A Holden Torana A9X in which Bob Morris beat Peter Brock for the 1979 Australian Touring Car Championship title is up for auction for the first time.
It features in Mossgreen’s premier multi-million dollar Sydney auction of rare collectors’ cars on May 28.
The Torana is estimated at $850,000-$1,050,000.
The Holden Torana was the fastest streetcar available in Australia in the 1970s, and showed that on the race track.
The model offered was campaigned for three years by the Ron Hodgson Team in the Australian Touring Car Championship. Driven by Bob Morris, it initially placed second, beaten by Peter Brock. But in 1979 the Morris Torana won, creating Australian motor sporting history as the first time the underdogs – a private team – had beaten the factory team entrants.
“This is a classic tale of grit and dogged determination winning out,” Mossgreen collectors’ cars specialist James Nicholls says.
“Still in running order, this rare Torana is highly original, and still showcases the livery it wore in 1979. An exceptional rally car, it holds a special affection with Australian motorsports enthusiasts, and is of particular significance to the Holden brand and its list of Australian automotive sporting achievements.”
Bought by the current owner in 1979, the car last raced at Wanneroo on July 6, 1980, finishing fifth in the five-lap Street Cars race and in fourth in the second event, the Twin State Challenge. The car’s final two races were on August 10 and September 7, 1980, before it was placed in the York Motor Museum.
A 1913 Model T Ford, estimated at $32,000-$38,000, is also for auction, along with a 1964 Aston Martin DB5, likely to fetch $1.5 million to $1.6m.
A rare New South Wales registration number, “36”, is estimated at $400,000-$440,000.
Cars featured include a 1936 Rolls Royce, Maserati Tipo, a 1933 Reo Flying Cloud coupe, Porsches, a Ferrari, Packards, a 1956 Austin-Healey 100M and a 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 60th anniversary 427 convertible.
Visit www.mossgreen.com.au for more.
