Ex-Brock MHDT VB Commodore going to auction

A racing Commodore with a long and significant history in Australian motorsport has been added to the ticket for Burns & Co’s 25 October auction.

With connections to Peter Brock, Allan Moffat, John Harvey, Garry Rogers, Larry Perkins, Peter Janson and many others, plus more than 60 race starts and seven Bathurst 1000 entries, this car will surely top the billing in an auction that already offers many desirable cars.

MHDT Starter

The origins of this car go back to 1979, when the Marlboro Holden Dealer Team (MHDT) were in the process of switching from the LX Torana A9X to the VB Commodore for racing duties.

Built by the MHDT over November-December, 1979, this car was tested at Calder Park in December, 1979, and served as the “prototype” for the race and homologation specification required by CAMS to enter the Commodore in Group C competition.

When Peter Brock purchased MHDT in January, 1980, this car was included and campaigned by Brock in the 1980 Australian Touring Car Championship.

In that season, Brock put the Commodore on pole for all eight rounds and won four races, including the opener at Symmons Plains, then Calder Park, Lakeside and Surfers Paradise. Combined with three runner-up placings, Brock easily won his third ATCC title in this car.

The 1980 title would be the only one for a Commodore in the Group C era and a Commodore wouldn’t win an ATCC championship again until 1994.

This car was also campaigned at the Hardie-Ferodo 1000 at Bathurst in 1980, driven by John Harvey and Ron Harrop.

Privateer Entry

Sold to Clive Benson-Brown in 1981, the ex-MHDT prototype Commodore continued to race, with the likes of Garry Rogers, Larry Perkins and Peter Janson, as well as Benson-Brown, driving the car with new ‘Soundwave Discos’ livery. Podiums at Oran Park and AIR were the best results achieved that year, with Rogers and Benson-Brown partnering to finish fourth overall at the 1981 James Hardie 1000, despite the car being badly damaged in the multi-car crash that ended the race.

Rebuilt for the 1982 ATCC season, the Commodore was altered to VH appearance and once again campaigned by Benson-Brown and Rogers, as well as Charlie O’Brien, for a best race placing of fifth.

In 1984, the car sat unused for much of the year before being sold to Jim Keogh, who first entered it at that year’s Castrol 400 at Sandown for a fifth-place finish. At the ’84 Bathurst 1000, the car finished in 19th place with Bernie Stack and Wayne Clift driving.

Converted to VK Group A spec for the 1985 ATCC season, Keogh did enough to win the ATCC’s Rookie of the Year Award before selling the car to Jim Ellis ahead of that year’s Castrol 400 at Sandown. Ellis finished fifth overall in his first start in the ex-MHDT car, then continued to campaign it through the 1985, 1986 and 1987 ATCC seasons.

Mothballed, then Reborn

Before the end of the 1987 ATCC season, Ellis commissioned Gary O’Brien started to rebuild the car to VL Group A spec before an all-new GpA build took priority and the ex-MHDT car was sold to O’Brien.

The Commodore sat unused for the next 16 years before Rowan Harman purchased it in 2003 and commissioned O’Brien to undertake a full resto in 2004.

Rebuilt and re-liveried to 1980 ATCC VB Commodore spec, including the same livery the MHDT car wore for its 1980 race debut with Peter Brock at Symmons Plains, the project took four years.

The car has been displayed multiple times since, including at Supercar race meets and other events.

MHDT and Aussie Racing History

As the first racing Commodore built by the Marlboro Holden Dealer Team, this car already has significant history. Add the connections to Brock, Moffat, Perkins, Harvey and others, and its desirability increases even further.

While the car does not have a guiding range, a six-figure sum is likely given its provenance. Pre-bidding ahead of the 25 October auction date has seen the car already exceed $50,000 in live bids at time of writing.  CHECK LIVE BIDDING HERE

Burns & Co Classic Car Auction – essential info

The Burns & Co Classic Car Auction gets underway from 1:00PM (AEDT) on 25th October, 2020, at Burns & Co’s Bayswater auction rooms, and will be conducted via online and absentee bidding only. Pre-bidding is available on all lots.

To register for bidding, go to: www.burnsandcoauctions.com.au or call (03) 8657 4292.

Pre-auction inspections are available via appointment only. Contact Anton on 0427 383 531, or go to: www.burnsandcoauctions.com.au