Holden Monaro News

Previous Bathurst 1000 Winners 1963 Harry Firth/Bob Jane Ford Cortina GT 1964 Bob Jane/George Reynolds Ford Cortina GT 1965 Bo Seton/Midge Bosworth Ford Cortina GT500 1966 Rauno Aaltonen/Bob Holden Morris Mini Cooper S 1967 Harry Firth/Fred Gibson Ford Falcon XRGT 1968 Bruce McPhee/Barry Mulholland Holden Monaro GTS

Racing legend Peter Brock drove many race cars in his long and successful career. And with his passing late last year, the value of his classics increased dramatically. So it's not surprising that what could be the most important car of his life, where he first began his racing passion, has been valued at a massive $400,000. Or is it surprising?It's not a vehicle from the muscle car family and there's no V8 power under the bonnet. The only race track it's been on was a self-made dirt course on the Brock family farm.It has no brakes and has been sitting in pieces for more than 50 years.But now, the 1929 Austin 7, the car where the racing legend learned to drive at the age of 12, is driveable once again.After six months of hard work, restorer Peter Denman has returned the car from Brock's childhood to its original form.As a friend of Brock's and with his wife as the director of the Peter Brock Foundation, Denman put his hand up for the job.He used four photographs that were taken at the time by Brock's older brother Neil, to help in the restoration process.The photographs of the engine, chassis and rear end allowed him to recreate the car as closely as possible.“The car was remarkably complete except for a few items,” he says.“The original engine was on it and the chassis was the original. It needed quite a bit of cutting rust out and so forth.”Denman says that despite its small size, there was considerable work involved, including a rebuild on the front and rear ends, the gearbox and repairing the engine.The engine was in a poor state and was split in half, so Denman had to call on the Austin 7 club to help weld it together so the original engine could remain in the car.Another obstacle Denman faced was the flooring. As the original had rotted away, he used wood Peter had collected to make his own furniture in recent years.Brock's younger brother, Lewis Brock, last weekend re-enacted the image of Brock racing around the family farm in his first car.He says the image of Peter and his dad working on the car is etched in his memory.“I won't forget it, all the boys were involved in varying degrees, but it was Peter's car. He did the work on it,” he says.Lewis fondly recalls Peter getting into trouble from their mother for cutting the body of the car with an axe. He says she was more concerned about the damage to the axe.Lewis believes he and Peter were the only two to have driven the car as youngsters and the one time he got behind the wheel, he ended up in a palm tree.“I was struggling to get my legs down to the pedals,” he says.Lewis says his brother had to fine-tune his skills of going down through the gears and putting it into a slide in order to stop.Brock drove the car until he was 16. Although many decades have passed, Lewis says the noise of the engine is still identical from their childhood.“It's fabulous,” he says. “When we started the engine, my uncle Sandy was there ... we looked at each other when the car fired up and said that's the same noise.”Both Lewis and Denman describe it as interesting to drive, Denman claiming it feels like a “rocket ship”. “It only weighs probably 200kg.“It's very, very low to the ground, it's something that you couldn't describe,” he says.Lewis is concerned over the lack of brakes and says he won't be driving it again until brakes are installed.The previous owner bought the car from Sandy Brock 45 years ago and had it sitting in the roof of his factory for most of that time. About 10 years ago he discovered it was Brock's first car.Lewis says Brock knew about the car, but didn't have any plans to reclaim it. But after Brock's death last year, the owner decided to sell it and it was purchased and donated to the Peter Brock Foundation by a supporter.“Peter would be rapt,” Lewis says. “He would think it was a hoot and he was probably sitting on the back axle watching me drive it. That's what it felt like.”If Brock's history was taken out of the picture, Denman says the car would be worth a lot less.“The car itself is probably worth $2000 if you wanted to buy one, for the chassis, the engine, that's what you'd pay,” he says. “It's the history of the car, the car is complete.”The Peter Brock Foundation will now display the car at different shows and racetracks around the country and it's likely to end up in a museum.“When Peter signed signatures he'd put on posters `follow your dreams',” Lewis says.