Holden Monaro 1968 News

Tracing its history back to 1856, Holden is the second-oldest mobility company in the world, trailing France's Peugeot, which began operations in 1810 when it started out as a coffee mill manufacturer before transitioning to bicycles. While Karl Benz was tinkering with his first vehicle in Germany during 1886, James

Based on bang-for-buck impact, as well as classic muscle appeal, Shannons Insurance says it has to be the Falcon XY GTHO Phase 3 that ruled at Bathurst in the 1970s and was the world's fastest four-door sedan at the time it was introduced. A silver HO was passed in at the Brisbane Motor Show auction in 2008 at about $750,000."You wouldn't get those prices now as the bubble burst on the Aussie V8 muscle car market over 12 months ago and we haven't seen those numbers back ... yet," says Shannons spokesman Phil Ross.But Dan Bowden, whose Sunshine Coast family museum has one of the greatest collections of Aussie muscle cars, reckons the top prize goes to the Falcon XR GT which he calls "The first of the real Aussie V8s". It won Bathurst in 1967.Bathurst victory seems to be the common thread here. But what about Holdens? Ross says the number two and three cars in the price stakes are both Bathurst-winning Holdens: the 1978/79 A9X hatchback 308 V8 LX SS and the 1968 327 V8 HK Holden Monaro, "or possibly the 1970 HT 350 V8 Monaro"."Shannons Auctions sold a HK 327 Monaro for $220,000 at one of our auctions at the height of the muscle car price wars," he says.Earlier this year an A9X was passed in at a Shannons auction in Melbourne for more than $270,000. "They only made 100 of these so the Holden fans will argue it's the number one Aussie V8 of all time and the most collectable," says Ross.Road cars are one thing, but race cars attract even higher price tags. Bowden's museum has Peter Brock's 1979 A9X in which he won Bathurst by six laps, setting a record on the last lap while waving at the fans.It's insured for over $1m. Bowden says the car recently won an Auto Action poll as the most significant race car in Australia's history and won a Facebook poll among Bowden followers.Despite all that, he says the HK 327 GTS Monaro is "one of the most beautiful and a real contender", winning Bathurst in 1968.Ross says the cars that conquered Bathurst were awarded hero status by the car-buying public. "I don't think this kind of hero status for Aussie V8s will be as big with the later model cars but time may prove me wrong," he says. "I have just noticed there is a bit of a cult following starting with younger guys and the humble XD Falcon at shows."I always thought it looked more like a taxi but after looking at the Dick Johnson `Tru Blu' Falcon Group C race car at Bowden's museum I have changed my mind."Neither Ross nor Bowden mentioned any Chrysler product. "Sadly Chrysler didn't have any good V8s," says Bowden. "The ones with any real sporting pedigree were the six-cylinder versions."In the end they built the V8s in the Charger, the VJ E55 versions, but they were very toned down, marketed against the big luxury Ford Fairmont and LS Monaros, not as a sporting car."Ross says the six-cylinder E49 E49 RT Charger in the popular Vitamin C (orange) six pack "Big Tank" (extra Fuel for Bathurst) fully restored can be worth $170,000-$200.000."I once asked Leo Geogeghan if he thought a Charger could win Bathurst and he said not without a V8," he says. "He couldn't beat the V8 GT Falcons up the mountain. There was a 770 Charger released with a V8 but it never ran at Bathurst. If they had won maybe they would be worth more."Of the current batch of Aussie V8s, Bowden likes the FPV GT. "Amazing engine. The only manufacturer that hand assembles its engine in Australia," he says.Bowden also throws a monkey into the works with the rear-mounted HSV V8 engine in the Alfa Romeo Sprint made by Giocattolo Motori Pty Ltd. The Australian car company built just 15 cars from 1986 to 1989 which were capable of up to 260km/h.OTHERS TO CONSIDER* Falcon XA GTHO Phase IV, the one Ford said they never built, killed by the super car scare and only one road car ever made.* Holden L34 Torana, with Hi-Po option, our only all-Aussie-made engine.* VL HDT Group A Brock Commodore, another homologation special. "The polariser plus pack version just adds to the story," says Bowden.* Falcon XA RPO-83 option GT. A lot of those Phase IV bits went on these special cars.* Falcon XC Cobra, one of the first 30, the Bathurst special versions.

