First ever HDT Holden Monaro racing car to go under the hammer
The first Holden factory-backed racing car ever created, a 1969 Holden HT Monaro built by motorsport legend Harry Firth, is expected to sell at auction later this week for more than $1 million.
Offered by Lloyd's Auctions, the iconic #57D Monaro racing car is credited as being the car that launched the Holden Dealer Team.
Holden tasked Harry Firth with building the Monaro, launching the car and the team at the Sandown 300 in 1969 – but the car crashed only 45 minutes into the race due to brake failure.
With pressure mounting from Holden, Firth stripped and rebuilt the car and engine to a higher specification. Those series of events are cited as the reason the HDT Monaros went on to win Bathurst later that year.
“This car is a significant piece of Australian motorsport history, not only shaping the success of Holden as a company, but also setting the stage for the domination by Holden and Peter Brock for the following two decades,” said Lee Hames, Chief Operating Officer of Lloyd's Auctions.
The Monaro is fitted with a 5.7-litre (350ci) V8 and indicates 24,875 miles (40,032km) on the odometer. Extensive history accompanies the vehicle.
In 2018 the 1982 Holden VH Commodore HDT racing car driven by Peter Brock sold at auction for $2.1 million, the highest price paid for an Australian car at auction. A similar HDT Monaro, driven by Peter Brock at Bathurst, sold in 2019 for $455,000.
The 1969 Holden HT Monaro goes to auction on 27 June 2020, and a link can be found here.
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