1970s...
to manage the operation.
Harry Firth hired two talented, but relatively untested, drivers in
Colin BondColin John Bond is a retired Australian racing driver. Bond reached the highest levels in Australian motorsport in 1969 when he was recruited by Harry Firth to the newly formed Holden Dealer Team...
and
Peter BrockPeter Geoffrey Brock, AM otherwise known as "Peter Perfect", "The King of the Mountain" or simply as "Brocky" was one of Australia's best-known and most successful motor racing drivers. Brock was most often associated with Holden for almost 40 years, although he raced vehicles of other...
. These two drivers would form the backbone of the team over the next few years. At that year's
Hardie-Ferodo 500The 1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500 was the tenth running of the Bathurst 500 production car race. It was held on 5 October 1969 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst...
the team entered three HT Monaro GTS350’s and tasted immediate success, finishing first and third, with Bond winning with co-driver
Tony RobertsAnthony Roberts, , was an Australian race and rally driver.Roberts won the 1968 Sandown 3 Hours with Bob Watson, giving the Holden Monaro a debut victory...
, while Brock finished third with Des West.
Concerned at the ongoing development of rival Ford’s V8 powered
XW Falcon GTHO Phase I-Introduction:The XW Falcon was released in June 1969 replacing the XT Falcon. The XW was an extensive facelift of the XT, featuring a new grille and tail lights...
, in 1970 Firth opted to run a much smaller race car based upon the Holden Torana with a 6-cylinder engine. The LC Torana GTR XU-1 was a match for the larger and more powerful Falcon GT-HO at most circuits, but at Bathurst, with its long straight and steep 'mountain' climb, the car was less competitive, and Ford’s
Allan MoffatAllan George Moffat, OBE is an Australian racing driver known for his four wins in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four wins in the Bathurst 1000...
dominated both the
1970The 1970 Hardie-Ferodo 500 was the twelfth running of the Bathurst 500 touring car race. It was held on 4 October 1970 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst...
and
1971The 1971 Hardie-Ferodo 500 was the 13th running of the Bathurst 500 production car race. It was held on 3 October 1971 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia. The race was open to production vehicles competing in showroom condition with the field divided...
events. However in
1972The 1972 Hardie-Ferodo 500 was an endurance motor race open to Group E Series Production Touring Cars. The race was held on 1 October 1972 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia...
the Holden Dealer Team with its LJ Torana GTR XU-1 broke through Ford's domination, with Peter Brock winning the first of his nine Bathurst victories in a solo drive in the last of Bathurst's 500 mile Series Production race formats.
Rallying and Rallycross
Holden had been supporting rally adventures since the early 1960s and had made use of the brand's successes in its advertising ... support had often been arranged via dedicated state 'dealer' teams, however it was not until 1969 that the whole arena of rallying and Holden motor sport in general was grouped together under the management of Harry Firth and the Holden Dealer Team. The new team kicked off in August 1969 with Harry himself behind the wheel of a HT Monaro GTS 253 rally car, but he soon after announced his retirement from active driving, handing over the rally Monaro to his old rival, Barry Ferguson. Colin Bond and Tony Roberts then joined in as additional members of the rally team.
In 1970, the rally team ran a Monaro GTS 350 for Bond whilst Ferguson and Roberts each drove the new Torana GTRs. As the team progressed, Colin Bond in partnership with George Shepheard won the
Australian Rally ChampionshipThe Australian Rally Championship is a 6 Round National motorsport Championship run in forested countryside throughout Australia.-Current Competition:...
three times in 1971, 1972 and 1974 driving the
LC Torana GTR XU-1The Holden Torana is a car which was produced by General Motors–Holden's , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors from 1967 to 1980. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly". The first Torana appeared in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle that had its origins in the...
and later the LJ Torana GTR XU-1. During this period, Peter Brock proved himself to be very successful in Rallycross races at
Calder Park RacewayCalder Park Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The complex includes a drag strip, a road circuit with several possible configurations, and the "Thunderdome", a high-speed banked oval equipped to race either clockwise or counter-clockwise .-History:Calder Park...
in Victoria and
Catalina ParkCatalina Park is a disused motor racing venue, located at Katoomba,in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. It was the official Dog Off Leash area for Katoomba and is recognised as an Aboriginal Place due to the long association of the local Gundungarra and Darug tribes to the...
in New South Wales, driving HDT's famous
Holden Torana GTR called "The Beast". In Brock's hands this supercharged version of a LC Torana GTR proved virtually unbeatable.
