CLOAK & DAGGER

How Holden’s clandestine factory team was formed

Featured in the latest issue of Auto Action is an in-depth look at the formation of the Holden Dealer Team and its corresponding success in the 1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500, won by Colin Bond and Tony Roberts. AA’s Mark Fogarty recounts the story behind the creation of HDT on its 50thanniversary and the HT Monaro GTS 350.

In the1960s and throughout the ’70s, Holden was banned from officially competing in motor racing as part of General Motors’ worldwide policy against direct participation.

The ban was a legacy of GM’s adherence to a 1950s agreement between Detroit’s Big Three to stop their racing arms race. Ford and Chrysler ignored the agreement in the early ’60s to openly return to track competition, while GM divisions Chevrolet and Pontiac undertook covert programs.

But on the surface, GM maintained its official public stance of not being involved in racing, with the policy also applying to overseas subsidiaries like Holden in Australia, Vauxhall in Britain and Opel in continental Europe.

Oddly, the ban didn’t apply to rallying or other off-road racing.

The corporate prohibition lasted well into the 1980s and it wasn’t until the Holden Racing Team was formed in 1990 that Fishermans Bend openly fielded a factory-backed team. That direct support continues today with the Triple Eight-run Red Bull Holden Racing Team.

The direct lineage between HDT and HRT will be acknowledged by Holden with a celebration at next month’s Bathurst 1000, which also marks the golden jubilee of HDT’s victory on debut at Mount Panorama with Colin Bond and Tony Roberts.

HDT was supposedly funded by Holden dealers, with support from the likes of Castrol, but nobody was fooled. While the management of what was then General Motors-Holden’s steadfastly maintained no official involvement in the team, the hand of Holden was all over the operation, especially with the development of homologation specials for racing.

Read the full feature in the latest issue of AUTO ACTION (1769) on sale now.

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