Rare HSV VL Walkinshaw heads to auction
The HSV VL SS Group A Walkinshaw started what became a dynasty, and now one of the 750 examples made is being auctioned.
Walkinshaw had big shoes to fill when it established Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) in 1988, taking away the role once held by the Peter Brock-led Holden Dealer Team (HDT) for making hot Commodores.
The car which started it all was the HSV VL SS Group A Walkinshaw, built as a homologation special to take on the Australian Touring Car Championship and the Bathurst 1000, eventually winning the 1990 edition of the Great Race with Allan Grice and Win Percy.
Just 750 road cars were made, with their plastic bodykits, Panorama Silver paintwork and five-spoke 16-inch wheels making it stand out from the existing VL Commodore lineup, and becoming one of the most special versions of the sedan ever sold in Australia.
Now, build number #304 out of 750 is heading to auction via Seven 82 Motors, and with just 15,685km on the odometer, it’s sure to be one of the lowest-mileage versions of the VL Walky sold in recent times.
With its #304 build number reflecting the 304 cubic-inch capacity of the ‘Iron Lion’ 5.0-litre V8 engine, this car was delivered to its first owner in June 1988, just a few months before HSV made its Bathurst debut.
As with all examples, it’s fitted with a five-speed manual transmission, of-its-time grey cloth upholstery and Momo steering wheel, the factory-fit 16-inch Walkinshaw wheels, and features its original log books and even registration sticker.
Images via Seven 82 Motors
Priced from $45,000 when new – equivalent to almost $130,000 now – the market for VL Walkinshaws has been scattered in recent years.
The known auction record stands at $380,000 for #333 in 2018, while car #339 was listed for more than $1 million in 2021, though a sale price was not announced.
Just last month, car #285 sold for $209,000 plus auction fees, with more than 45,000km on the clock.
