Back in July, 2008, around about my birthday, I had the opportunity to drive one of the biggest, baddest Holdens ever built — the HSV W427.
It was a car put together to mark HSV’s 20th anniversary.
It also made up for the disappointment when HSV canned the ambitious HRT 427 project previewed in 2002.
The name W427 refers of course to the cubic capacity of the engine measured in inches.
Under the bonnet lurked a 7.0-litre V8 from the Z06 Corvette, pumping out a prodigious 375kW of power and 640Nm of torque — enough pyrotechnics to launch the car from 0-100km/h in 4.6 or 4.7 seconds — that was the estimate.
Back then the W427 retailed for an equally amazing $155,000 plus.
Although HSV planned to build 427 of the cars, in the end just 138 were produced.
Among other things buyers received a personally signed letter from Tom Walkinshaw as part of their purchase.
The cars were all safely tucked away in the garages of collectors, or so we thought.
Shannons revealed this week that it will be auctioning one at its forthcoming Melbourne event.
Finished in Heron White with a red leather interior, the as-new example, numbered 110, is part of an enthusiast’s 10-car private collection, with an odo that shows just 55,925km.
To maintain its ‘as delivered’ appearance, the car has had extensive paint and stone protection and comes with an HSV-fitted car cover.
Although offered with ‘no reserve’, this ultimate Commodore is conservatively expected to command $80,000-$90,000 when it goes under the hammer on February 18.
Read my original story from 2008
All of threm had a red leather interior
On the track
More of the track
The last one they built
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