The obscure Holden Le Mans race car we never got
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ม.ค. 2023
- Some race cars are rarer than others and this one is definitely up there. Back in the 80s, there was an ambitious plan to radically modify a Holden Commodore and to race it at the 24H of Le Mans. So join me as I take a look at this forgotten racing prototype and find out just how special it is, and why it was never completed.
This video would not have been possible without Motor Book World.
Check out their website and social media through the links below.
www.motorbookworld.com.au/
/ motorbookworld
PS. Just to be clear I am not sponsored or anything, I just think their good customer service deserves a shoutout as without it, this video would not exist
#lemans #commodore #wec #bathurst #racecar #motorsport - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
mate, as an holden loving australian this is one of the greatest things i've ever seen. some really obscure stuff, not sure how this hasn't been more common throughout aussie media. researching it further and it seems like the project started as a torana A9X since the commodore hadn't come out until 1979. this has absolutely made my night, talking to my mates about it now. thanks for shedding light on this amazing story.
Thanks! There's apparently also a seperate torana lemans car that also never raced there. But afaik that never even got its special body kit and proposed twin turbo setup and just continued its racing life as a "normal" torana
@@stijnpaspont twin turbo set up?? that is crazy man, have you got a link where i can look further?
@@Schnooblers look up "Le Mans Connection: 1978 Holden Torana A9X" the idea was to have some 800 horsepower to play with.
@@stijnpaspont yikes the Torana without any further aero would have been a nightmare at high speed.
Am a ford guy, but as 4 door racers go. Me likey😊
This is probably the greatest story of Holden motorsport never told. Can’t believe that this is the first I’ve ever seen of it!
No one talked about it cause it didn't happen .
Unfortunately, this car was doomed before it even began. It was conceived a few years too early. It needed to wait a couple of dozen months before accepting the greatest automotive break thru of all time. An almost magical device that reduced fuel consumption whilst somehow increasing horse power. Reduced drag without reducing downforce. And it even improved both straight line speed and cornering. I'm speaking of course about the mythical Brock Energy Polariser. Spooky voodoo at its best.
A voodoo vb would have dominated le mans. 200% guaranteed
...you could Also Astral Travel.....really......🏁
@@dmystify1381
per Astra?
We in Australia drive on the left side of the road in right hand drive cars. The exhaust sits under the passenger door not the driver.
This is rather bittersweet, and gives me that much more appreciation for the years that Holden did stay around.
Ford is still here baby
@@crunchytheclown9694 as a shop front sure
@@crunchytheclown9694 I've owned XP, XT, XR Fairmont, XW, XD, XE, XF, ED, and I currently drive and EL Falcon.
Sorry to burst your bubble but imo, from the XD onwards, they were absolute garbage.
@@Nibby12 fg mk11 300 000 yet to have an issue so i cant agree
@@crunchytheclown9694 👍
I had that edition of modern motor when I was a teenager. Thanks for posting the video.
I'm surprised nobody in Australia has even tried building a replica of this yet. Would be one of the most unique cars in Oz.
Unique alright! Uniquely awful ugliest car in town!
@@aflaz171 I guess you never saw the VL Commodore SS Group A SV "Walkinshaw"
A Commodore unique in OZ?!
@@SorenCicchiniWasnt an SV. Was an Aero.
Probably because the entire back half is ugly, incredibly ugly.
I know quite a bit of Holden Motorsport history and I never knew about this. She doesn’t even resemble a VB in that aero package. I can picture it with turbo fan front wheels it would have looked awesome..
Great video
Lost in history. Thankyou for shedding light on a piece of Australian automotive history, I never knew this car existed. Respect from down under 👍
The Ace Combat 5 music instantly hooked me in to the video. Awesome stuff!
For weeks I’ve seen this video in my feed growing in views from 100s to 100k plus. I said fine TH-cam I’ll watch this video. Glad I did. Very cool and interesting obscure history.
For all the hate the youtube algorithm gets. Sometimes it works in your favor and it sure did for me. I got a massive subscriber boost thanks to this vid
Another brilliant piece of great research from my favourite Belgian. This is exactly the content a motorsport aficionado wants and needs. Thank you very much @Stijn Paspont. I'm already looking forward to the next story that would otherwise be forgotten in the history books.
