With Holden’s final factory-backed race at Bathurst as part of the Repco Supercars Championship, it’s time to bid farewell to the Australian motorsport legends and recall the triumphs and victories from the magic mountain.
Bathurst is as Australian as it gets and the event bid farewell to its most successful brand in Holden.
Although an Australian brand, in recent years New Zealanders have added to its incredibly successful history not only at the Mountain, but also in the Repco Supercars Championship.
Since the first Bathurst endurance event for touring cars in 1963, Holden has provided many memories and opportunities from the EH S4 right up to the ZB Commodore.
Although the Commodore’s latest iteration proved unpopular in the marketplace for a number of reasons, whether because it was fully imported, or front-wheel-drive, or lacking a V8 in its range, it still remained a favourite for the race right until the end.
To be replaced by the Chevrolet Camaro in next year’s new Gen3 era for the Repco Supercars Championship season starting on the streets of Newcastle, it closes the book on a remarkable history of Holden motorsport.
Starting in a covert way due to General Motors’ ban on circuit racing involvement, the Holden Dealer Racing Team was spawned in 1968 following an attack on the enduro London to Sydney Rally by a trio of Monaros led by David McKay.
The respected journalist and driver (who in fact won the first Australian Touring Car Championship in a Jaguar) entered three HK Monaro GTS 327s to blow Ford out of the
water.
New Zealander Jim Palmer scored second on the team’s debut alongside Phil West, and Brian Muir and George Reynolds finished sixth, while Paul Hawkins was joined by the luckless Bill Brown, who endured a torrid run in the race during this period as the pair retired.
The Monaro did in fact take the chequered flag, but it was privateer Bruce McPhee in his Wyong Motors-backed entry who sat out a sole lap to allow for a break, letting Barry Mulholland take the wheel.
When Ford dumped Harry Firth it was Holden’s gain as under the guise of a Dealer Team, it forged a formidable reputation.
Under Firth’s stewardship, it launched Holden properly into motorsport in its debut Bathurst 500 in 1969. Rallying ace Colin Bond teamed with the experienced Tony Roberts to throw another dagger in the heart of Ford as the rivalry became tribal.
A switch to the new Holden Torana GTR XU-1 left the Lion outgunned at the Mountain, thrown up against Ford’s powerful GT-HO variants.
Rain hit the race in 1972 and it launched a legend. Peter Brock’s first victory 50 years ago has since proved critical to the narrative of Mount Panorama and its most prestigious prize.
Winning a further eight times and endearing himself to the Holden faithful, Brockmania hit the country town of Bathurst each October
From dominating by six laps in 1979 driving the famous A9X with
shy New Zealander Jim Richards, and hitting his peak in the dayglo ‘last of the big bangers’ in 1984, to taking victory against the odds after an unbelievable split with Holden in 1987, Brock had achieved it all at Bathurst.
Passing the baton to Craig Lowndes during the 1990s, Brock tried to come back a couple of times but both times ended in disappointment. His death in 2006 is still felt today as the winners receive the Peter Brock Trophy in tribute.
Although a fierce competitor to Brock and his factory team, Allan Grice broke through finally in 1986 to win his first Bathurst 1000 alongside privateer Graeme Bailey in the iconic
Chickadee VK Commodore before taking what is arguably Holden’s victory in 1990.
Racing against the turbocharged marvels, the likes of Ford’s Sierra RS500 Cosworth and the Nissan GT-R, the venerable Holden Racing Team VL Commodore Group A SS outlasted its rivals to take the sweetest of victories for Grice partnering Brit Win Percy.
New Zealanders continued to uphold the Lions honour right up until the end, and who can forget Greg Murphy’s ‘Lap of the Gods’ in 2003?
What a lap and he missed a gear at The Dipper — just magic!
It kicked off a purple patch for Murph where he was a true title contender and took back-to-back victories in Australia’s Great Race.
Shane van Gisbergen emotionally took victory in 2020, which included a victory lap featuring a Holden flag just for all the delirious fans on top of the Mountain.
Holden has enjoyed its share of heartbreaks and triumphs. These will remain in the record books, but it doesn’t quell the sadness of the marque’s demise.