Top 5 Peter Brock road cars

It’s hard to believe that 20 years have passed since Peter Brock tragically died in a tarmac rally crash, a day which almost every Australian motorsport fan will remember where they were when they heard the news.

Brock was a legend on and off the race track. On it, he was one of the most talented drivers the country has ever seen, winning three Australian Touring Car Championships, nine Sandown endurance races, nine Bathurst 500s/1000s, and a Bathurst 24 Hour to cap it off.

Off the track, he was adored by fans for his approachable, everyman personality, and he made sure to capitalise on that by launching his own range of road cars, first under the Holden Dealer Team banner and then with different ventures after his famous split from Holden.

To mark the anniversary of his passing, we look back at the top five road cars Brock built or had influence on.

HDT VK Commodore Group A SS ‘Blue Meanie’

Arguably the most famous of the Brock-era HDT Commodores, the VK Group A SS was built as a homologation special to compete in the ATCC and Sandown/Bathurst, featuring a marginally sub-5.0-litre V8 engine to move it into a lower weight category.

Fitted with a striking body kit, the Group A rules at the time stipulated that race cars had to be identical in looks to their road-going counterparts, leading to the SS scoring a larger front bumper and spoiler, as well as its distinctive ‘Aero’ 16-inch wheels.

With 500 made, it received the nickname of the ‘Blue Meanie’ thanks to its distinctive Formula Blue paintwork, and has become one of the most valuable Brock road cars.

In 2021, a VK SS Group A which had been owned by Brock – with the #05 build number to boot – sold for $1.05 million, making it one of the most expensive Holdens to be sold at auction.

HDT VC Commodore

The one that started it all, HDT’s VC was its first attempt at building homologation specials to go racing, and what an icon it’s become in its own right.

Based on the posher Commodore SL/E, the HDT VC was semi-performance and semi-luxury, with its crushed velour interior not what you’d expect at the time for a car based on a Bathurst racer, though its distinctive front bumper, wide wheel arches and bigger spoiler showed it meant business.

Again, just 500 were made, all producing more power from their 5.0-litre V8 engines thanks to a new cold air intake and other tweaks, with customers given the choice of a three-speed auto or a four-speed manual.

Offered only in Palais White, Firethorn Red or Tuxedo Black, the three paint colours reflected the hues of HDT’s major sponsor at the time, Marlboro, as did its matching side and headlight stripes.

HDT Monza

Though not nearly as famous as the Commodores, the Monza could have become Brock’s lasting motoring legacy, having pushed to try and get the Opel Monza coupe on Australian shores with a Holden V8.

Imported from Germany, all the signs pointed to the HDT Monza becoming the reincarnation of the Monaro, offering four seats, a sleek two-door body but the firepower of Holden’s Iron Lion V8 under the bonnet.

Sadly, by the time the engine conversion and other modifications – such as new front brakes and steering rack – were made, the potential cost of the project soared, effectively ending it as a trial for private buyers.

Just one car was made, owned by Brock and most recently auctioned in 2016, where it sold for an undisclosed sum.

Ford EA Falcon ‘Brock’

For those with selective memories, it may be tricky to remember the brief time that Holden’s hero switched camps to Ford, the motoring equivalent of hell freezing over.

Following his split with Holden in 1987 in the wake of the ‘Energy Polarizer’ saga, Brock raced the Ford Sierra in 1989 and 1990s, and in doing so also established a new range of road cars, this time based on the relatively fresh EA Falcon.

Starting in 1988, Brock’s Austech Automotive Developments fettled with the Falcons, Fairlanes and LTDs of the time, fitted with a tidier aero kit and tweaked 3.9-litre straight-six engines, at a time when Ford wasn’t offering the V8 locally, and wouldn’t do until the arrival of the EB – when Brock had already moved home to Holden.

Arguably some of the rarest Brock cars, the EAs are few and far between, having not achieved the original dreams of hitting 500 production units.

HDT VL Director

The car which led to the end of the Brock and Holden relationship, on the surface everything about the VL Director was up there with Europe’s best.

Based on the luxury Calais, it featured a boxy, wide bodykit, five-spoke alloys, leather seats, wood grain interior trim, a car phone and even a CD player.

Under the skin, HDT fitted independent rear suspension as an option, but above it, the Director was one of a handful of VLs available with Brock’s controversial Energy Polarizer, something which was already starting to heighten tensions with Holden.

When covers came off in 1987, what should have been Brock’s legacy as a Holden man effectively spelt the end of his time with HDT, culminating in the production of only 12 Directors, making it one of the most sought-after models.

What were your favourite Brock cars? Let us know in the comments below.