“That's where it started for him, he turned it into something to hone his skills in.”And Lewis says Peter would want everyone to see it. While this might have been his first, there are many more cars where Brock mastered his driving skills. According to the fans and collectors, Brock would have raced more than 100 cars during his time on the track. The most valued and important of those would have been his victories at Bathurst.Queenslander Peter Champion has a collection of 32 Brock cars, both ones he raced and road registered models.He's collected the cars over the past 15 years and believes they would be worth between $6 million and $7 million.The collection includes a replica of the Austin A30 Brock raced in 1967, a project Brock's step-son James Brock completed for Champion. The first Bathurst car Brock raced, the 1969 Monaro is also in the collection, as well as the 1974 L34 Torana and the 1982, 1983 and 1984 Bathurst-winning Commodores.He also has the Ford Sierra and the 2002 Motorola-sponsored Commodore that he raced at Bathurst. And Champion this week said he and his team are currently rebuilding the car that claimed Brock's life.“I'm guessing they're worth from half a million to a million each, that's what people say. I don't get involved, they're not for sale.”As Brock's friend, navigator and competitor, Champion wants to share his collection from Brock's career with the public.“I'm building a museum which I have been doing for a number of years. Peter was involved in with me for quite a few years. A lot of the personal stuff, he gave to it,” Champion says.“The reason he was an icon was because he always had time for people, he always stood there and signed autographs, he stayed well after dark.”Champion says the museum should be opened in Queensland by the end of the year.Fellow Queenslander, David Bowden, has his own slice of Brock history. He owns the Bathurst-winning A9X Torana's from 1978 and 1979, as well as Brock's 1987 VL Commodore. He says that although the value of the cars has increased with Brock's passing, Bowden's not comfortable talking about what they're worth.“It's so hard, he was such a good mate to everyone, that I hate talking about things like that,” he says.The value is not important, Bowden says, as he wouldn't consider selling them at this stage. He says he's spent too much money building up his collection to sell them.“I don't expect to jump on for a quick profit,” says Bowden, who often sends his cars to Bathurst so the public can see them.“Brocky” did his last hot lap at Bathurst in the 1979 A9X Torana. Where are they now? Brock's classic cars 1967 Austin A30 original lost, replica owned by Peter Champion1969 Monaro (Bathurst third place) owned by Peter Champion1972 XU-1 Torana (Bathurst winner) owned by Glen Amos1973-74 XU-1 Torana sold last year for $500,000 to an anonymous Melbourne buyer1974 L34 Torana owned by Peter Champion1975 Torana (Bathurst winner) lost1978 A9X Torana (Bathurst winner) owned by David Bowden1979 A9X Torana (Bathurst winner) owned by David Bowden1979 Commodore (Round Australia trial winner) owned by Holden1980 Commodore (Bathurst winner) claimed to be owned by Rowan Harmon1982-83 VH Commodore (Bathurst winner) owned by Peter Champion1983 VH Commodore (Bathurst car) owned by Peter Champion1984 VK Commodores (Bathurst winner and third) owned by Peter Champion and the Bathurst Museum1986 Commodore Spa 24-Hour Race owned by Peter Champion1987 VL Commodore (Bathurst winner) owned by David Bowden1988 BMW (Bathurst car) unknown1989-1990 Ford Sierra owned by Peter Champion2003 Monaro 24-hour race winner owned by Rob Sherrard2006 Daytona Coupe owned by Peter Champion 

General Motors product chief Bob Lutz confirmed the high-performance Commodore SS, the sporty V8 version of Australia's favourite sedan, would sell as the Pontiac G8 in the US, with the export car due to be unveiled at the Chicago motor show next month."We're seriously planning to import a lot of Commodore SSs in the guise of Pontiac G8s," Mr Lutz said at the Detroit motor show yesterday. "It's such a logical thing to do."The export drive comes at a critical time for the nation's vehicle industry, which has been hit by a sales slump as consumers, mindful of higher petrol prices, shift to smaller imported cars.This has forced three of the four big local manufacturers - Mitsubishi, Ford and Holden - to cut jobs in response to tougher market conditions and search for cheaper parts overseas.Mr Lutz, a prime mover behind the Monaro export scheme, said GM's global strategy now required every model to be feasible for any market. He said the flipside for Australia would be an increasing variety of vehicles imported from the US, including the new Camaro.He refused to say when Commodore shipments would begin, but the February unveiling in Chicago suggests work is well advanced.The Monaro sold beyond expectations in Australia but failed to reach sales forecasts in the US, where it was criticised as being too bland to resurrect the famous Pontiac GTO muscle car.Exchange rates, with the rising Australian dollar, were another problem. "With the GTO we made a mistake because we passed on the deterioration in profitability that we took through the appreciation of the Australian dollar," Mr Lutz said.However, the Monaro had helped change thinking at the car giant."While the GTO program may not have fulfilled all our hopes and dreams in terms of volume and profitability, it did break the ice on global programs," he said. "It got everybody in North America understanding that the engineering groups in the other regions can do excellent vehicles for the North American market."

