My 1953 FX Holden

... Jaguars dominated. Next month when the current title's next V8 Supercars round is held in country Victoria it will be Commodores and Falcons only on the grid.

A red 1953 FX Holden, that actually competed in the first ATCC race in 1960, has been uncovered. It is largely untouched after having been in storage behind a bakery and then in a garage since 1963. It is believed to be the only car from the original field to have survived in its original condition.

Now owned by automotive engineer Allan Garfoot the FX was raced by Des West in the first race at Orange. Garfoot says that back in 1960 the car finished 11th outright and eighth in class after West stopped mid-race to help a fellow driver escape his crashed car. "He then got back in the race and set the fastest lap time from that point on."

The car was sold to fellow racer Kingsley Hibbard in 1961 and raced for two more years - still in the paintscheme West used in 1960 - before being put away. It was finally taken out of storage and cleaned up by Garfoot to appear at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the first race at Orange earlier this year but makes its return to the track at Eastern Creek's Father's Day Muscle Car Masters next weekend (September 5) - nearly 50 years since it last ran.

Garfoot says the car has been mechanically re-conditioned but he was been advised by experts to keep it in its current condition - a rare unmodernised example. "It's such a time capsule from that era of racing. There's very few cars from that era around that are untouched. Original cars are virtually nil on the ground."

It still has its original drum brakes and asbestos (God forbid) and brass brake lining material. "It's in excellent condition for its age. It's got bench seats,  the column change manual and the original harness that Des' wife made from an old parachute harness."

He says he won't be repainting the car despite its rather rusty appearance. "It's only surface rust where the paint's come off. There's no rust in the actual body."

Garfoot says the car will probably become an exhibit in the Bathurst motor racing museum. Before that it will blast around Eastern Creek reliving past glories.