Brock's hero cars to roar again

[SlickHolden]

The racing champion's road cars will be revived in spirit with the help of the new owner of HDT, writes JOSHUA DOWLING.

Brock's hero cars to roar again - drive.com.au

The man who owns the largest collection of Brock Commodores in Australia plans to revive the famous HDT nameplates in honour of the racing legend.
Queensland mining contractor Peter Champion, 53, who owns more than 40 Brock Commodores, including some rare race cars and immaculate replicas, bought the HDT business last month and plans to introduce a range of new HDT models based on the latest Commodore SS.
"This is about keeping the spirit of Peter Brock alive," says Champion, who also plans to open a Brock museum near Rockhampton later this year. "We want to build cars that Peter Brock would have built today."
Champion says he and Brock spoke about these plans in the months before Brock died in a car crash in September last year. "Brock was very keen to get back into the road car business and we spoke about these plans on many occasions."
Champion knew Brock for more than a decade and over that time the pair formed a strong friendship, which saw Champion restore some of Brock's most famous race cars - and build a replica of Brock's first race car, an Austin A30.
The new HDT models are not yet for sale but Champion and his team at HDT, which is based in Revesby in Sydney's south-west, are putting the finishing touches on the first car.
"We want to stay true to the original Brock cars as much as possible," Champion says.
Initially, HDT plans to add body enhancements and wheels and leave the cars standard mechanically so they are covered by Holden warranty. "The plan is for people to buy the cars from a Holden dealer and then bring them to HDT for modifications," he says. "We're not selling cars, we're selling aftermarket enhancements built to the HDT formula."
Having made his fortune in the mining industry, Champion has entered semi-retirement and is using his spare time to focus on his biggest passion in life: cars.
Originally from Tasmania, Champion lived in Sydney for 10 years before heading to Queensland in 1981 to work as a contractor in the mining business. He drove coal trucks day and night to build his business and - ultimately - to buy the cars he loved.





Drive caught up with the new owner of HDT on the first anniversary of Brock's death three weeks ago, to discuss his plans and his passion for Brock's road- and race-cars.


How long have you been a Brock fan?
Surprisingly enough, I wasn't really a Brock fan. I was a Commodore fan. I bought my first Brock car in 1994 which was a VL Brock Plus Pack, second-hand. When they were new I couldn't afford one. And just like all the enthusiasts, I saved up to buy just one.
Are you still in the mining business?



And more Brock's hero cars to roar again - drive.com.au

[clutch-monkey]

i hope they can make it look good....some things shouldbe left in the 80's though, lol.

[whiteballz]

I think in the flesh it might look okay..

[clutch-monkey]

that's what you said about IB4R.

[whiteballz]

and was I wrong?

[fpv_gtho]

The nostalgia look is a bit tacky. Wheel designs originally done for 14/15" wheels dont transfer kindly to 19/20" wheels

[Sauc3]

Originally Posted by whiteballz

and was I wrong?

I'm still scrubbing the floor on the spot where he slept on TGWEP2... I avoid walking on it, the cat and dog have avoided the tiles since and there's a strange smell hanging around... *shudders*

[whiteballz]

your mum?

*runs and hides to avoid being attacked*

[Sauc3]

Originally Posted by whiteballz

your mum?

*runs and hides to avoid being attacked*

She's in Europe, so no. The smell was VERY distinct and hangs around only the mattress rectangle where he was on.

And you can run, but you can't hide. Ever. I will find you. And when I do, I'm gonna... ooh look a birdie!

[whiteballz]

haha, Im actually surprised I didnt get a ban just now.

[clutch-monkey]

it wouldn't be the first time. well okay it would be the first justified time

[KFA-R]

Originally Posted by fpv_gtho

The nostalgia look is a bit tacky. Wheel designs originally done for 14/15" wheels dont transfer kindly to 19/20" wheels

i agree.... loose the wheels! meh some things should be left untouched and these are one of those things..... the HDT cars are part of aussie racing history.... maing new ones are basically someone trying to make some money of them, usuing the nae to market the cars for a breed of person who want a HDT (or have one already) and dont think its bogan enough to use enough everyday!

i thought this was what HSV where there for? making a normal commy do extraordinary things! let the HDT cars RIP i think...

[whiteballz]

I think in reality those cars might actually look good on the roads.

[clutch-monkey]

i think they need to do their own idea of how a modern HDT car would look, and not lift the tackiest bits of the 80's onto modern cars in some wierd transdimensinal clash

[whiteballz]

kinda like how.. nah..

I'd hit the white one. It'd make people look. + I'd not be harrassed by every holden and ford driver on the roads for driving an import.