Driving the auction fever were record prices achieved for a pair of classic Australian muscle cars of the 1960s and '70s.A genuine one-owner Bathurst race specification 1967 Holden Monaro GTS 327 was sold for an Australian record $220,000, accompanied by cheers from a crowd of more than a thousand people.The auctioneers, Shannons, had expected a price between $100,000 and $130,000."Australian muscle cars of the early Bathurst era have been the hottest segment of the classic car market over the last year or two, but the extent to which the result exceeded our expectations just shows the passion these cars arouse," said Shannons' national auction manager Christophe Boribon."The auction showed there is continuing strong demand for muscle cars, particularly amongst baby boomers, and the market shows no sign of weakening."Minutes later, a painstakingly restored one-owner 1971 Valiant Charger R/T E38 "Bathurst" coupe, which had been expected to attract a price between $70-100,000, sold for an Australian record $128,000.The car will go into a private Victorian collection, much to the relief of the man who had owned it since new, 69-year-old Charles Edwards of Hay in western New South Wales."It's sad to see it sold. I would have liked to have seen it passed in, but I know it's going to a good home," said Mr Edwards.The former owner says the credit for the record price should go to David Norris from West Wyalong who spent nine years returning the car to showroom condition.Another immaculately restored lot, a 1963 150cc Vespa scooter, sold for $8,300 - more than $2,000 above predictions.A 1940s children's pedal car sold for $5,500 - roughly double the expected price.Two antique petrol bowsers - from the 1940s and '50s - were both bought by the same bidder for prices as much as 50 per cent above predictions.The chief executive of the Australian International Motor Show, Peter Sturrock, said the auction results were paralleled by strong orders for new cars at the motor show."Automotive brands exhibiting at the show are extremely happy with the quality and quantity of sales interest the motor show has generated," said Mr Sturrock."The message from this year's Australian International Motor Show is that consumer confidence remains very high.""Regardless of rising interest rates the collectable motor vehicle market is still going very strong," said Mr Boribon.

From the background to the limelight, cars have been a vital ingredient in Australian television – be it Ted Bullpitt's obsession with his Kingswood, to Kath's "beep beep Barina".The Wiggles would be lost without their Big Red Car - and how would Australia's best on-screen detectives have caught their criminals without their trusty Fords and Holdens in shows such as Division 4, Homicide, Matlock or Blue Heelers.Cars have also been involved in the invention of new technology, with Channel Seven pioneering the Racecam, a camera mounted inside race cars that lets viewers see their driving heroes in action.It ranged from the lively connection to the camera from Sydney car dealer and driver Peter Williamson and the whimsical Dick Johnson to others such as Bob Morris, who wasn't quite as excited over the technology.Four-wheel drives have allowed the Bush Tucker Man, Russell Coight and Malcolm Douglas to explore nature, bringing the outdoors to our living rooms.Outback automotive ingenuity starred in Bush Mechanics.And it was cars that came to the rescue when Seven experienced a power outage during filming for the first show, with car headlights used to light the set.Now take a walk down memory lane as CARSguide brings you the best, the worst, the coolest and the daggiest cars of Australian television.Kingswood Country"Not the Kingswood" were the words made famous by Ted Bullpitt as he spoke of his pride and joy, never allowing his son or son-in-law to drive his beloved Holden car.The Leyland BrothersIt was a Toyota LandCruiser that allowed Mike and Mal to "travel all over the countryside, ask the Leyland brothers", as they brought the delights of Australia to television - a forerunner to today's travel shows such as Getaway and The Great Outdoors.Beyond TomorrowA show exploring new and upcoming