Bold plan to future-proof Peter Brock legacy revealed

Photo: Richard Gresham Habul recently bought the HDT Special Vehicles business from Peter Champion, who had been its custodian for the last 20 years. Brock ran the company from 1980 to 1987, producing over 4000 hotted-up Holdens until the infamous Energy Polarizer saga ended the arrangement. Its time under Champion included a limited run of VE and VF Commodore-based models. Already a collector of Brock and HDT vehicles, Habul announced his plans for the business during a public function in Bathurst on Monday. “I didn’t want the brand to die. I didn’t want it to disappear,” he said. “I wanted to revive it and add some capital.” Habul’s vision includes restoring existing HDT vehicles and developing upgrade kits for them, leaning into the ‘restomod’ phenomenon. Kenny Habul with a VL Plus Pack on display inside a Peter Brock activation in Bathurst. Image: Supplied “We have prototype cars being tested here in Australia, as well as in Germany and the USA,” Habul said. “There is a lot of work to do before we have an HDT-reimagined car to present, but there is a fundamental recipe that I think will be very impressive.” The US-based solar energy mogul already owns multiple properties at Bathurst and plans to establish a HDT headquarters in the city. Should ongoing talks with local authorities come to fruition, that would include a museum, workshop and showroom. “We have huge plans for the reborn HDT brand,” