Gardner Camaro lives on

Frank Gardner is probably best known down under for his Formula 5000-inspired Chevrolet Corvair that revolutionised Sports Sedan racing in the 1970s – and his long spell running BMW’s touring car programme over the following two decades.

But before all of that, Frank Gardner the driver starred on the international stage in open-wheelers, sports cars, and in particular in touring car racing. The versatile Australian was British Saloon Car Champion three times, in addition to three BSCC class wins.

This car is the first of two Camaros Gardner raced in the BSCC and elsewhere in Europe in the early ’70s. It’s actually one of the very first race-prepared Camaros to hit the track. Built as a racecar in late ’66 by Bill Mayberry, the man who also built the Team Penske Trans-Am Camaros of that era, the car made its race debut in the ’67 Trans-Am series in the hands of Chev dealer/racer Bobby Brown. Its first outing, at Sebring, brought its best Trans-Am series result, Brown finishing a fine sixth in a massive 59-car field.