Brock auction attracts huge online interest ahead of Bathurst 1000

PETER Brock’s legendary Bathurst cars are up for grabs, with the auction clocking up millions of dollars in online bids and broken records before a hammer even drops.

Brock’s 1982/1983 Bathurst-winning HDT VH Commodore has already hit seven figures in the bidding.

AN auction of race cars related to Peter Brock has clocked up millions of dollars in online bids and broken records before a hammer even drops.

One of the star attractions, an 1982/83 HDT VH Commodore that Brock drove to a record-breaking two Bathurst wins, is set to smash records with the current bid price sitting at $1.6 million three days out from the historic auction in Bathurst.

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Brock’s 1982/1983 Bathurst-winning HDT VH Commodore has already hit seven figures in the bidding.

“This car is an incredibly special part of Australian motorsport history and the level of interest doesn’t surprise me to be honest,” HDT owner Peter Champion said.

“Historically important to many motoring enthusiasts, this is just one of the special Brock vehicles available in this collection. The entire auction is incredibly special, each car with its own story, some tear-jerkers and others full of laughter.”

Peter Brock (right) and co-driver Larry Perkins celebrate Brock's record sixth victory in 1982’s James Hardie 1000 at Mt Panorama.

Lloyds Auctions expects thousands of people to attend the sale on Saturday night in Bathurst.

The largest collection of Brock cars in the world is expected to return in excess of $10 million, confirming the value in rare race cars, chrome bumpers and anything with links to Peter Brock.

Not only does the auction contain special cars connected to the King of the Mountain, but also extremely rare racing memorabilia signed by the legend himself.

Peter Brock on the way to his 1983 Bathurst win in the HDT VH Commodore.

“Although three other cars in the Brock Collection are expected to reach the magic seven figure mark, I expect the 1982/1983 Bathurst-winning Commodore, which wrote its place into Bathurst history with Peter Brock, to sell for quite a bit more than what it’s currently at,” head auctioneer Bill Freeman said.

Doors open to the Brock Collection at 9am on Saturday at Sydney Road, Kelso.

Lloyds Auction’s Lee Hames, with some of the collection of Peter Brock racing cars that will be auctioned this week. Picture: Adam Head

HOLDEN’S BATHURST HISTORY

The Holden Dealer Team, with Peter Brock at the helm, won the inaugural Bathurst 1000 in 1972 with the XU-1 Torana.

Holden and HDT later developed the successful SL/R 5000, L34 and two-door A9X models.

The Monaro remained until the end of the HX series in 1977. A four-door HZ GTS lasted another year, but the Monaro name was dropped.

The Commodore arrived with V8 options across the range in November 1978, but performance models did not exist until the VH series and the SS model launched in 1982.

Brock launched a new era, in which carmakers outsourced their performance models to other companies.

He bought the Holden Dealer Team from Holden in 1980 and began HDT Special Vehicles, modifying Holdens with luxury and more power for Holden dealers to sell, funding his racing operations.

It took a while to catch on, but Brock’s ingenious idea helped reignite the Australian family car performance war.