1977 Holden Torana A9X Hatch Gmp&A, 475kms from new, Chassis no. CLX061238M, Engine no. T933849, Reg: unregistered. One of the high points of Holden's rich racing history was the success the marque achieved with the A9X - and today the sporty, 2-door V8 Torana remains one of the most iconic of all the brand's racing cars. After some years racing the 4-door Torana, Holden developed a new race car based on the 2-door hatchback Torana, which brought great success. The new car claimed wins at Bathurst in 1978 and 1979 at the hands of Peter Brock and Jim Richards both years, and the 1979 Australian Touring Car Championship for Bob Morris. The A9X was the last model of Holden racing car before the V8 Commodores began, which run through to current times. The development and racing of the A9X hatchback was not without controversy. Holden built just 33 shells for race teams in 1977, these being expected to last the racing life of the model. The shells were double seam welded, all painted white and sold exclusively to race teams through GM's parts division - hence the name Gmp&A - General Motors Parts & Accessories. They were not assigned Vin numbers. There was considerable uproar from other teams when the word got out that Holden had produced the shells with lighter gauge steel, making them considerably lighter than standard production shells, which they were supposed to be. Internal and external pressings, parts such as hinges and bumpers were lighter and even the glass in the rear hatch was 1 mm thinner than on production cars. Items such as bumper over-riders, the radio and spray-on sound deadening material were legitimately homologated as not being included on these 33 cars.Cams investigated in late 1977 and Holden quickly, and not un-typically, threatened to withdraw from racing if the shells were not going to be accepted Holden explained the variance as a result of changing to metric - which curiously, had not affected other vehicles. Individual racing teams fitted out the shells to their own specification, though broadly the same as each-other to fit within the regulations. Ron Hodgson had been running a very successful team racing Holdens and he purchased three of these shells in 1977. Two were immediately transformed into race cars and the other was a spare in case of a major accident requiring a re-shell of a car. Two years later after the model was to be replaced with the first of the Commodores, Hodgson's chief mechanic Peter Molloy was instructed to build up the untouched shell into a complete car, utilising a new spare Group C specification 308 engine, gearbox, suspension and brake components, for wealthy New South Wales collector Pat Burke. Molloy was contacted in mid-2007 and when asked to recall this, he confirmed 'We fitted a new spare engine, (Warner) T10 transmission, new diff, Selby suspension, trim, etc.' The engine is understood to produce in the region of 400bhp. The completed car remained unused in Burke's 'Modena Collection' for several years until the collection was broken up. It was then purchased by Western Australian collector Paul Terry, and was a star attraction at his Esplanade Extravaganza Gallery in Albany, southwest WA amongst dozens of other highly collectable cars. The car appears in the 1991 book 'Classics for Collectors' in the section about cars in Paul Terry's collection. Whilst in Albany it saw virtually no use, with one notable exception being when the car ran two demonstration laps at the 1992 Albany Round the Houses historic event. This is where the current owner first saw the car now offered by Bonhams & Goodman, and was inspired to buy it. In 1993, some time before Terry's tragic death, the vehicle changed hands to the current owner and the car moved to Perth. The new owner also took the car for a few careful laps of a circuit, at Barbagallo Raceway, but has otherwise left the car almost unused in his collection of mainly historic racing cars.The result is that at the time of writing, thi