Classic Aussie muscle to be auctioned by Graysonline
Graysonline have some very special cars consigned for their Queensland Classic Car auction in June, with two examples of classic Aussie muscle leading the way.
The 6-day timed online auction, commencing on 25 June, will be led by a 1972 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 and a modified 1971 Ford XY Falcon GT. While highly desirable in their own right, what makes these two cars extra special is their connection to Australian motor racing legends.
The Torana is a genuine ATCC car and was campaigned through the 1974 season by Bob Morris. One of the unsung heroes of Australian motorsport, Morris was also one of the most successful privateer drivers, winning Bathurst in 1976 and securing the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1979, both times in non-factory-supported cars. Morris’s connection to high-profile Sydney car dealer Ron Hodgson started in 1973 and he would carry that sponsorship through his most successful years in the sport.
The car up for auction is a genuine LJ Torana GTR XU-1 that was raced by Morris through the 1974 season with prominent Ron Hodgson sponsorship. With five runner-up finishes in that year’s seven-round series, Morris finished the ’74 ATCC second overall in this car, behind Peter Brock in the factory Malboro HDT GTR XU-1.
A real time capsule from the period, the Torana is described by Graysonline as being in unrestored, as-raced condition, with the same mechanical specification, interior and safety features from its racing era and even most of the same livery.
In running condition and ready to race at historic events, the Torana comes from a private collector in Queensland and is expected to pull a six-figure sum at the June auction.
The Falcon GT is from the same collector and was created specifically for five-time Australian Touring Car Champion, Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan, to drive in the 1996 Bathurst Legends Rally, an event that saw participants run from Sydney to Bathurst ahead of that year’s AMP Bathurst 1000.
A GT-HO in all but name, the Falcon features a 351 V8 upgraded to HO-spec and matched to a 4-speed gearbox and diff that have both been upgraded to Phase 3 spec.
Preparation of the car was overseen by John Wynne, formerly of Ford’s famous ‘Lot 6’ special vehicle operations and Geoghegan’s former mechanic.
While it may not have the same ‘on track’ pedigree as the Torana, the Falcon still has a lot of appeal, not least for the Geoghegan/Wynne connection, but also for its specification. A comfortable road car, but one that can also be let loose at a track day or on a classic tarmac rally, the Falcon is also expected to attract a six-figure sum when it goes to auction.
Both cars were recently exercised at Queensland’s Norwell Motorplex by former V8 Supercar drivers Russell Ingall and Paul Morris for their ‘Enforcer and The Dude’ series (look for Ep. 16 on YouTube).
The classics are the star lots in an auction that also includes a PRB Clubman, Honda NSX (a one-owner, Australian-delivered example with a genuine 5,100km and considered one of the world’s best examples) and a Lotus Elise ‘Type 72’, one of only three in Australia and 72 worldwide, with only 600km on the odometer.
Graysonline’s Queensland Classic Cars sale commences on 25 June and runs to 30 June inclusive. For more details, go to: https://www.graysonline.com/ and search for ‘Classic Cars’ in the ‘Cars, Bikes and Accessories’ category. Alternatively, email: [email protected] or call 1300 CLASSIC (1300 252 7742).
Photos: Courtesy of Carina Napier – Norwell Motorplex