LJ Torana GTR XU-1 V8
In 1972, Harry Firth began developing a V8-engined version of the LJ Torana GTR XU-1, to be able to compete with Ford's anticipated XA Falcon GT-HO (Phase IV) and
Chrysler Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
's mooted 340ci V8 Charger at Bathurst (Chrysler continue to this day to say that the Charger R/T V8 was a myth but Ford's GT-HO Phase IV definitely wasn't). The first V8 Torana was fitted with the small block 253ci (4.2L) Holden V8 but this was soon upgraded to the 308ci (5.0L) version. This car was built to Series Production rules at the time but Harry Firth had Colin Bond race the car, disguised as a Sports Sedan, at the 1972 Easter ATCC race meeting at Bathurst. Bond took an easy victory in the five lap support race with a lap time some four seconds faster than the team's 6-cylinder Series car. Unfortunately, the production potential of this car ended up going nowhere in the wake of the Supercar Scare of June/July 1972.
LH Torana L34 and LX Torana A9X
In 1974 Holden released the larger but significantly more powerful
V8The Holden V8 is an overhead valve V8 engine which was produced by the Australian General Motors subsidiary Holden between 1969 and 2000. The engine was used initially in the Kingswood and Monaro model ranges; it was later utilised in the Torana and Commodore ranges...
powered LH Torana SL/R 5000. Peter Brock dominated the
Australian Touring Car ChampionshipThe Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...
that year, using both a LJ-series GTR XU-1 and then the new LH-series SL/R 5000. Both Brock and Bond suffered engine problems with the new L34 Option variant of the SL/R 5000 at
BathurstThe 1974 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 was the 16th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 6 October 1974 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst. The race was open to cars eligible to the locally developed CAMS Group C touring car regulations with four engine capacity based...
in 1974, putting them out when the team seemed to be in an unassailable position (the Brock/
SampsonBrian Sampson is a retired Australian racing driver.Sampson had a long career throughout the 60s and 70s, which he still continues as a hobby...
car was six laps in front when it retired on lap 118).
At the end of the 1974 season Brock left the HDT team, whilst Colin Bond continued on as the team's sole circuit racing driver. Bond went on to win the
1975 Australian Touring Car ChampionshipThe 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship was the 16th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It began at Symmons Plains and ended at Lakeside International Raceway after seven rounds...
whilst also competing in rally events for HDT in a LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34.
HDT's circuit racing presence returned to a two-car status for 1976, initially with John Walker joining the team, but following his departure along came
John HarveyJohn Francis Harvey is a retired Australian racing driver. He was a top speedway driver for many years in the 1950s/1960s winning many championship races including NSW Championship 3 successive years, Victorian Championship twice.After switching from speedway to road racing, Harvey drove cars...
. In 1977, Colin Bond departed HDT to join Alan Moffat’s semi-works "Moffat Ford Dealers" team. Thereafter, John Harvey became the HDT principal driver, to be joined by Charlie O'Brien.
The 1977 touring car racing season also saw the debut of the LX Torana, the new A9X performance option replacing the L34 version and available in both four-door "SL/R 5000" sedan and two-door "SS 5.0" hatchback body types. However, due to teething troubles with this new homologation special, the Holden Dealer Team struggled against the two-car Moffat Ford Dealers team, with Allan Moffat winning both the 1977 ATCC title and also the big one at
BathurstThe 1977 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 was the 18th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 2 October 1977 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst...
.
After a solid eight years, Harry Firth parted ways with the Holden Dealer Team at the end of the 1977 season.
John Sheppard takes over
One of the first moves made by Sheppard was to bring Brock back to the team. It was a wise decision for Brock dominated the season, becoming the first driver to win the 'triple crown' of the
Touring Car ChampionshipThe 1978 Australian Touring Car Championship was the 19th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It began at Symmons Plains and ended at Adelaide International Raceway after eight rounds...
, the
Hang Ten 400The 1978 Hang Ten 400 was an endurance race for Group C Touring Cars. The event was staged at the Sandown International Motor Racing Circuit in Victoria, Australia on 10 September 1978 over a total distance of 401 km....
at
SandownSandown International Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Melbourne, Victoria, approximately south east of the city centre. It is considered a power circuit with its front straight being 899m long and back straight 910m long.-History:...
and the
Hardie-Ferodo 1000The 1978 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 was the 19th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on October 1, 1978 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst...
