Toyota muscles in at the Masters

The vehicles ranged from a KE10 Corolla campaigned at Bathurst in 1967 through to a 1991 Supra Turbo Group A racer and 2007 Corolla that raced in the Nurburgring 24 hours.

Organiser and driving force behind the display, Toyota's National After Sales business manager Chris O'Connor, said that Toyota is rightly proud of its motorsport history, and felt that it was time to bring all these classic Toyotas together.
"These events are always well supported by the private owners of these vehicles, but they are usually scattered across the pit paddock area," said Mr O'Connor.
"The event organisers suggested that it would be a good idea to bring them all together in one spot, to remind the public of Toyota's long, fruitful participation in the sport."

Standouts amongst the significant vehicles in the group were the pair of ex-Peter Williamson Celicas; one of which was the first vehicle to be equipped with an in-car 'Race Cam', now a standard feature of motorsport broadcasts. This vehicle later took on the Graeme Bailey Chickadee sponsorship, and was displayed in that livery at the Muscle Car Masters.

The National Motor Sport Museum at Bathurst also made a contribution by lending their 1985 Toyota Team Australia Corolla as last raced in 1987.

Away from the on-track action, Williamson joined John Smith and Bob Holden for an autograph signing session. Holden is best known for his Bathurst win - in a Mini - in 1966, but drove Toyota's iconic AE86 Sprinter in the late 1980s. Smith also ran an AE86 in the late 80s, and later campaigned a Toyota Supra Turbo in the Group A era.

Toyotas on display included: Hindaugh/Morris 1967 Corolla; Peter Williamson's 1978 RA23 and 1981 RA40 Celicas; 1982 RA40 Chickadee Celica; 1984 Faulkner/Cutchie AE86 Sprinter; 1985 Faulkner/Quinn AE86 GT Coupe; 1986 John Smith AE86 GT Coupe; 1987 Price AE82 FXGT Hatch; 1988 Freeman/Oliver AE82 FXGT Hatch; 1987 Bob Holden AE86 Sprinter; 1989 Bates/Dowson AE82 FXGT Hatch; 1989 Bob Holden AE82 FXGT Hatch; 1991 John Smith MA70 Supra Turbo; 1993 ex-Bob Holden Terry O'Beirne AE82 FXGT Hatch; and the 2007 Bates/Taylor Corolla NP.