Based on bang-for-buck impact, as well as classic muscle appeal, Shannons Insurance says it has to be the Falcon XY GTHO Phase 3 that ruled at Bathurst in the 1970s and was the world's fastest four-door sedan at the time it was introduced.A Silver HO was passed in at the Brisbane Motor Show auction in 2008 at about $750,000."You wouldn't get those prices now as the bubble burst on the Aussie V8 muscle car market over 12 months ago and we haven't seen those numbers back ... yet," says Shannons spokesman Phil Ross.But Dan Bowden, whose family museum has one of the greatest collections of Aussie muscle cars, reckons the top prize goes to the Falcon XR GT which he calls "The first of the real Aussie V8s". It won Bathurst in 1967.What about Holdens?Ross says the number two and three cars in the price stake are both Bathurst winning Holdens: the A9X hatchback 308 V8 LX SS and the 1968 327 V8 HK Holden Monaro, "or possibly the 1970 HT 350 V8 Monaro". Shannons Auctions sold a HK 327 Monaro for $220,000 at one of our auctions at the height of the muscle car price wars," he says."We have an A9X in our next auction ... and it may go for around $250,000 or more. They only made 100 of these so the Holden fans will argue it's the number one Aussie V8 of all time and the most collectable."Bowden's museum seems to favour the Falcons, but he agrees that the HK 327 GTS Monaro is "one of the most beautiful and a real contender", winning Bathurst in 1968.Others to consider are:Falcon XA GTHO Phase IV, the one Ford said they never built, killed by the super car scare and only one road car ever made.Holden L34 Torana, with Hi-Po option, our only all-Aussie-made engine.VL HDT Group A Brock Commodore, another homologation special. "The polariser plus pack version just adds to the story," says Bowden.Falcon XA RPO-83 option GT. A lot of those Phase IV bits went on these special cars.Falcon XC Cobra, one of the first 30, the Bathurst special versions.Ross says the cars that conquered Bathurst were awarded hero status by the car-buying public."But I don't think this kind of hero status for Aussie V8s will be as big with the later model cars but time may prove me wrong," he says. "I have just noticed there is a bit of a cult following starting with younger guys and the humble XD Falcon at shows. I always thought it looked more like a taxi but after looking at the Dick Johnson `Tru Blu' Falcon Group C race car at Bowden's museum I have changed my mind."Neither Ross nor Bowden mentioned any Chrysler product."Sadly Chrysler didn't have any good V8s," says Bowden. "The ones with any real sporting pedigree were the six-cylinder versions. In the end they built the V8s in the Charger, the VJ E55 versions, but they were very toned down, marketed against the big luxury Ford Fairmont and LS Monaros, not as a sporting car."Ross says the six-cylinder E49 E49 RT Charger in the popular Vitamin C (orange) six pack "Big Tank" (extra Fuel for Bathurst) fully restored can be worth $170,000-$200.000."I once asked Leo Geogeghan if he thought a Charger could win Bathurst and he said not without a V8," he says. "He couldn't beat the V8 GT Falcons up the mountain. There was a 770 Charger released with a V8 but it never ran at Bathurst. If they had won maybe they would be worth more."Of the current batch of Aussie V8s, Bowden likes the FPV GT."Amazing engine. The only manufacturer that hand assembles its engine in Australia," he says.Bowden also throws a monkey into the works with the rear-mounted HSV V8 engine in the Alfa Romeo Sprint made by Giocattolo Motori Pty Ltd.The Australian car company built just 15 cars from 1986 to 1989 which were capable of up to 260km/h.

