Holden Monaro News

As Dan Bowden, 35, says: "This is a collection, not a museum.  A museum is for things that are dead or dying.  We are proud of the fact that all these cars are running and going."The collection of about 80 vehicles from a 1932 Ford roadster to a 2007 Dick Johnson Racing BA V8 Supercar includes a 1965 Ford GT40 and a 1965 Shelby Cobra each worth $2 million.  Bowden says Shannons has insured the collection for $22-$23 million.The only way to get in to see the collection is to buy one of Bowden's Own big car care kits, the super size or mother bucket kit. The tickets are free inside.  Even then, you can't walk up to the doors with your ticket and demand entry. In a covert operation, guests gather at a nearby service station and are escorted to the large shed set back in a massive suburban lot sheltered from the road by thick rainforest.  "We have to shut the doors when we turn the cars on for our Sound Tour because our neighbours complain," Bowden says.No wonder. The collection features Norm Beechey's 1970 350 GTS Monaro which is credited as being the loudest car to race on Australian tracks.  They took it to England last year for the Goodwood Festival of Speed and won the trophy for best-sounding car. "It scared the Poms," says Bowden.They get about 1000 people through the collection in a year with a tour every second Sunday and some evening corporate days.  They've had visitors from the UK, US, Germany and New Zealand as well as around Australia.  "We get about 30 to 40 calls a week wanting to come through," he says.The collection and car care business are run by Dan and his brother, Chris, who also specialises in finding rare race cars for buyers.  "I've always been into cars," he says.  "Dad (David) was a hot rodder and he instilled that love of cars into us."At one stage, we had a (Falcon GTHO) Phase IV as the family car.  "I remember being at Lakeside in 1982 and I was just seven years old and it was the first time I'd been to a race track.  "People were screaming and dad was so excited and he let us eat junk food and I thought `wow this is great'."Dad's a stock market trader and he's done well, so he's put his own money into old race cars because he saw them rusting and being wasted."  His first historic race car buy was Pete Geoghegan 600bhp Super Falcon in 1982."It was in a million pieces and dad just about cried," Bowden says.  "He then got to wondering where all the great race cars were and so he started a quest to find them and restore them.   When he started he was the only one doing it, but now a lot of people are into it.  Race cars are a massive part of our history and we need to preserve them."When the Bowden's started collecting, the cars were cheap and they cornered the market. Since then the prices have gone ballistic.  "We couldn't afford to do it now," Bowden says.  "People even blame us for inflating the prices of muscle cars."Bowden has about 20 staff working on the car care business and the collection, including four mechanics who restore the racing cars to working order.  "We don't restore cars better than they were made for racing. We take them back to what they were, not show car standard," he says.Their most recent restoration project is three 1970s Falcon hard tops raced by Murray Carter, John Goss and Colin Bond.  "As far as I'm concerned the restoration isn't finished until we get the original driver in it," he says."Bondy is champing at the bit to drive this one and he might be in the seat for the Gold Coast 600 in October."  Bowden's Own came to the rescue of the Gold Coast event last year after the A1GP went bust.They sent several historic cars to the event to be driven in demonstration laps by their original owners, although Bowden admits Dick Johnson and Jim Richards got a bit "enthusiastic".  He plans to send more cars down this year."We have to be very careful about what drivers we get in them because we have a lot to lose," he says.  "We do a lot of speed events, historic meets and car shows, but there's just too much going on to get around to everything."  As for the collection, Bowden says they have enough.

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.