Thanks! I appreciate it. More stuff is coming up
I had a poster of the ‘finished’ car with Brockie and Perkins standing in front of it. It was Red and covered in stickers. The poster came out of the wheels mag in ‘83-‘84 ish. From memory the rear boot lid was much taller like the Walkenshaw commodore boot.
Brock and Perkins drove a red Porsche 956, not thinking of that are you?
Good to see someone from across the pond appreciated AUS racing & our history in the sport. Thanks mate.
I remember this, my dad was a Veterinary Surgeon in regional NSW (that's one of the states of Australia) and had subscriptions to various magazines (including Modern Motor) so people had things to read in the waiting room of the clinic.
I used to take the train home from school, then walk to dad's vet clinic before either riding my bike or getting a lift home.
So I read a lot of those magazines, it was probably those magazines that got me interested in cars & motorsport.
Thanks for the video & a trip down memory lane ....
I was expecting some Aussie guy to do the talking. Man was I wrong. Very cool video to see and the use of the old race footage was awesome to see. Very well produced video
Is... is this an Ace Combat OST?
F U C K Y E A H
He also played Ace Combat before shifting to motorsport history
Yep AC5 Hanger 1 ost
Wooow! Never know about that!
Neither did i up untill a couple of weeks ago. Just had to make a video about it and spread the word
You mentioning brabham reminded my that they, apperently, said they wanted to enter the BT62 in the Hypercar category (so probably under the LMH ruleset), or at least so it was mentioned on Fifth Gear.
Assuming their customer racing efforts in GT2 are paying out financially, they should find some way to get the BT62, or convert the 63, into something that can enter Le Mans. I believe Glickenhaus allready has something similar to a GT3 car and they are a small constructor as well that also have a Hypercar entry.
If they can do it, i'm sure brabham can find a way!
I remember this car, and I did fill out the card and I still have the magazine
What a shame it never raced. I always love oddball cars like what's found at the Nurburgring 24.
Imagine a gut full of singlet and thong wearing, VB guzzling, Summernats bogans with big filthy mullets all starting fights and setting the sh**ters on fire at Lemans?
since the bodywork on the car is extended a bit you could call it a VB Longtail. it demands vb sponsor decals
Sounds like a good time to me
they just need 22" yeahbuds and a lap in skidrow
Someone has got to make this car. At least, a model for sim racing! Also, love the Ace Combat tracks you used.
And guess what, this Holden is not even an Australian car, its just a rebadged Opel Senator from Germany.
Heavily modified by GMH in Australia because it could not handle the Australian road conditions in the late 70’s when they first started testing them there.Also it was never fitted with a V8 when it was an Opel in Germany. So as you’ll see with a bit of research the Commodore is a little bit more than “JUST” a Opel Senator from Germany.
From the 50s Holdens were reworked gm products
@@Paul-45-70 The only true aussie commodore was the VE. Everything else prior was JUST a reworked version of some euro sedan. A little bit more research and you would know that
@@matthewh8005 you had better re-read what I wrote.
That’s why I can never agree when people say that Holden was better than Ford, not a Ford guy but it’s obvious that Ford actually built their own cars ( with their own money too )
At least the VL Walkinshaw went into production, that car is an Australian icon.
Thank you for bringing this story to the world.
So well presented.
A Holden at Le Man's....if only it came to fruition.....
The demise of Holden still puts a lump in my throat.... From the FJ, to the HQ, to the HSV Maloo....some of the most beautiful and perfectly put together cars ever.
At 4:49 the exhaust went out under the passenger door, not the driver's door, Australian cars are right hand drive - the proper side!
I thought that too, but maybe it would have been dual exhausts both sides. I don't know if they were doing x-pipes back then for scavenging exhaust pulses. Probly not, it was still pretty old school.
Being a Yankee, I have always had difficulty
shifting my stick with the left hand😜
@@mikeupton5406 Happy to shift gears with my left hand while maintaining control of the car via steering with my main hand.. Not trying to be a jerk. BUT its what we were bought up with.. just like mums cooking will always better than someone elses mums cooking. :) You have 'practiced' one way, i have another. As long as it works :)
@@mikeupton5406 sometimes when I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll use my left hand on my stick.
