Race wins in 1978 and 1979.

Raced by Bob Morris, Allan Moffat, Dieter Quester and John Fitzpatrick.

Original and modern CAMS / MA logbooks.

Only 3 owners from new.

The all-conquering LX A9X Torana, was recognized by the FIA and CAMS as a variant of the LH SLR5000 L34 Torana that preceded it. The L34’s resume of success certainly looks convincing on paper, but it was a series of victories achieved by their drivers, limping home a car they knew could break a diff, or a gearbox, (or both simultaneously.) at any moment.

This isn’t how anyone wants to race, especially the de facto head of Holden racing, Mr Harry Firth OAM, who fought vigorously with Holden for years, to get the V8 Torana race fit. Through sheer determination and keeping the Torana’s Homologation papers worded in a very loose, generic manner, Harry and Holden Motor Company (HOMOCO) created what I and I’m sure many others, think is Australia’s greatest production based racer. (If it wasn’t for ADR27a, the A9X would have been Australia’s greatest road car too, but the Aus Gov’ knocked that… Bless them.)

The A9X’s debut year certainly didn’t go as GMH and Harry envisioned, as they met head on with Allan Moffat, Colin Bond and Carroll Smith’s Ford Motor Company (FOMOCO) backed juggernaut AMR, that clean-swept the 1977 touring car year in a most convincing manner. Perhaps unfairly, GMH dumped Harry for the 1978 season, but that made way for an era that helped define Holden’s place in Australia’s motorsport history; the 1978 and 1979 John Sheppard HDT A9X epoch.

With Harry’s departure from the HDT, Holden’s prodigal son Peter Brock, was welcomed back to the works team. Between Sheppo’s invigorated HDT, Brock’s freakish abilities and John Harvey’s consistency, things were looking very good for the Holden Dealer Team. But their greatest foe wasn’t a FOMOCO product, but a Sydney based Holden team, that happened to have their own winning formula, albeit one that could have been easily underestimated by the bookies in period: Enter Ron Hodgson Racing (RHR).

Fronted by the charismatic and successful car dealer Ron Hodgson, RHR had a line-up that was destined for greatness; Peter Molloy is a name that appears frequently with winning teams, his engineering skills were legendary and perhaps in this era, second to none. Understudy Ron Missen was still learning his craft, but was the perfect protege for Malloy and finally you have Mr Bob Morris; Bob’s humble nature belies a fierce competitor that rose to any challenge. Bob’s 1979 victory and 1984 RX7 exploits speak volumes of his talent and the more you study what he did and who he beat, the more you admire the man’s expertise; Winning any ATCC is a feat worthy of high praise, but winning the 1979 ATCC against Brock and Sheppo’s HDT, is a victory worthy of serious contemplation.

The A9X we are proud to have for sale, is one of two that was used to win the 1979 ATCC. Most importantly for this chassis’s CV, is that this is the car Bob was using, when he accrued enough points to win the ATCC title. The fact that it was in the most dramatic, very last lap, of the very last round, and up against an in-form Peter Brock, in his previously thought of “unbeatable” HDT A9X, makes the win one of the sweetest and notable, in Australian Touring Car Championship history.

But let’s go back in time a bit, to the 31/8/1978, when the car was CAMS logboooked, prior to her 1st race at Sandown, for the Hang Ten 400. This race wasn’t a great result, but starting on the front row, next to the Brock HDT A9X, in front of the stunning Moffat / Bond XC Cobra’s, then clearing out with a brilliant start, was a clear indicator that this was a great chassis, with good times ahead. On a side note, if you’re an A9X fan, search YouTube “1978 Sandown” for some very clear, quality footage of a great race in a seminal year.

The cars next outing was Bathurst 1978 and for me, the opening laps of that great race, were as good as it ever got in Group C. This very A9X was right in the thick of it, for the best moment, of the best era in Australian motorsport history. Big call, but I am yet to have seen anything that can be watched on repeat and get the emotions stirred in such a manner. Despite winning Bathurst in 1976, Bob hasn’t really been the “luckiest” in endurance racing and a Bathurst DNF was an anti-climax, after such an evocative start. Bring on the Sprint rounds!

