1980 Holden HDT VC Brock Commodore Sedan

The first Brock Commodore, based on the VC model, came about as a direct result of Holden's official withdrawal from motor sport by the end of the 1979 season. Without a major sponsor, Peter Brock and the remaining Holden Dealer Team personnel had little chance of continuing until a plan was hatched to fund racing through the production of specially modified road cars, to be sold through 57 carefully selected dealers. Holden would ship new SL/E VC Commodores to HDT where they would be transformed into bespoke high-performance road cars, each taking approximately 20-man hours to modify. The most significant upgrades included a vastly superior suspension set-up, using Bilstein front strut inserts and rear shock absorbers while the 5-litre V8 received L34-type larger valve heads, blueprinted carburettor and ignition timing. The Brock Commodore sported a unique appearance thanks to flares, spoilers and stripes (all designed by Holden's own styling guru Leo Pruneau) along with German-made Irmscher alloy wheels. Inside, refinements like the Momo steering wheel (with individual build numbers), footrest and black column shroud were complemented by distinctive HDT badging on the glove box. Using the SL/E as a base ensured the Brock Commodore boasted numerous luxury items like air conditioning, power steering, electric windows, four-wheel disc brakes, dual exhausts, a premium stereo and more. After receiving overwhelming support for the project from the Dealer Council, HDT commenced production of a limited run of 500 Commodores and they were released in three colours only; Firethorn Red, Palais White and Tuxedo Black, all with deep carmine burgundy velour upholstery. The runaway success of the VC Commodore ensured a healthy future for HDT and interest in these early cars has never been stronger.