technology, Beyond Tomorrow has shown off some of the fastest and most impressive cars, from the Lotus Exige to the Koenigsegg CCX and concept cars such as the Holden EFIJY.BathurstThe top race car drivers and the best cars are brought to the small screen in an annual ritual. Highlights have included the Australian innovation of Racecam, which put cameras inside speeding cars; Dick Johnson's famous tangle with a rock and the resulting crash in 1980 that led to an impromptu fund-raising telethon; Peter Brock's teammate Doug Chivas running out of petrol and pushing his car in 1973, and the 1977 Ford 1-2 finish captured by Channel Seven's chopper.SkippySonny and Skippy, his clever pet kangaroo, were the undoubted stars of the show, but who can forget Tony Bonner's knockabout ranger character and his tough-as-teak XR Ford station wagon kicking up clouds of dust as he made his daily runarounds?The SullivansSet during Word War II, this story followed the Sullivan family - and it was an old Ford that was their vehicle of choice.Comedy CompanyGlen Robbins' character Uncle Arthur, one of the stars of this Channel Ten sketch show, relied on an Austin A70 for transportation.The WigglesThose skivvy-wearing, finger-pointing Wiggles travel in class as they bundle into their Big Red Car.Kath & KimThe "beep beep Barina" took foxy Kath on all of her journeys, especially her shopping trips to the Fountain Gate shopping centre.The Aunty Jack ShowThe star of this comedy series, which aired in the early 1970s, was a motorcycle riding, transvestite boxer. And it wasn't just any old motorcycle but a Harley Davidson that everyone's favourite aunty rode.Mother And SonA divorced son, a peculiar mother and a Morris Minor. Mother and Son was a classic Australian comedy and the quaint and quirky British car matched the characters.The Bush Tucker ManIn his trusty, rugged Land Rover, Australian Army bush survival expert Les Hiddins went right off the beaten track to bring the Outback and its host of hidden, free culinary delights to city slickers' lounge rooms.TorquePeter Wherrett's pioneering ABC car show broke new ground by bringing car tests and new products to our screens in the '70s. No other Australian car shows have reached the same heights. However, Jeremy Clarkson and his BBC Top Gear show have followed the theme and taken car shows to a new level.Sylvania WatersIn what was essentially Australia's first reality television show, this documentary followed Noeline Baker and Laurie Donaher and their family. The Donahers were already a motor-racing family, with starts at Bathurst in a Holden Commodore and in historic touring car racing in a classic Ford Mustang.HomicideShot in Melbourne, Homicide used Falcon XPs and XRs as police cars. It ran for a decade from the mid-'60s to the mid-'70s and was one of the most popular and influential programs of the time, winning 11 Logies.Matlock PoliceNot so much a car as the star (Valiants filled the car role) - instead it was the police bike Paul Cronin's character rode that is synonymous with this '70s cop show.A Country PracticeFew star TV cars have ever lived beyond the small screen, but the red Falcon ute used in Wandin Valley has survived. Now restored, it is a regular at Sydney car shows.Peking To ParisThe car hit of 2006 saw five ancient machines recreate an historic car race. The three-wheeled Contal was the star.All-Aussie AdventuresAnother persona of comedian Glenn Robbins. In this hilarious show, inept would-be larrikin adventurer Russell Coight, the man who is a danger to anyone (or anything) he meets, gets around the outback, somehow, in a rugged-looking Toyota LandCruiser.Acropolis NowIt was hotted-up Valiants and Monaros, mag wheels and fluffy dice all round in this Greek Australian comedy set around a restaurant in Melbourne.Great commercialsAnd love them or hate them, there have also been some great car ads on Aussie TV. They include: the Yellow Pages Goggomobile ad (gee-oh, gee-gee-oh), Honda's award-winning Cog ad where an Accord performs piece by piece, GMH's "Football, Meat Pies, Kangaroos and Holden cars", Valiant's "Hey Charger" campaign, and the catchy "Go well, go Shell" jingle are among them.

