Walkinshaw HSV VL Commodore: You paid how much?!

How much would you expect to pay for Tom Walkinshaw’s homage to Darth Vader? Well, according to news just in from Shannons, you’d better cancel your order for a new BMW 135i to free up the cash. The HSV VL Commodore SS Group A pictured above sold at auction recently for $87,000. I’ll type that again, the car pictured above sold at auction recently for $87,000. Wowsers!

The two owner, although only once registered, example was said to be in pristine condition and had travelled a mere 16,637 kilometres. The vehicle sold was number 594 out of the 750 radical aero-styled Azure Blue Commodores built by Tom Walkinshaw’s then-new Holden Special Vehicles operation in 1988 – the year following the much-publicised split from Holden by Peter Brock and his HDT operation.

The car rolled out of the HSV factory on 11 August 1988 and spent many years hidden in a dark garage before being acquired by its vendor last year, who then stored it unregistered until the lead-up to last night’s auction.

Shannons National Auction Manager Christophe Boribon said while the Commodore was an outstanding example, its price reflected the strong interest in the Group A HDT and Walkinshaw Commodores of the 1980s, due to their Bathurst credibility and current affordability.

I knew prices of Australian muscle cars had gone through the roof recently, with scarily high six figure sums being achieved, but really, this price is still quite amazing. Fair play to the vendor, I hope he spends his money wisely this time.