(with
Jim RichardsJim Richards is a New Zealand racing driver who has spent most of his racing life in Australia. While retired from professional racing, Richards continues to compete in the historic category Touring Car Masters while running a team in the Australian GT Championship...
).
Brock was narrowly defeated by
privateerIn motor sport, a privateer is usually an entrant into a racing event that is not directly supported by an automobile manufacturer. Privateers teams are often found competing in rally and circuit racing events, and often include competitors who build and maintain their own vehicles...
Torana driver
Bob MorrisRobert Morris is an Australian former racing driver. Morris was one of the leading touring car drivers during the 1970s and continued racing until 1984. Morris won Australia's premier Touring car race, the Bathurst 1000 in 1976. He also won the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1979...
for the
1979 Australian Touring Car ChampionshipThe 1979 Australian Touring Car Championship was the 20th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It began at Symmons Plains and ended at Adelaide International Raceway after eight rounds...
but went on to dominate the
Hardie-Ferodo 1000The 1979 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 was the 20th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on September 30, 1979 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst...
. Brock qualified on
pole positionThe term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...
, he and Richards lead every lap of the race, Brock set a new lap record on the very last lap of the race and they won by a massive six-lap margin.
The Holden Dealer Team also entered a three-car
CommodoreThe Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured since 1978 by the Holden subsidiary of General Motors in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model...
team in the Round Australia Rally. Anxious to prove the then new cars reliability, the cars were perfectly prepared and finished first, second and third. Brock, who won the event along with co-drivers Matt Phillip and Noel Richards, has cited this event as his career highlight.
The Brock era
Despite the success, by 1980 Holden was ready to pull the pin on the Holden Dealer Team. They believed there was no longer any point in competing against privateer teams driving Holden cars, and they put the team up for sale. Peter Brock purchased the team, and in order to finance it, called on Holden dealers to support him. In return for providing assistance, Brock would build a special range of modified, high performance Commodores for the dealers to add to their range. (See section on HDT Special Vehicles below). For the first time, the team really was a 'Dealer Team'. Meanwhile, Brock also took over the management of the racing team as John Sheppard had left the team when Holden pulled out.
Despite the off track changes, the Holden Dealer Team remained as competitive as ever, with Brock claiming a second 'triple crown'. This time his Bathurst adventure was less straightforward. Chasing Dick Johnson's
Ford XD FalconThe Ford XD Falcon is a car that was produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between 1979 and 1982.The XD series was introduced on 28 March 1979 and was initially offered in five models:* Falcon GL * Fairmont...
early in the race, Brock collided with a back marker. The damage was only minor but Brock went a lap down whilst his car was repaired. Soon after however, Johnson hit a rock on the top of the mountain and was out of the race, and Brock and Richards fought their way back throughout the day to score a come from behind win.
While the Holden Dealer Team was unable to win another Touring Car Championship, the team maintained its excellent Bathurst record over the next few years. Brock won Bathurst again in
1982The 1982 James Hardie 1000 was the 23rd running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 3 October 1982 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia...
with former
Formula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
driver
Larry PerkinsLarry Clifton Perkins is a former racing driver and V8 Supercar team owner from Australia.-Career:...
, and again in controversial circumstances in
1983The 1983 James Hardie 1000 was the 24th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was an endurance race for Touring Cars complying with CAMS Group C regulations. It was held on October 2, 1983 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst and was Round 4 of the 1983 Australian...
. The rules at the time permitted 'cross-entering' which meant that after Brock's car dropped out with an engine failure, both Brock and Perkins transferred into John Harvey's car, leaving Peter's younger brother Phil, who was to be Harvey's co-driver, without a drive. The trio then went on to win the race. For
1984The 1984 James Hardie 1000 was the 25th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 30 September 1984 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia and was Round 4 of the 1984 Australian Endurance Championship...
Brock and Perkins made it three in a row and the team made it a 1-2 when John Harvey and new recruit David Parsons crossed the line right behind, but 2 laps back, Brock in a form finish.
Group A
In 1985 Australian touring car racing now ran under International
Group AIn relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed...
formula, rather than the indigenous
Group CIn relation to Australian motorsport, Group C refers to either of two sets of regulations devised by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport for use in Australian touring car racing from 1965 to 1984...
regulations that had been in force since 1973. This led indirectly to the Holden Commodores becoming less competitive against the imported Nissans,
VolvoAB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
s,
BMWBayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
s and
JaguarThe jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
s. Despite only one win during the season, Brock nearly pulled off an upset podium at
BathurstThe 1985 James Hardie 1000 was the 26th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 6 October 1985 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst. It was the first time the race was held exclusively for cars complying with the Australian version of International Group A...