ANSWERS The Great Bathurst Pub Argument Settler

THERE could be a future movie star waiting to be discovered in your garage. A sports management company has branched out to find cars for movies, television shows and ads.Vantage Management opened its Star Cars arm last month and wants to expand its books. It's now looking for some new talent, director Shan Railton says.He says someone could have the next "General Lee" or "Mad Max Interceptor" parked in their driveway."If you think about all the ads on telly or the movies or even basic photos for magazines, they all have to come from somewhere," Railton says."The criteria is any car or thing you couldn't find in a standard car lot or rent from Avis. It might be a classic or something rare, or something outrageous. It could be a new FPV or Monaro, a WRX or an old Dodge pick-up."The cars don't even have to be in good condition. We needed a car for someone who was supposed to be down and out, and the car had to match. All we can say is we probably don't need any white Commodores, unless it's a 1978 white Commodore in perfect condition."Railton says Star Cars works much the same way as a fashion model agency. Vantage gets a call from a film or magazine production company and checks its books for a car to match. Once a match is found, Vantage works out a deal.Its cut is 17.5 per cent as an agent fee. The owner's only commitment is to turn up with the car at the agreed time and place."If you have a car that fits our very wide criteria, there is no reason why you wouldn't register it," Railton says. "It costs owners nothing except their car's time."If someone wanted to use your car I'd get a brief of where, when and who is going to drive it. We email that info to the owner and it's up to them to say yes or no within a certain time."Some production companies want their own people to drive the car, but that, of course, has to be part of the contract. And someone on our books who doesn't want to accept a job, doesn't have to."Railton says the system works for everyone. Production companies save time and money and clients can make money. How much usually depends on the value of the car."It's a sliding scale based on the insurance value of the car and the job," Railton says."We had a job involving street machines on the Gold Coast, but there had to be 80s cars and they had to be American. That job was $400 a day for each car, and they were just parked on the street. That's about the cheapest job because it's not worth it to us or our clients to do it for less than that."At the other end of the spectrum, we had a car used for three months. The production company spent $30,000 fully restoring it, then paid the owner $15,000 for the job."Feature film work (Vantage found cars for House of Wax, which starred Paris Hilton) makes up about a third of all Star Car jobs.The balance is split between TV shows, ads and magazine photo shoots.So you think your car is up to it? Check www.vantagemanagement.com.au

Holden's modern-day Monaro is to be scrapped.The car maker yesterday announced that the last of the V8 coupes would roll off the Elizabeth production line later this year.But Holden is hopeful of producing a new so-called muscle car in the future."Monaro means too much to Holden to not have another Monaro at some time in the future," said GM Holden chairman and managing director Denny Mooney yesterday.The company claims sales had nothing to do with the decision to drop the Monaro after a special edition CV8-Z to be released next month.Despite some speculation die-moulds for the reincarnation of the 1960s and '70s performance leader had been sold to Pontiac, Holden spokesman Jason Laird said he knew of no plans to build the car offshore.Mr Laird was not prepared to comment on export programs for the coupe, leaving it to each of the export markets to decide on product plans."We're not in a position to do that on their behalf, this announcement is only in regards to Australia and New Zealand," he said.Mr Laird said cutting the Monaro from the range built at Elizabeth would not affect jobs at the plant, with resources diverted to other production areas.He said domestic sales for Monaro had remained strong since the badge was reborn and United States sales had improved significantly with the new, more aggressive look and extra power."In Australia so far this year, it is 38 units down from last year, in the fourth year of a coupe program, where traditionally they peter off quickly. For us to be with last year I think indicates the interest in the car," he said.Mr Laird said the company was also looking to protect resale values on the coupe. Mr Mooney said the Monaro, which has worn four other GM badges on four continents, had sold almost six times as many cars as was first planned."The new generation Monaro has been an absolute winner in Australia, a hands-down winner in the sports car market," he said.Mr Mooney said GM Holden continued to investigate options for a next generation coupe with other divisions of General Motors. "Everyone at Holden is certainly committed to delivering a new generation Monaro in the future, but there is still a lot of work to make that happen," he said.The original Monaro sold from 1968 until 1977.The name was resurrected after a small group of engineers and designers, led by designer Mike Simcoe, produced the attractive four-seater coupe.

