Prize Piazza donated to National Motor Museum

An exception to that rule was Cary Young, the quiz show gun who was a regular fixture on TV's Sale of the Century for over a decade. In an international version of the iconic television series in 1986 when Australia beat New Zealand, Cary was judged to be 'Player of the Series', and the Piazza was his reward.

After almost 25 years of ownership - yes, he kept the car and drove it often - Cary decided to pass on his example of a forgotten piece of Holden history to the National Motor Museum, Birdwood. Cary presented the car to the Museum on November 17

". . . after almost 25 years of driving and loving my Piazza, I have regretfully come to the conclusion that with just under 200,000kms on the clock, it is time to part with this beautiful machine", Cary said.
"The number plates (CYP) stand for 'Cary Young's Prize', though that was pure coincidence!", he added.

Given the vehicle's unique story, Cary thought a donation to the National Motor Museum was a fitting ending. He also providing footage of his glorious moment winning the car.

The Piazza was a small, sporty 3-door liftback coupe manufactured by Isuzu from 1981 to 1992 in two generations. Sold as an Isuzu Piazza in its home market, and as the Isuzu Impulse in the USA, in Australia, the Piazza wore Holden badges, and was notable for being the first "factory" turbocharged Holden to grace local showrooms. Holden had already enjoyed some success with the Isuzu-sourced Gemini, so no doubt hoped the Piazza would do the same.

The sharp Italian styling - check out those oh-so-80s alloys! - and turbocharged engine weren't enough to cover flaws in the brakes and handling, and the Piazza struggled to find buyers. Released in April, 1986, exposure through Sale of the Century wasn't enough to save the Piazza, which was gone from Holden showrooms less than two years later. Today, they're rarely seen and have become a quirky collector's piece in their own right, so the addition of the ex-Cary Piazza to the National Motor Museum is sure to attract some interest.