, retiring due to a broken
timing chainA timing belt, or cam belt , is a part of an internal combustion engine that controls the timing of the engine's valves. Some engines, such as the flat-4 Volkswagen air-cooled engine, and the straight-6 Toyota F engine use timing gears...
three laps from the end of the race while running a strong second. By 1986, a homologated version of the car, originally to be released in 1985, made the Commodore much more competitive, and Brock was able to sign longtime rival
Allan MoffatAllan George Moffat, OBE is an Australian racing driver known for his four wins in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four wins in the Bathurst 1000...
to the team. The HDT, taking advantage of
Group AIn relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed...
regulations, also ran a
European Touring Car ChampionshipThe European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004...
program. Due to the liberal nature by which European regulators enforced the rules, the HDT was not as competitive as they hoped, but they still achieved some successes, such as co-winning the Kings Cup team's prize at the
Spa 24 HoursThe Total 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event held annually in Belgium at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Conceived by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem just one year after the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race was run under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club Belgium...
with
Allan GriceAllan Maxwell Grice OAM , known to motor-racing fans as Gricey, is an Australian former racing driver and politician, most famous for twice winning the prestigious Bathurst 1000 , and as a privateer driver of a Holden in the Australian Touring Car Championship.Grice also had a successful second...
's Australian Racing Team. The HDT's best ETCC finish was a 5th place at
Donington ParkDonington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
.
By 1987 the relationship between Brock and
HoldenGM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
had soured, primarily over the controversial 'energy polarizer' device Brock was installing in the HDT road cars (see below). Moffat and Harvey both left the team, HDT's 1987 international campaign was limited to an assault on Spa and team did not pose a threat in that year's championship. That year the Bathurst 1000 was a round of the World Touring Car Championship and Rudi Eggenberger's
TexacoTexaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Ford Sierra RS500s dominated the race. Brock's own car failed early but he and co-driver David Parsons cross-entered into the teams second car, driven by
Peter McLeodPeter Gerard McLeod , was an Australian racing driver, best known as co-winner of the 1987 James Hardie 1000 at Bathurst and for driving the distinctive yellow and black Slick 50 Mazda RX-7 Group C touring car during the early to mid 1980's.-Group C Touring Cars:McLeod began his racing career in...
and made up ground in the wet conditions, and eventually finished in third place behind the two Sierras. Ten months later, the Sierras were disqualified for running illegal bodywork and Brock, Parsons and McLeod became the victors.
Advantage Racing
The team continued under the direction of
Alan GowAlan James Gow is currently the Series Director and Administrator of the British Touring Car Championship , Chairman of MSA and President of the FIA Touring Car Commission...
under the banner of Advantage Racing, with continued support from
MobilMobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...
, but without the assistance of Holden, new automotive partners had to be found.
Frank GardnerFrank Gardner OAM was a racing driver from Australia. He was best known as a Touring car racing and Sports car racing driver. He also participated in nine World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 11 July 1964. He scored no championship points...
had retired and shut down the
JPS Team BMWJPS Team BMW is a former motor racing team that ran primarily in Australia and New Zealand mainly in touring car racing but also ran in sports sedans and GT cars as well...
. The team bought the JPS team assets and became the official team for
BMW AustraliaBayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
but by 1988 the BMW M3 was no longer competitive and Brock,
Jim RichardsJim Richards is a New Zealand racing driver who has spent most of his racing life in Australia. While retired from professional racing, Richards continues to compete in the historic category Touring Car Masters while running a team in the Australian GT Championship...
and emerging talent
Neil CromptonNeil Crompton is a well-known V8 Supercars presenter and commentator for Australia's Channel Seven, having previously worked in a similar role at Network Ten...
found themselves fighting for scraps against the onslaught of the Ford Sierras. By the
1989 ATCCThe 1989 Shell Ultra Australian Touring Car Championship was the 30th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It began on 5 March 1989 at Amaroo Park and ended on 9 July at Oran Park Raceway after eight rounds...
season Brock was forced into the unthinkable and spent the next two years racing Ford's Sierra RS500s, supplied in kit form by
Andy RouseAndrew "Andy" Rouse is an English racing driver, most notably in the BTCC. He won the BTCC in 1975, 1983, 1984 and 1985....