So far, in fact, that the traditional Holden versus Ford tribal war doesn't mean much to Irish butcher Paul Lawless, born in Tiperrary, even though he has lived in Australia for more than 30 years."I don't have a preference for Holden or Ford," says the 2002 Australian sausage champion who runs a butchery in Annerley, south Brisbane, and now owns two pristine examples of '60s Australian automobilia. His 1961 EK Holden and 1966 XP Falcon ute look like they have just rolled off the factory floor."I've been interested in Australian cars since the 1960s when I first arrived in Sydney," he says in his strong Irish accent. "I used to go to the auctions and I bought and sold a lot of cars, mainly Holdens and Fords because I grew up with the culture."There's not really a lot of money to be made (buying and selling at auctions); we just wanted to have different cars all the time." He says he onced owned a 1968 Monaro he bought for $1350. "I only had it for 12 months and sold it for $1500. I wished I'd kept it. In the '60s I went more for Holdens and in the 1970s I veered off into Fords and then I followed Dick Johnson, so I was into Fords. "At Bathurst time my allegiance all depends on what car I have at the time."So come that special Sunday in October this year and he will be in a real quandry as he now owns one of each, although the odds are in favour of Holden as his third car is a 1972 Kingswood he bought six years ago for $2500.Lawless says that despite his past buying and selling habits, he would never sell his XP or EK. "I can't see the point," he says. "I just want to keep them and hand them on to my sons."He bought the XP ute recently for $10,000. Lawless says it had a "clean body" with the rust cut out and had 43,000 miles (69,201km) on the odometer. The only modifications he has done is to reupholster the seats, install a new tonneau cover and replace the steering wheel with a "pearl" model. "That was fairly popular in the 1960s," he says. He has also had the original AM radio restored by John Carr of Yass."I bought hubcaps on the internet from America for $450. They are the only non-original part. Everything else is completely original," he says. It's his daily driver, while the EK only comes out for Sunday drives and car shows."I bought it about 12 months ago for $5000 from a woman who only used it to drive to the shops," he says. "No one has sat in the back since the 1960s. It's absolutely lovely. It is completely original. It was just always kept under cover. You will never get another car like that." He turns over the 170 cubic inch six-cylinder and it purrs into life. "Listen to that. You wouldn't even know it was running," he says.An EK cost 2500 in 1962 and for an extra 180 you could get a Diamond Dot radio which this one has. "That's the only thing I've had to fix on this one," he says.

The first generation Monaro was Holden’s response to Ford’s 1967 Bathurst winning Falcon XR GT. These two cars can be credited with establishing the Australian Muscle Car genre as well as starting the Holden v Falcon racing rivalry that continues today. Named after the NSW Southern Tablelands region and in particular the Highway that runs to Cooma, the word Monaro is Aboriginal for "high plateau". The V8 version of the Monaro was Australia’s take on producing a ‘muscle ’ to its original American definition, ie; “a two-door rear wheel drive mid-size car with a large V8 and sold at an affordable price”. Later the Australian take on the muscle car genre brought in the four door sedan to the definition. Never has the adage "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" rung truer than during this period. The car you could buy in the showroom has never been closer than the version that was raced at Bathurst, (you can see in one of the Official Holden images in our gallery number plates on while racing at Bathurst). While Ford fans had bragging rights in 1967 with the GT’s Bathurst win, they were left having to defend the Falcon’s somewhat square design with the launch of the stunning and curvaceous Monaro coupe. The Monaro got the buying public excited and the motor press were equally impressed. Wheels awarded it Car of the Year for 1968. The significance of the Gen 1 Monaro can not be overstated. It was the first Holden V8, the first Holden Coupe and set Holden on its path as an exporter of motor vehicles. Completed cars and later components for assembly were exported to General Motors South Africa who sold the Monaro as the Chevrolet SS. Previous to the Monaro, Holden’s racing success was very limited. The only wins of significance were the 1958 Ampol trial and Bathurst race in Easter that year. The Monaro’s inaugural victory was at the Sandown 3 Hour in 1968 with the team of Tony Roberts and Bob Watson. This was soon followed by the win that started one of world motorsport’s most legendary pairings - Holden and Bathurst. The Monaro filled all podium positions at the Hardie Ferodo 500 in 1968 with Bruce McPhee/Barry Mulholland, Palmer/Phil West, Tony Roberts/Bob Watson respectively. Bathurst therefore gained immense significance for Ford and Holden as the record for the new V8 era stood at one victory each - the bragging rights and the potential resulting sales were of enormous importance for the two manufacturers. The implication of the success of ‘68 was not lost on Holden chief executive John Bagshaw who wanted to build a new factory team. During this period however, General Motors would not allow any