Peter Brock’s one-off Monza coupe up for sale

Lusting after something special that Peter Brock once owned? His HDT-tuned Opel Monza could be yours.

PETER Brock enthusiasts have the opportunity this evening to own a piece of motoring history close to the legendary race driver’s heart. The 1984 HDT Monza Coupe – the only one ever built – will go under the hammer at Shannon’s in Sydney tonight, where it’s expected to fetch around as much as $120,000.

The V8-powered two-door was a car that Brock thought his Holden Dealer Team (HDT) road-car business could turn out as a globally competitive vehicle, but it was stillborn as it was expected to cost around $50,000 – about the same as a Porsche 911 at the time.

At the time, Brock was imagining how good the Monza would be with a V8 under the bonnet, and that’s exactly what this car is. With one of his highly-tuned 5.0-litre V8 engines under its bonnet, making 180kW/430Nm, the coupe not only served as a potential two-door Commodore, and in a way a precursor to the reborn Monaro that Holden introduced in 2001, but also boasted independent rear suspension at a time when both the Commodore and arch-rival XD/XE/XF Ford Falcon were using live-axle rear ends.

Brock did just that with the VL Director, but Holden did not offer an independent rear-end until 1990, with its long-wheelbase version of the VN Commodore, the VQ Statesman and Caprice models. The Monza also had ABS, another feature that arrived with the Statesman/Caprice range.

The one-off Monza graced the cover of the May 1984 edition of Wheels, but it’s not the only vehicle with a personal link to Brock at tonight’s auction. Hiss personal 1984 VK SS Group III is also up for sale, and is expected to fetch as much as $100,000. This car, build number 1354, appeared on the cover of Wheels in October 1984.

The Monza goes under the hammer as Lot 26 at Shannon’s Sydney Late Autumn Classic Auction.