As for driving, only use my left
I was just a kid back then would have loved to see Holden backed car I was already hooked on f1 (my mother woke me for every race) she used to iron the clothes watching with me sparked my passion for motor vehicles ending with being fully qualified mechanic and the absolute love of my 1st car (still own) 65 Morris mini the mighty brick won Bathurst the best race in the Southern Hemisphere loved this thanks for the video
I want to see someone make this into a real car now
The Ace Combat hanger music
I've got the wheels car magazine with that car on the cover very interesting read
This was great. Rest in peace Holden. I'll never sell my VP Calais.
Crazy to think alan grice and HDT had VERY competitive vk ss commodores in europe for the 1986 European Touring Car Championship but didnt enter it in Le Mans 24 that year. i understand they would have been down on straight line speed but they all would have finished, same way they won the kings cup at spa that year. Hearing the holden v8 screaming down the mulsanne would have been amazing
I have the poster and magazine feature article from the period. Planning to build a replica of this and trying to gather as much info as possible (Im in Australia)
id love to make this kit from 3d printed moulds and use super light carbon fibre.
Im so keen to pickup a 3d scanner.
Ive been a professional 3d modeller for over 20yrs, so well within my wheelhouse.
A friend of mine is currently putting a dry sumped corvette LS 7.0L in his VH Commodore.
3d scan for the win!
@@stevesloan6775 when the time comes lets talk
That would have been awesome, it's an evolution of the VL Walkinshaw
ain't it based on a VB, pre VL?
the le mans concept looks like a VK Commodore hahaha
because it was
@@bangkokstallion
It was a VB.
Bloody ripper mate.
From Australia
The Australian cars are right hand drive. The Touring car exhaust exits under the passenger door!
Was just about to point that out. 4:45
Keeps the heat away from the driver's feet etc.
I bought this very same magazine a couple of weeks ago - purely happenstance - I saw it for sale at the National Automobile Museum of Tasmania, and bought it for this cover story, but your video is a much better way to be able to tell folks about this car which never was.
Thank you!
Best content for Motorsport nerds on TH-cam, you deserve a lot more views
Wow, thanks! I appreciate that. Nerding out on oddly specific obscure motorsport subjects is something i love doing and im glad i can share that with people
That's the kind of absolutely bizzarre idea you'd expect to find in Ridge Racer... Incredibly that somebody even considered to turn a Commodore into a ground effect Le Mans racer.
Very obscure indeed! But very interesting. Great find and great video mate!
Errr @4:47 "the exhaust sits underneath the driver's door"
You do realise we drive on the right hand side and not the left yeh? 😅
The Video producer is BELGIAN . Oops . Natural mistake though . 😂
To be honest Holden was just the Australian arm of GM. All of the profits went back over the Pacific Ocean to the US. This Brabham BT62 is the closest thing that Australia has had to a true domestic car company, but it's more like Koenigsegg, than Toyota...
Ever heard of Bolwell?
I did not know that Brabham was an Australian company. I always was under the impression it was U.K. based.
My Brabham came to me from the U.K in Matchbox packaging. Sorry honest mistake.
@@pashakdescilly7517 No but I just googled it and Thankyou. Interesting line of automobiles.
Using Ace Combat music is a cheat code lol. Awesome video
A video about a weird La Mans car that never raced AND Ace Combat 5 music? You my friend have ticked all the boxes!
Someone needs to make this kit holy shit
Why? The front is nice but isn’t hard to replicate, the back is ugly.
A wankenshaw Commonwhore looks very similar.
Someone needs to build this and put it in the national car museum!
I'm glad I found this video, and I don't think I'll forget about this anytime soon! Thank you friend from Australia!
How many people remember the two 427 Monaros that destroyed the field at Bathurst- beating all the big guns from Europe and America. Glorious moment in Australian motorsports history. I remember how much of a gap these two Monaros had on the field by the time they went through turn 2... They walked away from the Vipers, the Lambos and Ferraris and the Porsches running up the mountain after turn 1... Too bad Holden didn't back the project financially. They were supposed to sell a small number to the public, even took deposits from buyers- but then worked out the car's would cost about $230,000, when they had told the customers they would cost around $80,000. They weren't prepared to sell them at a loss and couldn't bump the price that much after people had signed on the dotted line to buy $80,000 cars... Hence why the red and yellow cars were the only ones produced... What could have been, huh. Imagine having such a halo car in the brand...
