HOLDEN: FOUNDATIONS OF SUCCESS

Holden: Foundations of Success

The second part of Auto Action’s reflection of Holden’s motorsport history chronicles the manufacturer’s growing focus and success in motorsport.

Spearheaded by the launch of the Monaro 327 GTS and later the Torana GTR XU-1, Holden’s attack on rallying, circuit racing, rallycross and drags led to the brand dominating the 1970s, but those early stages are retold by former Holden employee and AA’s very own Bob Watson. Below is a small snapshot of the six-page feature found in the current issue:

The entrepreneurial John Bagshaw was appointed Director of Sales and Marketing at GM-Holden’s in 1972. During his 12 years in the sales and marketing organisation, he was responsible for establishing the Holden Dealer Team and through his Sales Department helped to create iconic models such as HQ SS and GTS models as well as the Torana GTR XU-1 and SLR/5000.

Up until the end of 1968, Holden had been running a rally program under the guise of the Holden Dealer’s Trials Team. Although the competing cars sported leading Holden dealer’s names, the cars were prepared in the service garage at Fishermen’s Bend.

However, two things conspired to end the arrangement, the service garage mechanics were often called upon to service on long distance rallies and were paid rates complying with the current awards. Because of the overnight nature of rallying, this meant time and a half, then double time and even triple time as the hours stretched out. One service garage mechanic, who later joined Harry Firth’s crew, earned enough overtime money during one BP Rally of South Eastern Australia to purchase a brand new Monaro!

This was untenable for the company on a long-term basis so Holden looked to subcontract the motorsport programs to an outside organisation. This occurred first with a three car entry by Holden in the 1968 London to Sydney marathon. Motoring writer and successful track racer David McKay was given the job of running the marathon effort, which was not particularly successful. The Holdens were convincingly beaten by their Ford Falcon opponents.

Then came the release in mid-1968 of Holden’s Bathurst contender the Monaro GTS 327 and McKay was again entrusted to run the Holden Dealer Racing Team in the Great Race. It was the first time factory supported teams of Ford and Holden V8s raced against each other, setting a pattern that continues to this day in Australian touring car racing. McKay hired a top class international team of drivers including Kiwi Jim Palmer, Brian Muir and Paul Hawkins.

However, it was not one of the factory cars that won. The race was won by the Wyong Motors entered Holden Monaro driven by Bruce McPhee. Unimpressed by McKay’s results, Holden searched elsewhere for someone to manage its motorsport programs.

Harry Firth had been sacked as Ford’s motorsport manager at the end of 1968, and spent most of 1969 in limbo until John Bagshaw secured his services as motorsport manager. This masterstroke, plus the tacit agreement of the Holden Board of Directors to support a motorsport program, opened the doors to a phenomenal success story.

Firth’s organisation with supervision by the GMH Marketing Department rekindled the ‘Dealer Team’ concept with serious financial sponsorship from Marlboro cigarettes and Levis Jeans among other sponsors. Firth set about recruiting promising young drivers (definitely not being paid industry award rates on weekends!) and built up a highly talented team of drivers and mechanics including Peter Brock, Colin Bond, Tony Roberts, Peter Lang and Wayne Negus, then later joined by Frank Kilfoyle and Barry Ferguson on the rally side. The line-up of mechanics was exceptional – Ian Tate, Matt Philip, Ray Borrett, Frank Lowndes, Peter Byrne and others was as good a team as you could wish for.

Read the full feature in the latest issue of Auto Action (1782), available right now.

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