Peter Finch Monaro

[Aron Peters]

I have been on The Roaring Season Forum in the past - in 2011 if I remember correctly.

I was the person looking for information of the Norm Beechey HK Monaro for an article I was writing. I've actually finished this article, and spoken to the fellow that currently owns the remains of the car. Part of my article was published in Australian Muscle Car Magazine Issue 74 in 2014, however the editor so far decided against running the article if full.

I'm now looking to collect information of the Monaro Sports Sedan driven by Peter Finch back in the early 1980s. I know precious little about this car, although I believe it spent most of it's racing career in Western Australia - much like the Beechey HK.

If anybody has any information or any contacts that you could put me in touch with I would really appreciate it.

[Steve Holmes]

Hi Aron, thats a cool car which I've had a long interest in, although I also have very little info on it. The first records I have on the car are from 1982, by which time the competition had heated up a lot, and the new Australian GT championship had been created, allowing Porsche 935s etc to compete with the traditional sports sedans.

Finch entered the Monaro in the opening round at Winton, finishing 6th in both heats. The Monaro also contested the Wanneroo (Barbagallo) round, this time driven by Gordon Stephenson, who finished 5th in the opening heat, behind two Porsche 935s, Colin Bonds 944, and Tony Edmonsons Alfetta (not in that order). There is a photo of the car in the 1982 Australian Motor Racing annual (which you probably have), with the caption: "The first local home in the first heat was Gordon Stephenson in his ageing Holden Monaro in fifth outright, one lap down on the leaders". Stephenson failed to record a result in the second heat.

There is another photo of the Monaro, again driven by Stephenson, in the Stewart Wilson book 'Holden: Monaro, Torana, Commodore'. But no info is provided.

Hopefully Ray Bell might jump in here with some info, as he has a lot of knowledge on these earlier modified sedans.

[Aron Peters]

I've uncovered some competition history on this Monaro. From what I can gather it pretty much stayed in WA and didn't venture to the east very often, but it was a multiple state champion in WA. I might not be 100% accurate here but...

It seems the car debuted at Wanneroo with Peter Finch at Round 7 of the Australian Sports Sedan Championship in July, and Finch then won the WA Sports Sedan Championship in September 1981 - winning Heat 1, and finishing second in Heat 2.

Gordon Stephenson took over in July 1982 - which is the Wanneroo meeting Steve mentions above - recording a 5th and a DNF in the two national title races held that day. But a few weeks later returned to Wanneroo to pick up a win and a 2nd to take home the 1982 WA Sports Sedan Championship.

Stephenson dominated the early meetings in 1983, but missed out on the state championship with a DNF in the first Heat before going on to win Heat 2. The Monaro continued to competitive throughout 1984, with Jim Anderson taking over the car mid year. Once again missing out on winning the state title, retiring from Heat 2 after earlier winning Heat 1.

Moving into 1985 and the Anderson/Monaro combo was really being stretched by newer cars like Dick Ward’s turbocharged RX-7, and wins were hard to come by. However the tables turned in favour of the Monaro at the state championship meeting. Anderson took the flag after Ward’s Mazda succumbed to mechanical woes in Heat 1. A distant second place to the Ward RX-7 in Heat 2 was enough for the Holden coupe to clinch its third title with its third driver.

A driver by the name of Mike Barnes looks to have then taken over, appearing at Wanneroo in mid 1986 and into 1987, and picking up some podiums during these two seasons. After that it seem like the car was retired, and who knows what happened after that.

[Bondy]

The Peter Finch Monaro was built by Develco. They also built the Clem Smith Charger, re built the Grant Jarrett Camaro (ex Peter Finch/Jon Kay Indy Speedshop) and Tony Parkinson Commodore (Later to Bob Jolly etc) to name a few. The Finch Monaro was 2nd overall at the Sandown July 81 ASSC round.

[Aron Peters]

Thanks for the Develco info Bondy. Are you aware of the specification or any other details of of the car at all? Were Develco SA based?

I actually didn't write that debut part very well. I meant that the July 1981 Wanneroo meeting seemed to be the debut of the car in Western Australia.

[Bondy]

Thanks for the Develco info Bondy. Are you aware of the specification or any other details of of the car at all? Were Develco SA based?

Yes Develco were SA Based, Simon Aram and Bernie Pfitzner. I can't recall much about the car but i think Racing Car News did a story on Dave Jarrett's Camaro being revamped by Develco and the Monaro may be mentioned in it. I'll see what i can find