A racing Commodore with a long and significant history in Australian motorsport was the highlight of Burns & Co’s 25 October auction in Melbourne.
With connections to Peter Brock, Allan Moffat, John Harvey, Garry Rogers, Larry Perkins, Peter Janson and many others, the car has more than 60 race starts and seven Bathurst 1000 entries under its belt including a dominant 1980 season with Brock.
HDT Commodore
MHDT Starter
The origins of this car go back to 1979, when the Marlboro Holden Dealer Team (MHDT) switched from the LX Torana A9X to the VB Commodore.
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 Australian 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.
HDT Commodore
In that year, Brock put the Commodore on pole for all eight rounds and won four races, including the season opener at Symmons Plains, then Calder Park, Lakeside and Surfers Paradise. Combined with three runner-up placings, Brock easily won his third and last ATCC title in this car.
The 1980 championship would be the only one for a Commodore in the Group C era and the last ATCC/V8 Supercars title by a Commodore until 1994.
Passed on to MHDT’s John Harvey for the non-championship races in 1980, this car was driven to victory by Brock and Harvey at the CRC 300 at Amaroo Park. Allan Moffat then drove the Commodore at the Hang Ten 400 at Sandown – its first race with VC panels – before it went back to Harvey, who was partnered by Ron Harrop for that year’s Hardie-Ferodo 1000 at Bathurst, where they briefly led the race before retiring with a mechanical failure.
HDT Commodore
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 achieved, 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 that year.
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.
HDT Commodore
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 again for the 1985 ATCC season, this time with VK panels, 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.
HDT Commodore
Mothballed, then Reborn
Before the end of the 1987 ATCC season, Ellis commissioned Gary O’Brien 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 to its 1980 ATCC spec, including the same MHDT livery that Brock debuted the car with at Symmons Plains, the project took four years.
The car has been displayed multiple times since, including at Supercar race meets and other events.
HDT Commodore
MHDT and Aussie Racing History
As the first racing Commodore built by the Marlboro Holden Dealer Team, this car already had significant history. Add the connections to Brock, Moffat, Perkins, Harvey and others, and its desirability increased even further. As such, pre-bidding had already exceeded $50,000 ahead of the 25 October auction date.
With steady bidding throughout the day, the final price after 32 bids was $219,800 (including buyer’s premium).
For more details on past and upcoming Burns & Co. Classic Car Auctions, go to: burnsandcoauctions.com.au
