This is the first time John Bowe has driven a 1988 HSV VL Commodore SS V Group A (Walkinshaw)

This is a rare opportunity to buy a pedigree homologation model, unmodified and original, with great history, matching numbers engine, and stunning presentation. This HSV VL Commodore Group A SS V is build number 198, and retains the original log books and service history, and is showing just 103,493kms. There are few cars with road presence like a ‘Walky’, a car that was built for homologation and racing, and a car that has a long rich history with collectors and enthusiasts. Don’t miss your chance to buy your dream car!
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www.grays.com/lot/0001-200809...
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[@nolimitsgolf]

John Bowe is a true gentleman and an absolute champion

[@regandunn4850]

I'm a ford guy but its good to see these still around true classics now

[@dawnrazornephilim]

Same, but I did own a VL, wasn't it the godzilla under the hood, even down to the dash?

[@andrewsteele7663]

I am always amazed that these cars are still out there in such fantastic condition, and its not ugly

[@leewright7623]

If anything they're aging very well imo

[@gstar1309]

What a driver he was . Super competitive, fast and almost always brought the car back in one piece..

[@bunzthompson236]

That was never ugly.. love em always

[@sanctuaryism]

great to see an older guy actually appreciate and genuinely love the 80's muscle cars... a lot of guys from that era didn't. and he is a legend at that which greatly adds to making this special to watch.

[@Tommyblueeyes]

Ummm He wouldve been in his early 20s when this car came out in 1988!!! This is nostalgia for him...

[@riverside2096]

With the death of the Aussie homegrown V8 sedans and coupes, I think the Holden vs Ford rivalry thing is fading and both camps are morphing into a proud Aussie V8 camp… Johnny Bowe really is one of the real gentlemen of the sport and a legend to boot. Great to see him finally getting a drive of this piece of history. RIP Aussie V8 Holdens and Fords…

[@sixhunt]

john stabbing at the bonnet with the rod like a junky looking for a vein :D

[@harrypatt7708]

Anyone that thinks a walky is ugly has no love for Australian history, you just can’t help loving em

[@diverse8959]

my dad had an original one when i was growing up, i love them very nice car!

[@jasonford7216]

I'll remember lot from this video...thanks everyone involved...

[@LS2MGB]

Beautiful car!! Definitely not ugly!!!

[@thisisg3647]

I just want one!!!!

[@petersing2411]

Always respect vls always they are made to represent Australia

[@bluejays-kj8uv]

Bidders might want to check for a new bonnet dent after JB got the wrong hole with the support rod

[@robertdavey319]

Beautiful car, would love one

[@frankz5864]

I remember around 2004 there was a Holden dealer selling a VL Grp A with 170km. Original plastic was still on the seats and arm rests. Was owned by the dealership since new and never driven. They wanted $99k. I knew it was special but was only in high school at the time.

[@paddy2661]

Great video John , Pat from Albury I own a vk grpA blueie for 5 yrs low 30xxx k's sold in 03 absolutely mint never seen rain or hot days still had factory wiper blades and tyres, I was close to purchasing a walky in 2000 still in original showroom from new 50klm on clock at the time the dealer was asking $50k everyone said to me that's to dear lol . And I missed out on a vn grpA hrt mechanics personal 30xxx odd k's that was mint and I can't describe the engine but I'll say Bathurst material, crankier than a motherinlaws cat. If you get opportunity drive a low k vk grpA you'll find it's the closest to the harsh race feel. Cheers John

[@tomnewham1269]

I remember they being sold in the mid 1990's for only $25k.

[@glennkiller3195]

I've always had a Soft Spot for Walky. I would have loved to buy the D'Alberto Brothers VL GroupA Walkinshaw. Still with Pre Delivery Km's & Never Registered

[@UTPP]

I drove my dads one of these on the road when I was 15. I pulled up at the lights and a hoon came along side me and when the lights went green I was gone! What a great memory 👍

[@MAte925]

You had the last laugh!

[@user-dk3xe3lg5c]

Yah full of shit nice try though Wanker

[@kevysrandomstuff5835]

i miss my RB30 VL

[@MrFathead]

My grandpa has one of these, I think it is build 200. It is in his shed under a cover with a suspected broken fuel pump.

[@lesweb4608]

I was lucky to have been able to drive one of these from new. Working at the local holden dealership in John Bowes home town in Devonport... Motors! A local motor cycle dealer purchased it..

[@timmy74712345]

NICE!

[@holdenbrougham7768]

Always been a holden guy, but when these walkinshaws came out I thought it was a down grade from the Grp A version, but as decades past and you think just how far HSV had come since this car , successful yes HSV was very , and stood the test of time and punishment and desirability passing all with flying colors, I love my fords too , and hate the thought we lost both ledgends with in a year or so of each other , last commodore counts for nothing , as in many opinions it just wasn't a commodore style FWD , no V8 , stupid move and risky, So glad guys like John go look at what your competitors use , and yea maybe if he'd gave it a test drive back then in 88 he would of been scored by holden marketing team too ,

[@helixworld]

What I remember about my VL is how I could feel the steering wheel move as the body flexed.

[@jonesy2418]

Its great to see a untouched engine bay.

[@timjohnun4297]

Apart from the rusty brake booster, where the master cylinder had been leaking ;) But yes, I agree 100%

[@timx3680]

Straight and shiny on the outside. But a casual look underbonnet tells a different story of weathering, corrosion, surface rust. Not something I would in good conscience describe as “an absolute mint, mint car.”

[@p4pking393]

perkins hammering around the mountain...what a glorious sight and sound. memories of an era of aussie racing machines

[@marsbar9559]

Looks like its been in a front end bingle before (look at the very different lines between headlights and bumper at start of vid).

[@purplehazeffc]

With a claimed 180kw & 380nm torque. My 1.6lt Turbo Hyundai produces the same amount, while using less than 7lt per 100ks fuel. Amazing the amount of improvement & efficiency of the modern car.. Also these were a hard sell when they were new. Even selling them into the VN Commodore life cycle.

[@MAte925]

Who cares mate V8 sounds way better!

[@Buzz.Scholz-vi1ed]

Anyone can buy a Hyundai. But hardly anyone can have one of these mate. A VL only weighs 1200kg and would eat your Korean shitbox twice before breakfast. Just in case you didn't pay attention to the highly credentialed Mr. Bowe, these weren't marketed as an economy car, they were a road registerable version of the racecar of the day. They are the holy grail of Holden history, and as such, speaking crap about them means you know nothing about why they exist.

[@purplehazeffc]

@@Buzz.Scholz-vi1ed Thank you for your insight. I know all about the history of Holden & HSV, as I have owned quite a few in my time though unfortunately not one of these magnificent cars. My post was more inline with how much improvement in efficiency newer cars have become. As the VL Group A was a damn quick car for it's time. While not quick in this day & age, stock times has my Hyundai i20N 0-100 & 1/4 mile quicker. VL Group A 0-100 6.9secs 1/4 Mile 14.8secs Top speed 230kph. Official times from HSV Hyundai i20N 0-100 6.1secs 1/4 Mile 14.6secs Top speed 230kph All while using less that 6lt per 100ks of fuel. Though in saying that, I would take the HSV 100% of the time if given the choice.

[@Buzz.Scholz-vi1ed]

Hmmmm........well I'm still not going out shopping for some thing made in Korea mate. As a born and bred South Aussie, I prefer mine made in Adelaide. I have been driving VLs for over three decades. Work cars. Family cars. Race cars. My daily driver has over 715,000 km on it. (Pistons have never been out of the block!) Not ever once has any front wheel drive anything beat me any day of any week

[@PeterJohnson76]

I love them and think they look incredible. Had a replica for 20 years. Only car I like better is a f40.

[@philliprobertlawman2232]

😍

[@dougmaddog373]

Special

[@James-zj3ud]

From what I understand only the walkinshaw had anything resembling downforce needed for racing.. the other ones either had novelty aero bodywork that didn't really have any effect or were designed to reduce drag significantly at the expense of downforce which is why larry went back to the VL walkinshaw in 1992, by which time it was also allowed the 6 speed from the VNs

[@peterhess6039]

The VL walkinshaw definitely produced downforce Big also created more drag on the straights The previous red VL GP A actually produced a net effect of lift on the straights

[@davidewhite69]

not strictly true, the 2 door Cosworth Sierra RS's rear 'whale tail' spoiler and front bumper spoiler was also developed in a wind tunnel to generate downforce because Ford found the body of a standard 2 door Sierra generated lift at speeds over 200 kmh, it was said by the people testing the standard bodied car before it was mass produced that it was undriveable and dangerous at speeds over 200.

[@James-zj3ud]

@@davidewhite69 I'm talking about group A Commodores - the walkinshaw had the most downforce of any group A car Holden produced

[@tomnewham1269]

@@James-zj3ud and too much for the Bathurst 1000.

[@James-zj3ud]

@@tomnewham1269 not in 1990

[@grimreaper6112]

The price will be pretty for the owner

[@robreibel3491]

Good video but get rid of the music. Want to hear the car not music under

[@matsinkal]

The sierra flogged it and the r32 GTR you would have only seen one in the rearview mirror John

[@slickstrings]

it still managed to win 2 bathursts, get on the front row of a 3rd after it was supposed to have been replaced by the vn.

[@tomnewham1269]

@@slickstrings it only won one Bathurst.