of its divisions to directly enter motorsport. Bagshaw therefore developed the Holden Dealer Team ostensibly owned by Bagshaw poached Harry Firth, the Ford team manager and he in turn hired two young new talented drivers named Colin Bond and Peter Brock. As HDT was to enter both rally and circuit events, Bond was the new rally young gun who also doubled in the touring car events. Bond went on to win the 1969 event with Tony Roberts while Brock came in third with Des west. This was to be the last win for Holden for three years as Ford were developing the all-conquering GTHO for '70 and '71 and Firth went down a different road with the more nimble Torana XU-1. The two-year domination of the Monaro ended and development did not continue. The victories at Bathurst were not the only significant high profile outings for the Monaro. In Brisbane a teenage entrepreneur, Lloyd Robertson, was developing a small precision driving team with his mates using Volkswagen Beetles. The success of the initial outings prompted Robertson to take the team to the next level. He approached the Brisbane Holden dealer network for sponsorship and the use of Holden Monaros. The first gig was the Brisbane Royal Show and the professionalism of the team lead to further similar bookings. The Monaro Precision Driving Team was born. The next step in the successful venture was for Robertson to approach Holden directly. John Bagshaw came to the fore again and with factory backing this time the team became the Holden Precision Driving Team. Forty years on from the Bathurst victory the allure of the Monaro has not diminished and current values for genuine 1969 HT Monaro GTS 350 remain strong. Even the lowest spec in-line sixes are difficult to find as most are in the hands of enthusiasts for restoration and upgrading. Holden HK, HT, HG Monaro Engines - 1968–1971 L6 161 in³ (2.6 L) (base model) L6 186 in³ (3.0 L) (GTS with an up rated 186S only) V8 253 in³ (4.2 L) – GMH engine V8 307 in³ (5.0 L) – Chev engine V8 308 in³ (5.0 L) – GMH engine V8 327 in³ (5.3 L) 186 kW – Chev engine V8 350 in³ (5.7 L) 224 kW – Chev engine

The brilliant blue metallic coupe was made famous in a recent episode of the series.It goes under the hammer at Shannons classic car auction at the Sydney Showgrounds on July 12.The Holden HK Monaro GTS 327 is considered a classic and has only 89,000 miles (143,000km) on the clock.In its heyday the Monaro was a powerful Bathurst race car, winning its first Bathurst enduro just after its launch in 1968.Delivered new by Stacks Holden in Rose Bay, the two-owner metallic Monaro was build number 312 of what is now one of the country's most collectable muscle cars.Shannons describes the coupe as showroom perfect.It comes with all the wanted Bathurst Monaro features, including its original 5.3-litre Chevrolet-sourced V8 engine, four-speed manual gearbox, limited slip differential, stiffer sports suspension, power front disc brakes and a long-range fuel tank.The vendor, like the fictional Underbelly characters, prefers to fly under the radar, is only the car's second owner. He bought the car in 2002 and has maintained it in top mechanical condition.As and added sweetener, the car is being sold with its glovebox lid signed by actress Kate Ritchie, who played Judy Kane in Underbelly. It also comes with personalised ‘Ubelly’ NSW numberplates.Check back Friday to see our Carsguide Car of the Week tribute to the Holden HK Monaro.

Holden Special Vehicles has launched two new models, revealing the ClubSport R8 Tourer and W427 Showcar to the Sydney audience. But there are also a couple of milestones for the brand, celebrating 20 years of the brand and 40 years of the first Australian Gran Turismo Sportivo (GTS).First appearing on a HK Monaro in 1968, the GTS nameplate has been part of the HSV lexicon since its return to the market in 1992 in the form of the 200kW VP GTS and has since been the hero car-line for the high performance car company.To commemorate 40 years of GTS, just 100 specially released models will be built, with black heritage stripes, tyre pressure monitors and a commemorative '40 years of GTS' logo embedded on the headrest, brake calliper, sill plate and rear panel.Priced from $80,170, the 40 years of GTS is only available in Sting Red and Heron White.Meanwhile a new Senator Signature SV08 introduces a new Tremec TR6060 manual gearbox to the range, which will become standard across the HSV line-up later this month.Twenty years on from the SV88, Holden Special Vehicles has released a limited run of 50 HSV Senator Signature SV08s.The luxury SV08 receives exclusive lower paint-outs, sill plates and additional chrome accenting on the side mirrors and door handles, along with 20-inch alloys.  Available in Nitrate (Silver), Sting Red and Voodoo (Blue), production is limited to 20 manual and 30 automatic versions priced from $82,700.HSV has also got its hands on the Holden Sportwagon and created the ClubSport R8 Tourer, HSV’s first wagon since the all-wheel drive 2003 Avalanche.Powered by HSV’s LS3 engine producing 317kW and 550Nm, the manual R8 Tourer is priced from $65,990 which is a $1000 premium over the ClubSport sedan.HSV has also brought to Sydney the W427 showcar finished in the same Panorama Silver as the original Group A SS VL Commodore, aka Walkinshaw. The modern day Walkinshaw 427 is powered by a 7.0-litre V8 engine with 500hp, that’s hand built at  GM’s Performance Build Centre in Detroit. The W427 retails for $155,500.

