1969 HOLDEN HT MONARO GTS - MOTORCLASSICA BEST IN SHOW 2016 - JUST CARS

1969 Holden HT Monaro GTS - Motorclassica Best in Show 2016

Australian tribal loyalties mean the original Monaro is either loved or loathed, but even those in the latter camp would grudgingly admit the Monaro has its merits.

The Monaro era kicked off in 1968 with the HK; a hardtop coupe offered with a choice of two straight six engines (161ci or 186ci) or two Chevrolet-sourced V8s (307ci, or a 327ci, 250hp/186kW unit for the GTS 327 model).

Successful both on the racetrack and the sales charts, the HK Monaro won the 1968 Hardie-Ferodo enduro at Bathurst (Holden’s first) and the Wheels ‘Car of the Year’ award in 1968.

Following the HK, the HT Monaro was released in 1969, carrying styling features shared with the rest of the HT family. But more importantly for racers and fans of fast cars, the HT also came with a 350ci V8 engine option. Replacing the 327 V8 and introduced to counter the 351ci V8 Ford had fitted to its XW Falcon GTHO Phase I, the 350 made 300hp (224kW).

An HT GTS 350 saw Holden win Bathurst again in 1969, while Norm Beechey used a far-from-stock example to win Holden’s first ever Australian Touring Car Championship in 1970.

A game-changer in concours terms, this particular HT Monaro GTS 350 was the first Australian-made car to win Best in Show at an internationally-recognised concours event.

Built at GM-H’s Dandenong plant, the build schedule confirmed this GTS 350 was a “priority” order, presumably for racing, but that order changed and the car was ultimately completed to roadgoing specification to be sold as a new car through Kevin Dennis Motors for the princely sum of $4,450.

Factory fitted with the extremely rare, Chevrolet-sourced ‘TO 407’ casting engine and the equally rare combination of Kashmir White paint with a Twilight Blue interior (one of only two with this combination to come out of Dandenong), this Monaro GTS 350 was a one-owner car until 2004.

The restoration was completed to concours level by Recreation Automotive, whose work scored the Restoration of the Year prize, too.