Jodie Johnson owned a 1972 HQ SS Monaro when she met her future husband Paul Johnson at a friend's birthday party in September 2000.  They were both into muscle cars and hit it off immediately. They were engaged in February 2001 and married that December.But little did Holden-loving accountant Jodie know when she met truck-driving Paul that he was a Ford fan.  "I suppose opposites attract," she says.  Paul agrees: "Ford or Holden; it doesn't matter. I know what the superior make is here."The Johnsons now have a collection of muscle cars in their garage and have started an online muscle car club that has 190 members from as far as Perth.  Jodie still owns the HQ, while Paul has a replica 1970 Falcon XW GT replica, a 1971 six-cylinder Futura and a recently acquired 1971 XY panel van."The panel van is quite a rare one. It's a project for us to do next," says Paul.  "Jodie enjoys working on them. It makes my life a lot easier with her having an interest in cars. We've got a lot in common to talk about."The GT replica is a standard XW, but with factory made genuine GT parts fitted.  "It's got all the GT parts like the interior, motor, gearbox, dashboard and stripes; it just doesn't have the GT code on the compliance plate," he says.  He bought it in Sydney four years ago for $18,000. Back in 1970 a GT would cost about $3500.Genuine GTs now fetch around $100,000-$160,000 while replicas can go for as much as $70,000.  "I don't know what it's worth, but it's got all the right parts," Paul says.  "I bought it as is and I've just changed the tyres, carbies, clutch and diff housing."It has a 351 Cleveland GT engine producing about 400hp with a four-speed top-loader manual gearbox and nine-inch diff.  "I had GTs before and I'd been looking around for a few years for a good replica. I couldn't afford a real one because the prices went silly for a couple of years," he says."I'm not kicking myself that I didn't keep the '74 XB GT. I don't regret it at all.  "This is by far my favourite Ford because of the colour. It's a total selling point.  "I knew it was a replica straight away because of the compliance plate and it was advertised as a replica.  "The next best thing to a real GT is a replica."Paul has displayed his car at hot rod shows while Jodie gave up on the show circuit two years ago to go drag racing.  Her brother bought the car 20 years ago with plans to rebuild it.  "My father got sick of it sitting in the shed doing nothing so I bought it off him for $10,000 and finished it off," she says."When we rebuilt it, it only had a 253 in it and was basically a show car.  I got sick of the show thing and cleaning it all the time, so we decided we'd make it a `go car' and took it to the drags."It now features a 454 big block engine which propels it to "high 12s" on the quarter mile strip.  "The cost all up is about $40,000," she says.  "It only comes out on weekends these days. My daily drive is a 2005 Nissan Pulsar. Pretty sad, huh?"She also owned a VK Commodore which was `pretty awesome" but when their daughters Mercedes, 4, and Palana, 2, came along the Johnsons traded it in for something with airconditioning.  Jodie says that given their love of muscle cars, Palana's name is often mistaken for Torana.

Paul Holter, 54, of North Arm on the Sunshine Coast got his nickname from years of converting American cars, mainly Pontiacs, to right-hand drive.Over the years he claims he has restored, converted, traded and owned as many as 600 cars and now has a dozen in his backyard and shed as well as a few restoration projects belonging to mates.  "I've been collecting cars all my life," he says  "When I got married 35 years ago my wife threatened that if I got any more cars she would leave me. She's still here."Holter got his first car when he was 11 years old.  "My dad bought a Mk V Jag and sold off the tyres and battery and gave me the rest," he says.  "I sold it and bought a '48 Ford Prefect for $40."His daily drivers are a 2005 CVZ Monaro, a 2007 Holden Rodeo and a 2008 Honda Civic, while his collectible cars include a 1976 Chrysler VK Valiant Hemi, a 1968 Pontiac Firebird Convertible, a 1959 Plymouth Suburban sports wagon, a 1960 Pontiac Ventura, a 1962 S Series Chrysler Valiant and a 1983 Pontiac Trans Am race car.He bought the Trans Am for $2000 and converted it into a race car by pulling out the 305 Chevy engine and four-speed auto box and replacing them with a Gen III Commodore 5.7-litre V8, six-speed Tremec gearbox and adding GT-R Skyline rear suspension and brakes.  He claims it gets about 350hp (260kW) at the rear wheels and propelled him to 77th out of 185 cars at last year's Noosa Hillclimb.His current project is the Plymouth he bought for $8500 two years ago. It features nine seats, including a rear-facing row in the back.  He's leaving it in left-hand drive, but is replacing the engine with a 440 V8 he bought online.  "I don't know what it will all cost," he says. "I'd prefer not to know as it could get expensive."It's all the little bits and pieces you have to buy that add up."  Over the past six years he has spent up to $40,000 in a loving restoration of the Ventura he bought for $11,000 and plans to spend about $30,000 _ "or something stupid like that" _ on the S Series Valiant.  "When you do it a bit at a time it doesn't seem so expensive," he says.He plans to fuel-inject and turbo-charge the Valiant's 225 slant-six engine.  "It's rated at 145bhp (108kW), but I reckon I can get it up to the middle 300s," he says.  "I do all my own mechanical work, but I get interiors, paint and body done by experts."Holter is a qualified train driver who moved from Victoria to Queensland 21 years ago and started his right-hand-drive conversion business.  He also had a business importing Nissan Laurel four-door, rear-wheel-drive pillarless sedans but found compliance laws kept changing too often. He bought an Autobarn franchise six years ago and another a year later.Business must be good because Holter has been able to indulge his interest in American cars, travelling several times to the US to buy cars and ship them home for conversion and restoration.And Holter is always looking toward his next project.  He's currently considering trading his Firebird for a Grand Prix and he's always had a soft spot for a Valiant Charger although he reckons they cost too much these days, some fetching as much as $300,000.

