We may have lost Allan Moffat late last year, but there are plenty of stories regarding his career that will last forever and his retirement is one of those.
Moffat had signalled earlier in his career to not race in his 50s and he stuck to this.
The story begins in 1987 when instead of using the Holden VL Commodore Group A SS that won the opening round of the World Touring Car Championship, he chose an Andy Rouse-built Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500.
Moffat’s Bathurst ended in retirement leading him to contact the Sierra guru Rudi Eggenberger.
The Swiss whiz immediately got Moffat’s team on the pace and to a point the ANZ Sierra nearly won Bathurst in 1988.
By the time 1989 came around, the ANZ Sierras were quick yet fragile as Australia hosted the fastest RS500s in the world.
After Bathurst, Moffat went to Japan to contest the legendary Fuji InterTEC 500 to conclude the season.
Instead of wearing the familiar #9, Moffat’s Sierra covered the #39 in honour of the year he was born, with his 50th birthday set for race day.
Joined by his regular co-driver German Klaus Niedzwiedz, Moffat won the race and quietly retired after the race.
Moffat’s pledge was complete as he never competed in top level motorsport again, with a spot in an MX-5 all-star race at Macau a week after Fuji and a few laps in an ANZ Sierra at Bathurst 1992.
Allan Moffat Racing continued to enter the Bathurst 1000 until 1996 before the team was disbanded.