Next race was the little known Baskerville “Winfield 25’s” in November 1978: A 3 heat sprint around the peppy Tasmanian circuit. Heat 1 was the cars first victory. Heat 2 was a second. Heat 3 was a win, with the round win convincingly going to Bob.

A New year and 1979 was looking good for Ron Hodgson racing, who were back in Tas, for R1 of the ATCC. This was a notorious race, where Brocky and Bob took each other out and allowed John Harvey in the 78 ATCC, Sandown and Bathurst winning HDT A9X, to add another notch in that cars very notchy belt. Bob finished a “lowly” 4th, the worst result of 1979 ATCC for him, but importantly, his nemesis Brock, finished 5th… Important stuff in what everyone knew, was going to be an epic title race.

R2 was at Calder and local boy Brock’s win, but Bob was right there in 2nd.

R3 was Oran Park and Bob got back into his trusty 1977 A9X Ecurie Bowden also has for sale. The “old girl” did well, giving Ron Hodgson racing its 1st ATCC win for 1979.

R4 was Sandown, the track that Brocky dominated for so long. With Bob back into this car and against the odds, Bob took the win. That critical 1st place certainly got tongues wagging about 1979 finally being Bob’s year.

R5 was WA’s Wanneroo, with Brock stepping up for the win and Bob back down to an equal worst 4th, with R1 at Symmonds Plains.

R6 was up to QLD’s Surfers Paradise International Raceway and Brocky made it back to back wins, with Bob in 4th.

R7 was up the road at Lakeside, with Bob getting 1st and Brock down in 05th (Sorry, couldn’t help myself…).

R8 was Adelaide and Bob and Brocky were neck and neck. It came down to the last lap, when Bob made his very measured move, taking the win and winning the 1979 ATCC. It was an amazing, emotive victory, against in in-form Brock and the mighty HDT.

Back to the enduro’s and despite some good qualifying results, Bob peaked at Adelaide and with nothing left to prove after winning the 1979 ATCC, he had to sit back and watch a provoked Brock, dismember the competition, in a very decisive manner.

With a rule change rendering the mighty A9X obsolete, Bob put both of the A9X’s for sale in early 1980. In a bizarre coincidence, both cars were sold to chaps named Peter and both Peter’s owned their respective A9X’s, up until both were purchased by the current owner circa 2016. One Peter, Mr Peter Briggs took the 1977 car back to his beloved WA. This car was sold to Mr Peter Brierly, who kept in NSW. Their respective original logbooks, show both of the A9X’s saw light duties after their Bob Morris era and fortunately both cars retained the striking lime green and white livery, the entire time. In the very early 2000’s a prominent Gold Coast based motor racing family, the Hinton’s, approached Mr Brierly about restoring and racing his A9X in the new Historic Group C that was gaining popularity. A deal was worked out and the car was restored by the Hinton’s and raced at QR, Phillip Island and Eastern Creek by Mr Chris Hinton, with Mr Brierly likely holding his breath every time! Chris Hinton gave the car some great results and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Both Mr Brierly, Mr Hinton and current mechanic Mr Jonny Walker would be happy to chat to any prospective buyer, about their time with the A9X.

The A9X Torana was Holden’s answer to FOMOCO’s 1977 steamroller season. 1978 and especially 1979 were a frenzy for Holden fans, with only a rule change to Group C relegating the mighty A9X to the history books. Every Aussie muscle car fan has a soft spot for the great looking V8 Torana and even the most ardent FOMOCO fan cannot argue that when the A9X ruled the earth, it did so without question. This ATCC winning GMP&A A9X hatch is a unique opportunity to buy a car that was one of the greats, during one of our greatest motorsport era’s. Bob’s 1979 ATCC win has gone down in history, not only as a significant accomplishment, but it is further accentuated by how he beat Brock and HDT at the very peak of their powers. For this and the sister 1977 car to be subsequently preserved n such a sympathetic manner, is extremely rare and its combination of nicely restored condition, crystal clear provenance, plus a stellar driver line up and race career, makes it a blue-chip collector car, to either be further preserved, or respectfully raced at the popular Heritage Touring Car historic races, where it would be a very welcome and popular addition.