Race and rally Monaros

The Monaro HT GTS 350’s life as Holden’s frontline contender in racing and rallying was short – but remarkably sweet. In fact, the often overlooked HT Monaro was only occasionally beaten by Ford’s Falcon XW GT-HO and it won almost every major Series Production race from October ’69 through to February the next year. The common factor in all of that success was one man: Colin Bond.

Story: Steve Normoyle

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In the three months following the ’69 Bathurst 500, Colin Bond was undefeated on the track, adding victory in the 1970 Surfers Paradise 12 Hour to his Bathurst win back in October. That’s not a bad first three months as a factory driver in a brand new factory team.

Sandown and Bathurst had been Harry Firth’s first two races with the HDT. Barry Ferguson was the existing Holden rally ace and continued with the new Monaros as Firth pressed Bond into service for the remaining year’s racing programme, as well as the odd rally. Of the Bathurst squad, Bond, Roberts and Brock were retained, although it would be well into the new year before Brock was making regular race appearances for the HDT.

Sir Jack Brabham awards Colin Bond the trophy for winning the Warwick Farm round of the 1970 Tasman Touring Series.

“Just after the Bathurst race,” Bond says, “Harry sort of got Peter and myself on board, although it was a little while before Peter was completely on board. I did the Lakeside 1500, the Surfers 12 Hour with Tony Roberts, and the Tasman Cup Series production races.”