Let's face it, many of Australia's exports range from dull to dire: ugg boots; Home And Away; any Paul Hogan movie; Steve Irwin; (early) Kylie Minogue.And the launch of an Australian car in an international market is still so potentially excruciating it can have you practising your English accent.The Holden Monaro, rebadged as a Pontiac GTO Coupe, hasn't exactly taken the US by storm.Sure, it's much more expensive than Ford's Mustang, but one is tempted to suggest that Americans wouldn't know a good car if it ran them over.Now the mighty Munro has begun its assault on England, a market where it will be better value for money and one that has astutely not taken the Hollywood option of giving it a nose job and an old-world name.Early reports, and headlines such as "Champagne quality at lager prices" are positive enough. Although, as one English colleague wrote recently: "I hope it's a success, but I fear the Germans may have too much of a hold."Considering the Poms are comparing the car to its German competitors, I thought I'd drive it back to back with another V8-powered coupe, the new BMW 6 Series. On paper, the differences aren't all that great.Both offer 245kW, but the Holden wins narrowly on torque (465Nm to 450Nm) and is only 20kg heavier at 1640kg. At $59,650, however, the Monaro CV8 is a week's wages for someone who can afford the BMW at $203,000.Considering that price differential, one would expect the Australian car to take a good jackbooting from the BMW.It doesn't. In fact, in terms of looks and practicality, the humble Holden is the better car. What is really impressive, and atypically Australian, about the Monaro is Mike Simcoe's styling.It's undeniably a sexy car, cohesive and complete, and free of the frippery of so much HSV styling.The 645Ci Coupe, on the other hand, looks like it was designed by two people who didn't get on-a German in charge of the muscular front and an American in charge of the bulbous butt.The Monaro actually has rear seats, while the 6 Series only looks as though it does. Two adults can sit comfortably in the rear of the Holden in supportive bucket seats with heaps of headroom.The Bimmer's front seat is lifted up and forward manually, and when it's put down, the rear occupants feel like a wine press is trying to make something drinkable out of their feet. The headroom is shoebox-like.Interior-wise, the BMW is austere, refined, like sitting in an opera house taking in a Brahms recital.The Monaro is like a shinily refurbished Aussie pub, which sadly didn't throw away the well-worn Khe Sanh CD on the disc box.The Holden had done nearly 15,000km and was holding up remarkably well, despite the disparity in material quality.Even the bright blue velour trim, which one would expect to wear as badly as the pub pool-table surface it resembles, looked good.Mechanically, the Monaro was also going strong, but not as strongly as a 6 Series. You expect the 5.7-litre V8 Monaro to feel thrusty, while the 6 Series, considering its older market, should be more fusty.The engines have the same kilowatts, but they make them very differently.The 6 Series, with its rather smaller 4.4-litre V8, feels far more lively and revvable, thanks to the computercontrolled adjustment of valve timing, valve lift and even the length of the intake manifold.Its power is just so accessible, whereas the Munro needs a good kick in the guts, but then has good mid-range punch. Off the line, it can be felt shifting its bulk, but once it's moving it feels unstoppable.The 645Ci is already gone, hitting 100km/h from rest half a second quicker at 5.6 seconds. It's a technical knockout.On the open road, the Monaro feels effortless, but you need to crack it through the gears to get real pick-up. This is a shame, because the gearchange feels about as modern as wind-up windows.The BMW's six-speeder is much slicker.The other readily noticeable driving difference is the traction control. It's like comparing a pocket calculator with that chess champ computer, Deep Blue.The Monaro steps in like a bouncer brutal and belligerent; the BMW is as smooth as a five-star hotel's concierge.Of course, the extra $143,650 gets you other technical innovations almost too numerous to mention, the best being Dynamic Drive, which hydraulically removes body roll. It allows the BMW to dramatically outpoint the Holden in handling terms as well as in its incalculable badge cachet and rocksolid residuals.The 645Ci may be a better to drive than the CV8, but it's not four times as good. Moreover, the Holden is prettier and more practical.On price, the little Aussie belter is a winner by a sunburnt country mile-an export you'll be proud to see overseas.

