OT - interesting "for sale" in north antarctica right before xmas, GM (holden) pre production prototype Options

[wonkipop]

saw the white one when i was a kid back in 70/71.
and more recently after now defunct GM-H retrieved it from storage and restored it.
holden built two prototypes. one for the show circuit and one to test.
they destruction tested the original twin.




always rumoured to be a third one.
pre production. almost built up before project was abandoned.
what was left of it was supposed to be hidden in some shed somewhere.



suddenly for sale.

https://www.ecuriebowden.com.au/inventory/1...qtUbt95AV7RIvl8


god knows what you would do with it.
or how you could even finish it.

[wonkipop]

@porschetub

this is what holden white coats built up #3 to.



was having a 202 inserted in. from the under development HQ Holden.
next step up from the 186.

also was a two pedal job.
they were testing out fitting an auto box!



these are photos from the build up of #3.
don't think they got to fitting out interior fully.

i did see this car through a contact i had who used to look after another wealthy trucking magnates car collection. was back in the late 80s just before i left for the USA to study.
there was a lot missing from it even back then. glass. like a WINDSCREEN!
it got built up to close to finish by holden but by the time it was sold at tender in the late 80s a lot of stuff had gone missing.

i think its better left as an artifact.
i kind of believe the guy who had it tucked away for 30 years thought the same thing.
but he passed away a few years ago so i guess the family are disposing of it now.

as the listing notes - its a piece of aus folklore.
a true legend.

the company who did the body moulds were about a block away from my old german mechanic in clayton who looked after my old squareback and where i used to first take my 914 when i got back from stateside. misinformation said bowell did the body moulds but thats not so. it was another mob.

i suspect the car had the potential to be good. but i believe it was far from worked out properly in engineering terms. journalists who drove it around the holden test track reportedly said it got more than a bit scary above 90 mph.

however the white one, which i have looked over closely several times in my life sure is sexy as a design object. no doubt about it. every bit as low as a 914. and similarl kind of cabin intimacy. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

there is just too much missing from whats left of #3 for it to be ever finished.
if you did finish it you would be faking it. if you know what i mean.
and that is not really all that interesting. be like faking a 914 prototype. no point.
no historical interest.

some more pics.


vac operated pop up headlights.
cheaper than 914 over engineered electric motor units. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

photo from around the time i must have seen it first.
even looks like me as a 10 year old in the background.
but its not. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)