Awesome video, as an Aussie, it would have been awesome to see and Aussie car compete!
I remember seeing this being promoted in Modern Motor magazine and they were calling for donations/ contributions they were trying to raise $100,000 and were wanting amounts of at least $10 front each reader ;maybe more, I contemplated sending money,
I wish we'd got fox body fords in oz. 2 door fabness
What about Dick Johnson's "Greens-tuf" Mustang ?
6:28 The BMW M1 is basically a mid engined version of the BMW M635CSI that was competitive against the Commodore V8 back in those days. I'm not sure how the Commodore was going to beat a mid engined, better balanced and more aerodynamic version of that car at Le Mans. The Commodore probably would have been in a higher weight class. Then it would have to beat Porsche, who were winning the GT classes more years than anyone else. To even start the race, they would need a homologation into Group 5 or Group B, depending on the year. In 1984 the Porsche 928 was the last placed finisher. The Commodore would be fighting for second to last place. Running the Group A Commodore in the Spa 24 hrs was a much better idea and they finished #4 in 1987.
That thing looks like something out of a late 80s anime.
Good seeing these racing projects get proper light shed after seemingly being forgotten with time. Excellent vids as well
In any case, I do remember that the Holden Commodores V8 touring cars were raced in the 24 Hours of Spa/Francorchamps inBelgium in the (late) eighties.
I have been working as a student at that time at a Belgian engine tuner who was building these V8 race engines. He had some previous experience with Chevrolet Camaro V8 race engines too, which are probably not too different from the Holden V8 engines.
I remember as a kid the Modern Motor magazine article. The picture poster if this car was on my bedroom for years and years. Very inspiring car.
Had no idea this car was ever considered. It’s rare to find a TH-cam channel that actually shows me something I haven’t heard of. Well done that man!
If you’re old enough like me I remember seeing renderings of a A9X in Rothmans livery was rumoured to have a twin turbo 5litre Holden
IS THAT THE ACE COMBAT 5 HANGAR SONG???
Briefing 1 theme to be precise
I never knew we as Australia would enter our own car in Le Mans. If only I had became a legit custom car builder, I’d so would love to take on a project on building at least a road going version of that car. I could think of an ideal base and chassis for it be a Holden Ute or if not, commodore, get the back seats out, weld the back doors and put in a wide body kit on it. And IDK how I’d make the spoiler around the rear but the engine I would think either a Chevy corvette or an Elderbrock V8.
A ute le mans car. The stuff of dreams
@@stijnpaspont you’re more Australian than most here, mate.
I'm a die hard holden fan for over 40 years and I've never heard of or seen this before. It would have been awesome to see this running
Thanks for posting this. The Le Mans Commodore is classic 80's car styling and I love it. It would have been fantastic to see it run at Le Mans.
4:45 One correction - as Australia drives on the left, the drivers side is on the right of the car. The exhaust shown in the picture is on the passenger side of the car.
It's also worth pointing out that the late Bruce McLaren (who founded McLaren) was a New Zealander, and the logo still contains a stylised Kiwi in McLaren's signature orange. McLaren cars have not only competed at Le Mans, they have won! So you Aussies need to catch up.
And despite what the movie implied, Ken Miles deliberately slowed his GT-40 at the finish line and gifted Bruce McLaren with his win in 1966.
like a mullet, business up front, party in the back. Someone needs to do this on a rescued first gen commodore wreck as a le mans tribute
I’m an Aussie and a huge Motorsport fan and I’d never heard of this project before great video 👏
Your videos are such a treat for us motorsports fanatics. Incredible as always
You thought you could sneak in Hangar I from Ace Combat 5 in the start of this video without anyone noticing, but here we are. :)
George Fury holds lap record at Bathurst in a Datsun Bluebird TRX.