The share market is shot, superannuation is in “negative growth” whatever that means, house prices are dropping alarmingly and interest rates look like falling. Where can you make an honest investment dollar these days? Well, art has some attraction but the numbers involved would make plenty of people tremble in their boots.What about collectable classic cars?We have all heard the stories about the six figure Falcon GTHOs and Monaros not forgetting the European thoroughbred classics, some of which go for multi-million dollar prices.But what if you're just an average punter and want to get in on the action.Take a look at Japanese collectable cars - is the advice coming from those in the know.This is because they have the potential for increased value from a relatively low base. And depending on the car (and luck) you could have a tidy little nest egg in the garage, one that you can take out and actually enjoy at your discretion.Christophe Boribon is the National Auction Manager for Shannons Auctions and he has some firm ideas on what cars are good buying with potential appreciation and those that are dead certainties.Chris' named the Toyota 2000GT as the most collectable classic Japanese car in Australia because of its rarity (only eight imported) and the specification of the car. He says a good one will go for between $2-300,000.Hardly accessible to the average punter.But other cars from most Japanese manufacturers operating here are shaping up well at the auctions and as long term prospects.Mazda's 1960s R100 coupe is worth a look at 10 grand according to Chris' as is the original, glass back RX7.“The RX3 is also good buying at $25-35,000 if you can get a good one and it should appreciate if looked after,” Chris' said.”Then there is the late '90s twin-turbo RX7 and RX7 SP - a locally fettled hotrod that will appreciate because it was a low volume performance car.”“You will pay big dollars for a Mazda Cosmo (up to 100 grand) but the first MX5 is a good proposition for not much money.” He said the SP versions of the later MX5 will be worth more in the long run and even the Japanese turbo model, the SE, should appreciate over time.Toyota has a few potentially collectable models including the late '60s Celica RA23 and TA23 models as well as the rear drive Sprinter 1.6. Celica GT4s should also be good buying if you can find one that hasn't been raced. Honda's most collectable car is the NSX but Chris' says the first S2000 sports cars are worth a look if you can get one that hasn't been thrashed. The tiny S600 and S800 sports cars are good property and even the quad headlight Integra TypeR could appreciate given time.Any Mitsubishi Lancer Evo in reasonable road condition will be worth a punt as a collectable particularly the Evo 6.5 Makinen edition. And if you can get hold of a twin turbo GTO 3000 (non-factory import) it should be a solid investment.Nissan has plenty of collectable cars dating right back to the 1960s. Think Datsun Fairlady sports cars, Datsun 240Z and 260Z coupes and of course the R32 Skyline GTR Godzilla Bathurst winning car - (Australian spec) of which only 100 were imported by the factory. You'll pay about $35,000 for Godzilla these days and it's on the way up for a decent standard one.Subaru has a couple of collectable cars too, the SVX coupe 3.3-litre flat six all-wheel-drive has possibilities and the 22B two door Impreza WRX STi for which you'll pay about $100,000 and going up.Good luck. 

