These days, Kiwi names like McLaughlin and van Gisbergen may dominate Australia's Supercars series, but back when it was still known as the Australian Touring Car Championship, Aussies were on top.
This is back when the 'win on Sunday, buy on Monday' edict still applied to the series, and Peter Brock had his name on both his racing car as well as the fastest road-going Holdens available.
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Introduced in November 1986, the Group A SS version of the VL Commodore was the final official Brock Holden Dealer Team model thanks largely to the controversy over the use of the energy Polariser debacle, but this wasn't enough to stop Brock winning Bathurst for a record ninth time in 1987. At least in the 'other' team #10 car, not his iconic 05...
Built in extremely limited numbers, the Group A SS used the tried and tested 5-litre V8 producing 137kW at 4400 rpm which derived its power from lightened conrods and flywheel, heavy duty crankshaft, new cross-flow cylinder heads, inlet manifold and Rochester four-barrel carburettor.
Driving through a Borg Warner T5G five-speed gearbox with stronger clutch and limited slip diff, the Group A SS also featured revised suspension settings and was, to a certain extent, a race car thinly disguised as a road car. Not that there was a huge difference between the two back then, as there is now.
With a host of interior and exterior modifications, the Group A certainly looked the part; these included a full body kit, Momo 16x7 Star wheels, Bridgestone Potenza RE71 205/55R16 tyres, a leather-trimmed Momo sports steering wheel, HDT gearstick knob and Scheel velour sports seats.
The HDT VL Commodores have shown rapid appreciation over the past few years and top, low mileage examples have excellent investment potential. Even more so now, after the demise of the Holden brand.