HDT Monaro breaks sales record

AHolden Dealer Team Monaro race car that never raced at Bathurst has sold for the unprecedented sum of $750,000. While the gure falls short of Lloyds’ own pre-auction prediction of more than a million dollars, the sale has set a new record for the highest price ever achieved for a Holden at auction.

The HT Monaro GTS 350 in question might have no Bathurst history but it happens to be the rst Holden Dealer Team Monaro to race, the Spencer Martin/Kevin Bartlett car from the ’69 Sandown 3-Hour.

The rst race start for the Harry Firthled Holden Dealer Team was not to be an auspicious occasion, the car meeting an untimely end in a ery crash after the brakes failed. But the lessons Firth learned from that drama helped him ne tune the Monaro into what became a Bathurst-winning package a few weeks later.

It was also the one and only HDT start for Kevin Bartlett and Spencer Martin. Bartlett was already contracted to drive with Alfa Romeo for Bathurst that year, while Martin would be a nonstarter due to a back injury.

Lee Hames, Lloyds Chief Operations Officer, said there were seven bidders for the car but it came down to two Australian enthusiasts who fought it out, both of whom had the intention to keep the car in Australia. The winning bidder of the Monaro wishes to remain anonymous.

“We are extremely excited that the car will remain within Australia, this important Holden achieved the highest price for a road registerable Australian Holden ever sold at auction,” Hames said.