Lol I’m 1984 it’s been demolished, since then bro nice try
@@blainesellars1548 no, you are incorrect.
George Fury's Bluebird Trx turbo with Nissan Z18et (1800cc) holds lap record on the original track. Look it up.
He beat Brock, Johnson and Perkins in the qualifying.
Datsun's lap time will never be beaten because the next year they installed the dog-leg chase to slow the cars before entering the straight. There's a picture of Brock in his Commodore giving death stares to Fury in the Datsun on race day's starting grid. Brock didn't know how he could match the lap time of the Datsun. Fury beat Brock to the 1st corner and was tearing away until a crash flag caused a re-start.
Well put together video. What a shame they didnt get backing. Sheppo was a genius.
I mean, as hideous as it is, it is awesome to see a sedan like this that’s somewhat common here in New Zealand being modified for the greatest race ever
As a holden fan, it wouldnt have stood a chance. Unless there was at least 10 years of development behind it.
And if it was an a9x Torana 😁
cool video :) I never knew this
By the way... The exhuast comes out the passenger side mate. We drive on the right side of car, like Britain.
If only they followed through, we might see a different car landscape in Australia...
Thank you for this awesome but obscure story 😆
Great website for old books. Spent probably 5 minutes looking and have already ordered a book ha.
_Excellent video ... thanks for creating & uploading it._ 🏁
Too bad that we never saw that car racing, it would be very cool and interesting to watch such a ambitious car racing at Le Mans!
Great video mate. Thanks for sharing 🙃🙃👍🏻👍🏻
It looks like that body kit is what inspired and morphed on to the VL Walkinshaw Commodore
Yeah but that was some shonky Scot,, though it did become a racecar
More like Brock's vl director
Nice story. My first car was a VC Commodore wagon. I was devastated when the Holden factory closed down… 😞
I went from the VH, to the VT, then the VFseries2. Excellent vehicles.
@@olsmokey VC, VK and VL for me. All wagons (had to fit the drum kit in…) 😁
@@clint68 All wagons for me too. Similar reason - bass amps.
@@olsmokey Nice!
I really enjoyed this video. Thanks so much. I'll just add that the side bonnet naca ducts might still be seen on a Commodore at the National Motor Racing museum at Bathurst on a round-Australia rally car that Peter Brock drove
The ace combat 5 soundtrack in the background tho 🔥🔥🔥🥵🥵🥵
Yeesh, we'll never know if it was going to be quick but it was never going to win a beauty contest!
Run at Le Mans for 24 hours? Ive been a holden fan for 50 years but the way Holdens were built back then you'd be lucky to have a holden run long enough just to get it home.
did you even watch it? They made changes to the top speed and rev limit for reliability. Plenty of Holdens finished Bathurst, plenty didn't which was usually mechanics and drivers pushing components to failure.
The only unreliable commodore I ever owned was the VL Turbo.
This is mad!
Awesome video production and editing, always looking forward to your next video
Thanks!
Thanks for the video, I've never heard of this car before and it's a shame that it never competed at LeMans... Also, this video definitely deserves more views!
Excellent work 👍
Thank you!
GroupA/GroupC exhaust was under the Passenger Door, not the drivers - Commodores are Right Hand Drive.
Can see where some design elements were later applied to some of the Brock Specials.
Now THIS is content
Great video, thank you for making it!
Thank you mate, this is fantastic
Fantastic story, im an aussie and a holden fan but Ive never heard of this concept. I may be a little young to of heard of it though
I'm loving the Ace Combat 7 menu music.
I spent the entire video wondering why the music sounded so familiar
Interesting that they were going to develop a Le Mans 24 hour Holden Comodore l never realised that until now a very good reason to watch You Tube what a wonderful peice of Automotive information by the way thanks mate l am an Australian and owned a VC Comadore at one stage
If holden entered Le Mans it properly would have saved the brand and we would still have the Legend of a car
Very interesting! My first car was a VB commodore so I really enjoy finding out new interesting information about them. Thank you :)
It's a shame what happened to our beloved Holden, The Commodore evolved into one of the tuffest cars on the planet, not bad for a country with 20M people.
a real tuft fest....nothing but the toughest.....
Not many tuff Aussies left mate, the place has fallen.