BIG-DOLLAR BIG BANGER

There are few race cars on this side of the globe as iconic as the VH SS Commodore driven to multiple Bathurst victories in the hands of Peter ‘Perfect’ Brock. But now, that same car is famous for a completely new reason: record sales price. The Holden Dealer Team VH SS Commodore was the key item at an auction of Peter Brock cars held in Bathurst on the Saturday night of the big race.

The car was first driven to victory around Mount Panorama thanks to Brock and Larry Perkins in 1982, before doing it all again a year later with the same drivers, but under controversial circumstances, when the pair jumped in mid race after their own car suffered an engine failure. With such history, sales estimates were high for the vehicle, however, no one predicted the AU$2.1M that it achieved.

Another ex-Brock car, a VL Commodore from the 1987 Bathurst event also sold, fetching AU$800K, while a VX Commodore that Brock raced with Craig Baird at Bathurst in 2002 sold for AU$320K.

Not everything up for auction exchanged hands though, with a 1984 HDT VK Commodore passing in at A$850K — probably thanks to the concern about whether it is the genuine car that he raced to victory, or if that car is the car sitting in the Australian National Motor Racing Museum.