He is the proud owner of a 1969 HT Monaro GTS 350 "Bathurst Special" with a 224kW Chevrolet 350ci (5.7-litre) V8, 25 gallon (113.5-litre) fuel tank, four-speed manual transmission, two broad "go-faster" stripes down the centre and twin air scoops in the bonnet which serve no real purpose.In 1969, this was the car that won Bathurst and in which a young Peter Brock drove his first Mt Panorama race, finishing third. "I remember the first time I clapped eyes on one when I was four or five and I'll never forget it," the Brisbane restaurateur says. "I just fell in love with it. It was just like a big shiny bell that kept ringing in my head. "I knew I had to have one, one day."The Monaro Bathurst Special cost about $4000 new and Michael paid $12,000 for it in 1997. Shannons auctioneer of 26 years Bill Wellwood said that before the global financial crisis HT Monaros were fetching about $250,000 but values had dropped to about $150,000. "It's only worth what someone pays for them," says Michael. "But I'd never sell it. Never. It's a part of my life." When he bought it, the car had about 90,000km on the odometer, the paint was faded, and it was mechanically "tired". "But there was no rust in it — not a skerrick," Michael says. "I could have just cleaned it up and had it driveable, but I wanted it to be perfect so I started a four-year restoration to build it back to new and then let it age gracefully. "She's perfect now."Wellwood agrees: "It is the best one I've seen."Michael has paid a lot of attention to a faithful restoration even down to the original rubber mats and tyre jack in the boot. It was first sold in Sydney and features a new "From Savell Bros, Hurstville" sticker on the back window. "I tracked down the last Savell brother (I think it was Bruce) in his 90s and he sent me a batch of stickers, key rings and stuff," he says. "It took me a year to find the rear sticker. I tracked him down from the electoral roll. "I've also got all the original paperwork."Michael claims it was the fourth of the first seven "prototypes" produced as a press evaluation vehicle. "When we took the car apart it had three times the sound cushioning and the gearbox and mechanical parts had number four hand punched into them," he says. "Monaro experts have gone through it and they reckon it was blueprinted by Holden which is what they did with the first seven of any model made."Michael says the Monaro is "quite a smooth car to drive". "There is that feeling of power underneath you with a constant V8 rumble. There's no radio; she plays her own music," he says. "I don't push it too hard, but I take it for long rides and lose myself back in time. It's my last link to the good old days."Michael has only ever had one problem with the car. "That was the master cylinder because I didn't use it often enough," he says. "With a lot of old cars, you tend to let them sit as you want them to remain perfect, but you have to exercise them."And that exercise can be expensive. "The fuel economy ain't good. It probably costs 10 bucks just to back it out of the driveway, plus I always give it a bit of a boot. "I drive it every second weekend, but I never let it get wet."The Bathurst Special will get a run this weekend around to a mate's place to watch the race. "It's a bit of man day," he says. 

