Australia’s first $2 million car

The Marlboro-branded VH Commodore delivered back-to-back Bathurst 1000 victories for Brock in 1982 and 1983, making it one of the most iconic models in Australian motor sport.

Lloyds Auctions sold the car for a record $2.1 million on Saturday.

Bill Freeman, head auctioneer at Lloyds, said “the amount paid for this car doesn’t surprise me with its rich history and shows that the market is strong and is continuing to grow”.

The previous record for an Australian car at auction was held by a 1971 Ford Falcon GT-HO which changed hands for a little more than $1 million in June.

Former car owner Peter Champion said “this result really shows that Peter’s legacy lives on and that people valued him as not only as one of the best drivers in motorsport but as a person”.

The car won 1982’s Bathurst contest in relatively straightforward fashion at the hands of Brock and Larry Perkins. Victory in 1983 came in a roundabout way - wearing number 25, the car started in the hands of John Harvey as Peter Brock and Larry Perkins campaigned a fresh car wearing the famous number 05 (pictured below).

When the leading Brock/Perkins entry suffered engine trouble early in the race, the duo commandeered the number 25 machine and steered it home ahead of Allan Moffat’s Mazda RX-7.

The twice-winning machine was originally expected to play a supporting role in last weekend’s auction to a day-glo “Big Banger” VK Commodore. 

Touted in pre-event press releases as “AUSTRALIA’S FIRST $2M CAR”, one Freeman expected “to sell for more than any other Australian produced car”, the vehicle failed to meet its reserve and was passed in for less than half its expected selling price.

Formerly owned by Champion, but offered on behalf of another seller, the machine is enveloped in controversy as one of two cars claimed to be the 1984 Bathurst-winning chassis, disputing claims made by Bathurst’s National Motor Racing Museum about a sister car in its collection.

Photos: Lloyds Auctions, Gerrit Alan Fokkema/Fairfax Media

An iconic Holden Commodore raced by Peter Brock has set a new auction record for Australian race cars.

The Marlboro-branded VH Commodore delivered back-to-back Bathurst 1000 victories for Brock in 1982 and 1983, making it one of the most iconic models in Australian motorsport.

Lloyds Auctions sold the car for a record $2.1 million on Saturday.

Bill Freeman, head auctioneer at Lloyds, said “the amount paid for this car doesn’t surprise me with its rich history and shows that the market is strong and is continuing to grow”.

Former car owner Peter Champion said “this result really shows that Peter’s legacy lives on and that people valued him as not only as one of the best drivers in motorsport but as a person”.

The car won 1982’s Bathurst contest in relatively straightforward fashion at the hands of Brock and Larry Perkins. Victory in 1983 came in a roundabout way - wearing number 25, the car started in the hands of John Harvey (sharing the car with Phil Brock) as Peter Brock and Larry Perkins had upgraded to a newer model wearing famous 05 digits. When the leading Brock/Perkins entry suffered engine trouble early in the race, the duo commandeered the number 25 machine and steered it home ahead of Allan Moffat’s Mazda RX-7.

The twice-winning machine was originally expected to play a supporting role in this weekend’s auction to a day-glo “Big Banger” VK Commodore. 

Touted in pre-event press releases as “AUSTRALIA’S FIRST $2M CAR”, one Freeman expected “to sell for more than any other Australian produced car”, the vehicle failed to meet its reserve and was passed in for less than half its expected selling price. Formerly owned by Champion, but offered on behalf of another seller, the machine is enveloped in controversy as one of two cars claimed to be the 1984 Bathurst-winning chassis, disputing claims made by Bathurst’s National Motor Racing Museum about a sister car in its collection.

Photos: Lloyds Auctions, Gerrit Alan Fokkema/Fairfax Media.