[@ceedoubleyou]

when these cars were 10-12yrs old, one could pick one up for NZ$40k, if only, I had NZ$40k to spend on a 12yr old Holden at the time.

[@Kiwi-LSA]

Got one in 94 payed 44k everyone said I was crazy spending that much on a 6 year old car, 28 years later I can gladly say iv still got it👌

[@koringn]

That's on auction atm isn't it?

[@aulzhoefer]

It is no ugly

[@simonmarsh9333]

We used to call these cars the silver bullet

[@shellez101]

Are you only making videos about holdens , or is nobody selling Fords ?

[@tomnewham1269]

there are some Fords in the background.

[@leewright7623]

Ugly no, unusual... certainly. I prefer the simplicity of the group 3 bodywise but as I've aged so has my appreciation for the Walky especially after Win and Alan's driving effort on the mountain in 92 or 3(?)

[@mopargrub4448]

Who else cringed when he put the bonnet support in the wrong spot?? 😬

[@mattazzopardi2189]

Yup 👍 lmao

[@taylor22993]

Mr white didn't know you where a Aussie 🤣

[@antoniobarbaro61]

No way it sexy like max lethal

[@ericisbananaman]

that's all well and good, but is the car fitted with its original magnets?

[@timjohnun4297]

If you mean the energy polariser, it was offered as an option in the HDT Director. It was never fitted to the Walky Commodore, because by the time they were built, Brock had split with Holden (Hence it being a Walkinshaw vehicle, not HDT). Personally I would love to own a car with an energy polariser today, despite the fact we all know it did nothing, it is a bit of history, that would definitely add value to a HDT built car

[@zoltrix7779]

The 1980s were not good times for Holden interiors, geepers. This car has been pampered and the interior is still falling apart.

[@ScubaAnt72]

Almost doing 100kph... like it's still got 90% left.... "Sold for $261,500"

[@gjmob]

I don't think that the Godzilla killed Group A racing. Half the field was Sierra's that were hated by Ford fans, as they wanted V8's. I remember Ford fans saying that milk is the only good thing that comes in 2 litres. Also you couldn't go out and buy one.

[@timjohnun4297]

International Group A collapsed, that's why Group A was killed off

[@toneloc9084]

They had a real hard time selling them when they first come out.

[@tomnewham1269]

The first 500 sold like hot cakes but the second batch of 250 were hard to sell and some of the dealers took the bodywork off to help them go out the door.

[@darryllspalding5211]

WOW there is some strange comments here MR BOWE???????????

[@38skippers]

You couldn't give these away when they were new.

[@geoffpilcher2460]

Pretty grotty in the boot and underbonnet. My neices Outlander was like new underbonnet. It had over 200k on it!!

[@MV2024WDC]

Be worth an absolute fortune.. maybe 250….

[@aussiedrifter]

I think as I did back then that the Walkinshaw was ugly, & you know what? 34 years later it's still ugly. Then I have always been a True Blue Oval Bloke. What was very interesting & even more collectible than the plastic fantastic British box were those two Kombi Vans in the background, very nice shagging wagons from memory lane.

[@timjohnun4297]

"Ugly" is subjective, I think. Admittedly if somebody had made these body kits up in their back yard, ricer style, then I'm sure I would find them ugly. But seeing I know who made them and why, it turns them from ugly to desirable. It's like a Bugatti Veyron, they are actually butt ugly, but I wouldn't point at one and laugh at it ;). Same goes for the Ford Sierra

[@matsinkal]

A VL turbo would destroy one.

[@toneloc9084]

Most cars today would. I'd much prefer a Walkinshaw over a vl turbo.

[@matsinkal]

@@toneloc9084 That mad 180kw but the bulk weight is a joke :)

[@Hapkido82AUS]

VL turbos weren't in Group A touring car racing...

[@matsinkal]

@@Hapkido82AUS Really ??? Haha 😄 I know champ. I meant stock for stock when they were both new.

[@jcitizen]

Who cares?

[@GTSHSV557]

I've got a low ks 2016 gen f2 gts I'd swap for a walky I'd anyone got one lol

[@coopsnz1]

Serria rs500 faster

[@justaname1862]

Holden and Ford Killed Group A...NOT "Godzilla"

[@tdub5776]

I appreciate them for what they are, but it would have to be the ugliest car made in Australia.

[@darianistead2239]

I'd rather a RS500 than a plastic pig

[@wizardofoz497]

Simply put,yes its ugly!!!

[@ToranaA9X308]

Geez ya played that down didn’t ya bowe. A few issues 😂😂😂😂 the shit box sierras blew there guts out all over the track at Bathurst in 1990 blowing head gaskets galore. Winding up the illegal boost controls didn’t help. The Percy grice car ran at 7500 all day and never missed a beat. All the nay sayers had to BOW to the mighty holden 5 litre AGAIN 😂😂😂😂😂