Formed in respond to Ford's factory backed campaigns at Bathurst and Phillip Island throughout the 1960s team manager Harry Firth united two young bucks in Peter Brock and Colin Bond to begin an extensive and highly successful operation that carried Holden's racing hopes throughout the 1970s. Back in 1969 the pair debuted for the team in V8 Holden Monaros - the largest cars the HDT would race at Bathurst. Bond swept to victory with Tony Roberts and the Monaro legend was cemented in fans' memories forever. And while you associate the brawny, muscly Monaro with V8 power the road-going version also came with a milder six-cylinder engine. Now they are a virtual rarity on the road due to the ravages of time however one example has lasted in the hands of the original owner, the proverbial little old lady who only drove it to church on Sundays. Actually, she only drove it in later years weekly to visit her sister, but incredibly in 40 years it has clocked up less than 48,000 miles (77,000km). Her nephew Tony Weekes is now selling the car on her behalf at the Shannons auction at the MotorEX show at the Sydney showgrounds at Homebush Bay on Sunday. The HT Monaro 186S Coupe is obviously less powerful than the V8s (108kW compared to 138, 156, 179 and 223 in the various V8 engines) but it did come with stylish features including GTS wheel trims and the original De Luxe radio. Weekes says the Spanish-red car has been registered throughout its entire life. He says his aunt bought it new through then Holden dealers Stack and Co's showrooms in William St in the city. "She's the only one who's ever driven it. She was still driving it when she about 80." He says it has been stored under cover in her garage for the past few years but now it was time to sell. Weekes says his aunt had strong emotional ties to the car and wanted it to be cared for. "It's a sad thing, leaving the garage. "She wants to sell it to people who would want to collect them. People who understand the importance of it." He says: "There weren't many 6-cylinders and that's what is so rare about it." "It needs to be restored. Its the original paintwork from 40 years ago. It's pretty well all in original condition." The Stacks sticker is still on the car and even the original AM radio still works. To prepare for sale Weekes has had the car serviced and says it drives well. "It's like driving a brand-new car. It's only done about 1000 miles a year over all that time." Weekes says the stylish looks of the car have stood the test of time. "There's something simplistic about it and something interesting about it. Its pillarless." Inside, the sandalwood upholstery is in good condition.

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.

The hand-built supercar is the latest extreme machine to join the show lineup, which also includes wicked Sucker Punch Sallys motorcycles from the USA.But the Monaro is a car with a difference, right down to its name - The Monaro from HAL.Every panel on the car has been tweaked and it is fitted with a 427 Corvette engine and a full custom interior. And there is the one-off blue paintwork.The car is a joint venture between one-time supercar hero Paul Halstead, who was the Australia importer for DeTomaso cars and created the locally-built Giacattolo, and Autotek chief Bob Roman.Between them they have more than 50 years experience in engineering and fast cars which is reflected in their super-special Monaro."It's a one-off. We took a brand-new Monaro and did something very special," Roman says."It has been totally stripped and then re-sculpted to Paul Halstead's vision."The car was built in Castlemaine and finished this week in time for a first public appearance at the motor show. It will also be the key to a reader contest in next week's edition of the Carsguide.But, even more, it reflects the depth of Australian motoring expertise and that is something Halstead and Roman will be pushing with a new joint venture between Autotek and ADAPS to provide automotive engineers and project managers to the industry.It's a new contract plan which is in its infancy but which can be used for cars like the Monaro, and more."Concept cars are the traffic magnets and the heart-and-soul of every motor show," Roman says."We think creating a car like the Monaro from HAL is a great way to get people thinking about the talent that is available to the Australian motor industry. We are moving to the next level of services to the industry."We want to occupy our own place. Show we're at the cutting edge."The result is a car with wild flared guards, a deep jutting nose and an aero diffuser under the rear bumper. It also has a full custom interior and an upgraded Corvette-style mechanical package."It's street legal but race ready," Roman says."And it's all steel. There is no plastic or fibreglass, the car is completely real."Roman says the car cost around $250,000 to build but it is a cheap investment in the future of a new company."The vehicle itself is basically to show the skills of both companies, on a special project. We could do the same thing on a concept car, or skilled labour in any level of the automotive business."The Monaro from HAL is actually the latest in a string of wild one-off cars created by Roman, from a Hillier Falcon coupe to the gullwing Raptor ute and a Commodore ute known simply as `The Beast'.But there is more to come from the Autotek-ADAPS, in time for the next Melbourne Motor Show in 2011."We're working on something even more radical. It is a rear-mid engined supercar. But that's something for the future," Roman says. The Melbourne Motor Show opens at 5pm on Friday, February 27 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.It runs from 10am-10pm each day until Sunday, March 8.The final day of the show is Monday, March 9 when it is open from 10am-6pm. The 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show with video wrap... 

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.