PREMIERSHIP TEAM
HOLDEN’S PREMIERSHIP TEAM UP FOR GRABS
WHILE HIS mates were thinking about their next girlfriend or holiday, West Australian Mitch Vickers was planning his future.
Not with real estate investments or share speculating, but with Premiers. Holden Premiers.
Over the past 28 years Vickers has busied himself looking at, in, under and over hundreds and hundreds of Holden Premiers of all colours, configurations and condition, to accrue his collection of 11 one-owner, low-mileage Holden Premiers.
That's one of each model to grace Aussie roads from the EJ of 1962 to the HZ of 1979.
Vickers comes from a family of Holden enthusiasts though they never owned a Premier.
He says he decided on Premiers as they were a bit different and, being the luxury model of the Holden range, they were a low-volume car.
“My vision was to have a complete collection,” says Vickers.
Over the years he has traversed the country in his quest and has relied on many people on the eastern seaboard who acted as spotters for him.
He also credits Unique Cars as a major source for helping him track down many cars and admits to buying and selling a few along the way before amassing the fleet he has today.
“All the early cars are from retired people or deceased estates, as back in the day when people retired they'd buy a new car to see them out,” Vickers says.
Vickers also bought the custom number plates for each car in advance and put them in storage before setting off to find the cars.
“Each car has been carefully handpicked from all over Australia and New Zealand,” he says. “For example, the EH wagon is a very rare car. It was exported to New Zealand as an Australian diplomat's car.”
He started the collection with the HG, found in Cobram Victoria, where it had been originally sold.
Vickers regularly gets each
car out for a run to take him to car shows or to simply enjoy wheel time in one of the General’s finest.
Each Premier is in excellent order, with just minor resto work undertaken. All bar three have had a respray as they have faded over the years. The interior of each is immaculate – another purchase criterion.
Vickers is selling his beloved collection, inviting offers over $1 million, as he plans to retire using his Premier superfund.
In chronological order the Holdens are:
EJ Holden Premier with 63,428 miles, finished in Bronze with an Ivory roof with twotone Brown Leather interior. All Original, with some minor touch ups and original books and paperwork.
EH Holden Premier with 40,400 miles. Only 107 manual wagons were made and this one was exported to New Zealand and owned by the Australian High Commission.
HD Holden Premier with 14,575 miles. Aroora Blue with unmarked white interior and matching trim. The HD was the last model to have the 179 engine. It has the original papers and log books.
The HR Holden Premier, has travelled just 42,888 miles from new and this beauty features the rare and more powerful factory 186s engine. Original white paint, matching black interior and matching vinyl roof. Original papers and log books.
HK Holden Premier with 90,000 miles showing. This one is painted Hacienda blue and has special order bucket seats and console. It also has original purchase papers, log books and full-service history.
HT Holden Premier – another rare example sporting the factory 186s engine that has done 81,747 miles. Green with white roof and antique gold interior, it has original log books.
HG Holden Premier, This is the one that started it all. Bronze with matching vinyl roof, antique gold interior trim, and 186 engine. Has original log books and travelled 51,241 miles.
HQ Holden Premier This one is extremely rare. A 25th anniversary edition with 54 837 km showing. The HQ has the bigger 202 engine and new-at-the-time Trimatic auto transmission. Finished in silver with an ash vinyl roof, it comes with all purchase papers and log books.
HJ Holden Premier 130,365 km, has original purchase papers and log books.
HX Holden Premier A special order 5-litre V8 lives under its bonnet, coupled to a Turbo 400 Transmission with a limitedslip differential, factory air and twin exhaust. The 230,896km HX Prem is Chamois coloured with white interior.
Last of the breed was the HZ Holden Premier and this one has 103,000 km on it and has the 253ci 4.2lt V8 and auto transmission, power windows and factory air. It has its original log books and full service history.
For more information go to premiercollection4sale.com.au