The mystery buyer of the most expensive Australian-made car is a Cairns car collector who was wearing shorts and thongs when he did the record-breaking deal.The businessman, who goes by the nickname Chooka, made national headlines in April when he paid $920,000 for a Holden Monaro.Other collectors have offered him more but he won't sell. The HRT 427, one of only two made, has quietly arrived in the Far North and has been hidden away in a warehouse.In an exclusive interview with Carsguide, Chooka revealed details of the deal as well as other aspects of his multi-million dollar vehicle collection of more than 50 cars and 60 motorbikes. For security and safety reasons he has declined to have his real name identified, but the 41-year-old is well known in collector circles and by senior motor industry officials.Chooka made headlines in April when he wandered into a Sydney showroom wearing shorts and thongs and bought the car, one of two built in 2002 to showcase Holden and HSV's engineering prowess.The other is in Holden's concept car collection and is not for sale. It cannot be driven, but Chooka's can. The registered vehicle features Kevlar fittings, has a 427kW 7.0-litre V8 and race brakes to haul it down from a top speed of 299km/h.It has a roll cage, special racing seats, fuel system, alloy wheels, push button start, six point harness seats, a Motec instrumentation system, a hand made boot spoiler made of Kevlar and aluminium. It is finished in Sting Red and the build number is ED (Experimental Development) 0001, August 12, 2002. It was built to rival Porsche's track-focused 911 GT2.Chooka is a Monaro fanatic and has been told he has the finest and most valuable collection in Australia.“I've got more than 20 of them, from the first ones in 1968 through to the last one in 2006,” he said. There are HK, HT, HG, HQ, HJ and HX Monaros. He has the last HSV GTS Monaro to come off the production line. As well, there are limited edition models.The HRT 427 is probably the most famous and valuable. It was first unveiled at the 2002 Sydney Motor Show and was expected to sell for $215,000. There was a huge response but Holden Special Vehicles abandoned the project because they would have lost money on the cars.Already, Chooka has turned down substantially more than what he paid for the car. None of his cars is for sale. While he rarely drives his Monaros, he took his dad for a spin in the HRT 427. His wife and five children were taken for laps around Eastern Creek in the car at Easter.He has been collecting rare cars for about four years but has amassed a collection scattered around the Far North in about six premises.Chooka, who has a building industry manufacturing plant, said plans were under way to build a museum, a fully operating garage and a race track on the outskirts of Cairns to house the collection.“I don't deem these cars as an asset. It's a passion,” he said. 

General Motors will celebrate 60 years of producing Holden cars in November but the reality is the first Australian-built 48-215 (FX) Holden rolled off the assembly line in April 1948.In secret, Holden ran off 10 cars at Fishermens Bend that April to clear the line in readiness for full production in November.Full production at that time was 112 cars in a month.When the big day came, on November 29, 1200 men and women, including Prime Minister Ben Chifley, stood around an ivory FX.The car appeared from behind silver curtains to the sounds of a 10-piece orchestra and was greeted with enthusiastic applause.This was the first production-run Holden, Australia's own six-cylinder, successful mass produced car.Holden's story goes back to James Alexander Holden, then 17, who arrived in South Australia from Staffordshire, England, in 1852.In 1856 he started a shop in King William St, Adelaide, as a leather worker and saddle maker.By 1885 the company was repairing and eventually building horse-drawn carriages and coaches a common beginning for many car companies.In 1924, GM took an interest in Holden and struck a contract for the company to build vehicle bodies, for GM only.When World War II started to wind down in 1943, along with GM Holden's military contracts, Holden revived a plan for an Aussie car.Engineers started designing Project 2000 and in 1944 the first prototype was completed using Willys mechanicals. Later that year, GM Corporation approved the project.In 1945 design work started on the Australian project in the US, and Project 2000 continued, becoming Project 2200.The following year Holden engineers were sent to Detroit with their ideas, styling models and drawings and they linked with their US counterparts.They produced three handmade working prototypes, virtually identical to the car intended for production and in late 1946 the cars were shipped to Fishermens Bend, accompanied by the Aussie design team and 22 American technicians.These Detroit-built cars were tested extensively on Australia's rough dirt roads outside Melbourne and, as a result, modifications were made to the steering and suspension.No doubt our roads then, as now, were inferior to America's flat track tarmacs.Then Holden would take on the best of British the Austin A40 which was Australia's best selling car in 1948.This Aussie icon was powered by a 2.15-litre six, the much revered and reliable 'grey motor' boasting a whole 45kW of power, with a three-on-the-tree manual gear shifter.It weighed less than a ton and could do 129km/h and return 48km to the gallon.The price was $1466.There were 120,402 FXs built and perhaps the most visual FX in Australia is the pink FX which could be found in the Gold Coast, it is half buried on the first floor of an ancient wrecking yard office facing the Pacific Highway at Reedy Creek.Each day thousands of vehicles pass the Gold Coast Auto Wreckers yard, owned by Will Smith.Smith said he got the car from Olivia's Malt Shop at Surfers Paradise where it was on display and where staff on roller-skates served patrons.Gold Coast historian Alex McRobbie recalled the shop being just south of Surfers Paradise on the beach side of the Gold Coast Highway.