. Limited budget forced the team into a merger with Miedecke Motorsport in 1990.
The venture with Ford was not without success, with race wins returning and coming within a few points of winning the
1990 Australian Touring Car ChampionshipThe 1990 Shell Ultra Australian Touring Car Championship was the 31st running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It began on 25 February 1990 at Amaroo Park and ended on 15 July at Oran Park Raceway after 8 rounds...
. Another highlight was pole position at the
1989 Tooheys 1000The 1989 Tooheys 1000 was the 30th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 1 October 1989 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst, Australia. The race was held for cars eligible under International Group A touring car regulations with three engine capacity...
. Budget constraints again forced the team into a technical alliance with
Larry PerkinsLarry Clifton Perkins is a former racing driver and V8 Supercar team owner from Australia.-Career:...
and Perkins Engineering for the
1991 Australian Touring Car seasonThe 1991 Australian Touring Car season was the 32nd year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
, bringing with it a return to Holden, running the
VN Commodore Group A SSThe Holden VN Commodore was the sixth model of the Holden Commodore, a full-size car produced by the Australian automotive marque, Holden. It is essentially made out of an Opel donor body mated to either a Buick V6 or Holden V8, depending on the model, with slight tweaks to the front and rear ends...
, however this coincided with the highpoint for Nissan with their all wheel drive, twin turbo GT-R which left everyone in Group A behind, leaving Brock and Perkins again scrabbling for points rather than podiums.
The alliance with Perkins lasted just a single season, and Advantage continued through into the beginning of the
V8 SupercarV8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...
era with Commodores with modest success until he reconciled with Holden and was invited to join Holden's new official racing team, the
Holden Racing TeamThe Holden Racing Team is a Melbourne based motor racing team. HRT is the most successful V8 Supercar racing team in the history of the category, having won the drivers championship six times, and the series signature race the Bathurst 1000 seven times...
in 1994. At this point Advantage disbanded, the last remnants of the Holden Dealer Team going separate ways.
Peter Brock's HDT Special Vehicles P/L
The cars built by HDT Special Vehicles for road use quickly gained an enthusiastic following. The cars were built under
Peter BrockPeter Geoffrey Brock, AM otherwise known as "Peter Perfect", "The King of the Mountain" or simply as "Brocky" was one of Australia's best-known and most successful motor racing drivers. Brock was most often associated with Holden for almost 40 years, although he raced vehicles of other...
's direction and had approval from Holden. Several versions of modified high-performance road-going Commodore sedans were produced through the early and mid 1980s, with some being "
homologationHomologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
specials" produced to meet the prevailing
Group AIn relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed...
racing regulations. These vehicles were all individually numbered with only 4246 Brock HDT's made and are considered to be collectors' items due to their rarity.
HDT and Brock's association with Holden ended sensationally in 1987, after Brock began fitting a device known as the "Energy Polarizer" to HDT vehicles. Regarded as
pseudosciencePseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
by Holden and the vast majority of the Australian motoring community, a new VL series "Director" model was then released in February 1987 which incorporated not only the Polarizer but also a new independent rear suspension system developed by HDT without Holden's approval. Holden ended its association with Brock as he had refused to supply a Director for test purposes and Holden was therefore unwilling to honour warranties on any cars thereafter modified by Brock's HDT operation.
Holden, in a partnership of sorts with TWR, then set up
Holden Special VehiclesHolden Special Vehicles is the officially designated performance vehicle partner of Australian automobile manufacturer Holden. Established in 1987 and based in Clayton, Victoria, the company modifies Holden models such as the Commodore, Caprice and Ute and markets them under the HSV brandname.-...
, which business took over the role of producing factory-approved modified Commodores for general road use as well as for Group A racing homologation.
Legacy and collectibility
The HDT Commodores have a substantial place in Australian motoring enthusiast history, and thus they are highly collectible. It is not uncommon to see these vehicles selling for over $60,000 for a clean genuine example or even between $80-150,000 for an extremely low km example.
Enthusiasts in many Australian States have formed HDT Owners Groups, having regular concourse events, showcasing the many fine examples that HDT produced over the years.After the death of Brock, HDT vehicles became more collectible than ever. According to the Australian 5/2007
Wheels MagazineWheels is an Australian automotive magazine published monthly by ACP Magazines. The publication is well-renowned by Australian car enthusiasts...
showroom condition cars are generating prices as high as $200,000 AU.
The HDT Cup
The HDT Cup is a category that celebrates a "Golden Era" in Australian Motor Sport.