Holden has pulled off a one-two victory with the car that drew unprecedented crowds at the Sydney Motor Show, caused traffic chaos wherever it was driven and has given Australia's car sales' winner another feather to weigh down its well-stuffed cap. With Barina taking out second place, to add to its other awards, the champagne companies must be doing well out of Holden, with Astras selling like hotcakes and Commodore maintaining its unbeaten run in the big-car stakes. The third-placed Alfa Romeo 147 has done wonders for the Italian breed in Australia, bringing back the company's thoroughbred virtues to the hothatch ranks, with few of the vices that afflicted past models. That's the opinion of motoring journalists for News Ltd newspapers around the country. The Monaro finished ahead of a field of almost 100 new or significantly updated cars arriving in Australia last year. The newcomers included a bunch of new baby cars, a flurry of four-wheel drives, a rush of sports cars and even Australia's first hybrid-powered green machines. Last year also saw the return to our shores of French brand Renault, under the wing of its joint-venture partner, Nissan. There were also changes to the corporate face for Volkswagen and Peugeot here. But the Holden coupe, available as a V8 or supercharged V6, was in the top-six list of nine out of 10 voters and scored the top pick four times. The Barina also scored four top votes but lost out on preferences; the 147 gave it a run to the flag, just six points behind, but clearly ahead of the next best, Toyota's radical petrol-electric Prius. BMW's M3 supercar was fifth, despite only getting three votes. Renault's new Clio range took sixth place. In equal seventh position were the Holden Zafira and Mercedes-Benz SLK 32 AMG. Tying for ninth place were Peugeot's 307 and the Benz C-Class Sport Coupe, with five points each. While the top 10 was reasonably predictable, there were several notable nominations, which obviously stood out for some of the News Ltd motoring journalists. The judges, for instance, found a spot on their lists for Subaru's latest incarnation of the WRX STi and the locally developed turbocharged Mazda MX5 SP. The Courier Mail's Bruce McMahon thought Ford's tough new F-Series and Jeep's all-new Cherokee were worthy of a mention while The Herald Sun's Paul Gover deemed both the Ralliart Lancer Evo VI and Hyundai's LaVita impressive enough to make the grade. The rest of The Herald Sun team were impressed by various vehicles. Andrew MacLean gave a spot in his top six to the BMW M3 with its upgraded sequential gearbox and Tickford's T3 range also hit the spot. James Stanford went for the updated Renault Clio Sport hot hatch and the all-new Toyota Corolla. 1 Holden Monaro:60 2 Holden Barina:48 3 Alfa Romeo 147:42 4 Toyota Prius:22 5 BMW M3:14 6 Renault Clio:8 7 (equal place) Holden Zafira; Mercedes-Benz SLK 32 AMG:6 9 (equal place) Peugeot 307; Mercedes-Benz Sport Coupe:5 PAUL GOVER News Limited national motoring editor 1. Holden Monaro 2. Alfa Romeo 147 3. Holden Barina 4. Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sports Coupe 5. Hyundai Lavita 6. Mitusbishi Lancer EVO IV ANDREW MacLEAN (Herald Sun carsguide) 1. Holden Barina 2. BMW M3 SMG 3. Ford Tickford T3 4. Holden Monaro 5. Holden Zafira 6. Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG JAMES STANFORD (Herald Sun carsguide) 1. Holden Barina 2. Holden Monaro 3. BMW M3 4. Renault Clio Sport 5. Toyota Corolla 6. Holden Zafira KEVIN HEPWORTH (Daily Telegraph) 1. Alfa Romeo 147 2. Toyota Prius 3. Holden Barina 4. Subaru WRX STi 5. Mercedes Benz SLK32 6. Holden Monaro STUART MARTIN (Daily Telegraph)  1. Holden Barina 2. Toyota Prius 3. BMW M3 4. Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG 5. Lexus IS300 6. Mazda MX5 SP MIKE DUFFY (The Advertiser) 1. Holden Monaro eq2. Peugeot 307 eq2. Renault Clio 4. Alfa Romeo 147 5. Audi A4 6. Toyota Prius GORDON LOMAS (Courier Mail) 1. Holden Monaro 2. Alfa Romeo 147 3. Jaguar X-Type 4. Astra SRi 5. Renault Megane Cabrio 6. Ford Falcon AUIII BRUCE McMAHON (Courier Mail) 1. Holden Monaro 2. Alfa Romeo 147 3. Mercedes Benz SLK32 4. Ford F-Series 5. Jeep Cherokee 6. Porsche 911 KEITH DIDHAM (The Mercury) 1. Holden Barina 2. Toyota Prius 3. Holden Monaro 4. Holden Zafira 5. BMW X5 3.0 6. Alfa Romeo 147 NEIL DOWLING (Sunday Times) 1. Alfa Romeo 147 2. Holden Monaro 3. Holden Barina 4. Toyota Prius 5. Mercedes Benz C-Class Coupe 6. VW Passat