Muscle Mail
t has come to my notice that there is some controversy surrounding the history and authenticity of the two fluro (day glo) 1984 HDT Commodores – No.05 and No.25 respectively (AMC Issue 18). Firstly, the truth about 05. As is well known, International Group A regulations were due to be introduced starting January 1985 and new machinery was required. The decision was made to construct brand new cars to meet those regulations, so the two (Group C) VKs were no longer required by HDT after the 1984 endurance racing season. Now, during the 1980s I’d become pretty matey with John Farrell from Perth, who was in the boat building business. We ran a few races at Wanneroo and also caught a few big fish together during treks up to the Abrolhos Islands and Exmouth. He loved the cars we had built in 1984 and wanted 05 for some local WA race series. Since those Group C cars would be obsolete in a few months, we did a deal. I think we may have turned a small profit, a somewhat unusual occurrence, when Farrell coughed up $45k or so for his limited foray in this car. During his debut race weekend, as part of the deal, I was on hand to ensure that 05 was all that he thought it should be. Coincidently, I watched the races in company with John Cleland’s father Jim, a rather dour Scot with a partiality for a wee drop. Cleland, a large Scottish GM dealer, was enamoured with this car and wanted it, come hell or high water. We three (Farrell, Cleland and Brock) struck a deal, where Farrell sold the car (to Cleland) after that meeting and 05 was dispatched to the UK where the car became a quasi ‘works’ entry for the British Thunder Saloon Championship. John Cleland won the championship in it for the next two years in a row and from there it went into various other levels of competition throughout the region (that’s the subject of another story, I’m sure). I next saw the car when Holden
High Performance and Motorsport
Director, Ray Borrett, called me to an outer
London enthusiast’s residence where
he showed me the then partially restored 05
car. This was probably about five or six years
ago, maybe a little longer, so the car had returned
on the radar screen. I let my mate Peter
Champion know about it and the rest is history. Now a little bit of history on car
No.25. There had been some conjecture
regarding the relevant legitimacy of the
two team cars during the years since 05’s sale,
however I always made it clear that the
original 05 car was in Europe, that it had quite
a successful race career and further, that it
was the real deal. However, this often fell upon
deaf ears. Just to make it clear, the not quite
complete car on show at the Bathurst Museum (National Motor Racing Museum)
was donated to them by my organization,
in conjunction with Holden Ltd, to
satisfy a request they made for one of
our Group C cars. I was personally involved
in the whole issue. Obviously, they were keen
to get one of our cars and it was a coup
for them to get one of the famous “Last of the
Big Bangers” – a term coined by Holden Motor
Sport spin doctor Plastic (a.k.a. Tim
Pemberton). It was considered to be a prime
example of the end of the Group C era. Car 25 was pretty much identical
to the 05 machine. I was aware the
05 car was desirable and consequently more
valuable on two counts. Firstly it was 05
and secondly it had won a few races - my mate
John Farrell wanted it based on those
facts. However, we also had a request
from the Bathurst Museum and so two
parties needed to be satisfied. As a compromise we (myself
and John Harvey, if memory serves) allowed
the not complete but original 25, which
had featured in a rather memorable 1-2 Bathurst
finish, to be displayed in the museum as
05 on the proviso that it was never to be
purported to be the race winner. Farrell was
to get the real 05 and go racing. As with
many organizations there are always staff changes over time, facts become blurred and, in the end, they become stated as historical facts. Then new employees taking up positions in the organization know no different and so the story is perpetuated. So, like it or not, these are the facts. Peter Champion has the real 05 car. No contest. It is a beautiful restored example of a wonderful part of our rich motor sport heritage. Bathurst museum has the car Holden and I donated to them - car 25. After the museum had received the car and had a think about it, they contacted me to assist them to locate components so that it was more complete and to be more genuinely representative of the “Last of the Big Bangers” and the halcyon Group C days. This will put the matter to rest. The facts are irrefutable. There is no debate on the legitimacy of all that is stated above. As a footnote, I am embarking on a journey to the UK to race Peter Champion’s 05 1984 HDT car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, celebrating this year touring car racing world wide and its heritage. It was quite an honour when Lord March invited me and indicated that this fabulous genuine example was to represent this part of the world. The question should be asked: “Would I drive a car that was not the real deal?” Of course not. And what is more, I’ll give it plenty to show the rest of the world what a great, healthy and vibrant racing heritage we have. Thanks for clearing that up, Brocky. We contacted the National Motor Racing Museum at Bathurst for a right of reply, but Bathurst Regional Council chose not to respond to Peter’s signed statement. Fact is, everyone involved is tired of this whole silly 05/25 debate. As far as we’re concerned, they’re both great cars and we should all be very grateful that they have both survived and appreciate what they have both contributed to Australia’s rich motor sport history.