Is there anyone in Australia who hasn’t seen the Holden Precision Driving Team? The HPDT was formed in 1968 by Lloyd Robertson using a quartet of HK Monaros he picked up fresh from the assembly line at Brisbane’s Acacia Ridge plant. These were updated by each new series of Monaro until the arrival of the Commodore. Robertson always insisted on V8s and used them without mufflers.
The team was seen as a novel way of demonstrating new model Holdens at the various agricultural shows around Australia. They also performed regularly at Bathurst. Despite the jumps and two-wheel balancing Robertson says that no driver was ever injured and no car was too badly damaged to leave the arena under its own power.
The basic concept lasted for 38 years although Holdens were briefly replaced by Hyundais between 2000 and 2002. In its final three years the team was known as the Stormriders when they performed in Commodore SS Storm utes.
The last show under Robertson’s management was held in Bendigo, Victoria, in October 2006. He estimates the team had put on 9,000 performances over his career. Drivers were mainly young rally drivers but of all those tested over the years only 25 were considered good enough.
The cars were the stars of the show and Robertson says the first and last cars used were the best. “The original Monaros were outstanding from a visual point of view and sounded great but, to drive, the utes we’ve just handed back were the best cars we’ve ever had,” he said on his retirement.
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