Race cars are quick to change hands as teams build the latest and greatest, with the sale funding these updates leaving some weapons to win Bathurst or a championship being raced by privateers such as this successful Commodore.
The 1987 was tough for Peter Brock following the loss of his Holden factory status, a lack of cash, the increasing competitiveness of his rivals and the departure of two friends from the team.
Success was almost non-existent for the team except for at one race, Bathurst.
It was a special occasion due to the World Touring Car Championship arriving at the Mountain putting the best teams and drivers against the locals.
Rudi Eggenberger’s Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworths led throughout the weekend to cross the line 1-2, but the story was in third.
Driving the second-string Mobil Commodore was Brock, David ‘Skippy’ Parsons and Peter McLeod to the final spot on the rostrum, but getting the biggest cheer. The result provided crucial prize money to the cash-strapped team in a Commodore expected to not finish due to the used parts fitted to it.
With Brock going BMW for 1988, all of the team’s Holden inventory was put up for sale and the Commodore found a buyer in Chris Lambden.
A noted name in the motorsport industry as the founder of the S5000 category and previous editor of Auto Action, New Zealander Lambden raced Superkarts in the UK against the likes of Ayrton Senna before returning down under.
Lambden had tested with the Brock team at the end of 1987 in a young driver shootout alongside many other hopefuls and later purchased the 1987 Bathurst winner for a touring car attack backed by tyre retailer Beaurepaires.
Updating the Commodore to ‘Walkinshaw’ specification featuring the ‘plastic fantastic’ spoiler and fuel-injected race, with the preparations being made by Les Small ahead of its debut at the 1988 Sandown 500. In a chance meeting brought about by needing the Commodore painted, Lambden met Bob Jones and the latter purchased it from him before he raced it.
Lambden combined with Tasmanian sports sedan racer Kerry Bailey for the endurance races, with a head gasket failing at Sandown and a 13th at Bathurst.
Continuing the next year with Beaurepaires for the entire Australian Touring Car Championship, Lambden secured the Privateers Cup and Jim Clark Trophy in 1989.
At the 1989 ATCC Oran Park season finale was where the Commodore came to its demise in Lambden’s hands after colliding with the Turn 2 concrete wall before it was re-positioned.
Jones took on the Commodore from there until it was repaired and partly restored to 1987-spec for club racing.
The Bowden family then became the custodians of the 1987 race winner, but it wasn’t fully correct in specification.
Next, Kenny Habul purchased the Commodore and it holds a special meaning to him having worked as part of the Brock team as a go-for.
The days of teams selling significant cars continues through the likes of Super2, but not to this extent and sadly it probably won’t happen for a while.