The "Holden Dealer Team" started in 1969 with the HT Monaro, subsequently moving on to the XU1 Torana, going on to race Toranas for 9 years. HDT switched over to Commodores after their introduction and campaigned Commodores for a further 8 years.
The HDT Cup was introduced to
iRace in 2009 after a request from HDT to become involved with the series. In 2009 "Classic" [pre 1987] and "Modern" [post 1987] classes for Commodores made up the HDT Cup.
For 2010 a Torana class will also be introduced.
The cars are split into classes based on engine capacity:
- Class "A" is for engines over 5 Ltrs,
- Class "B" is for the 253 V8, and
- Class "C" for six cylinder cars of both V and inline configuration.
HDT Muscle Division
The
HDT Muscle Division caters for all types of production-based racing cars. From the venerable HQ Holdens, to V8-powered Ford and Holden Utes, to ex-Commodore Cup cars, Improved Production, Sports Sedans (non-spaceframe) and Japanese Turbos, as well as Classic Touring Cars and more.
Brock era HDT road cars
Vehicle types manufactured in partnership with Holden :
- VC COMMODORE HDT - 5.0 ltr
- VH COMMODORE ADP - various sedan and wagon vehicles - 4.2 ltr, 5.0 ltr
- VH COMMODORE SS GROUP ONE - 4.2 ltr
- VH COMMODORE SS GROUP TWO - 4.2 ltr
- VH COMMODORE SS GROUP THREE - 4.2 ltr, 5.0 ltr
- WB STATESMAN DE VILLE MAGNUM - 5.0 ltr
- WB STATESMAN CAPRICE MAGNUM - 5.0 ltr
- VK COMMODORE LM5000 - 5.0 ltr
- VK COMMODORE ADP - various sedan and wagon vehicles - 5.0 ltr, 4.9 ltr
- VK COMMODORE ADP (SL GROUP A) - 5.0 ltr, 4.9 ltr
- VK COMMODORE SS - 5.0 ltr, 4.9 ltr
- VK COMMODORE SS GROUP THREE - 5.0 ltr, 4.9 ltr
- VK CALAIS DIRECTOR - 5.0 ltr, 4.9 ltr
- VK COMMODORE SS GROUP A - 4.9 ltr
- VK COMMODORE SS GROUP A GROUP THREE - 4.9 ltr
- VL CALAIS LE - 3.0 ltr, 3.0 ltr Turbo, 4.9 ltr
- VL CORSA (COMMODORE LE) - 3.0 ltr, 3.0 ltr Turbo
- VL COMMODORE SS GROUP A - 4.9 ltr
- VL COMMODORE SS GROUP A "Plus Pack" - 4.9 ltr
Vehicle types manufactured following dissolution with Holden :
- VL HDT DIRECTOR - 4.9 ltr, 5.6 ltr
- VL HDT GROUP THREE - 4.9 ltr
- VL HDT DESIGNER SERIES - various sedan and wagon vehicles - 3.0 ltr, 3.0 ltr Turbo, 4.9 ltr
- VL HDT AERO - 4.9 ltr, 5.6 ltr
- VL HDT BATHURST - 4.9 ltr, 5.6 ltr
In addition to the Holden/HDT mainstream editions listed above, various 'one-off' vehicles were manufactured by HDT Special Vehicles during the 1980-1988 period, perhaps the most significant of those being the HDT MONZA hatchback coupe that was displayed around Australia in 1985 with hopes of production that unfortunately did not eventuate.
New Generation
In May 2007, Peter Champion, a good friend of Peter Brock, purchased the HDT Special Vehicles business. Since then a 'New Generation' of road vehicles based around the VE Commodore have been developed. HDT's VE Commodore sedans form the new "Heritage Series" and these "Retro" cars are themselves based upon iconic HDT special vehicle designs of the Brock era. The first of these 'New Generation' HDT cars is called the VC Retro sedan, appropriately styled upon Brock's first public release vehicle, the VC HDT Commodore sedan of late 1980.
HDT Heritage Series
- VC RETRO sedan - based upon VE SV6, SS, and SS-V
- VC/VE RETRO 30TH ANNIVERSARY sedan - based upon VE SS and SS-V
- VH RETRO sedan - based upon VE SV6, SS, and SS-V
- VK GROUP A RETRO sedan - based upon VE SS and SS-V
- VK GROUP 3 RETRO sedan - based upon VE SS and SS-V
See also
External links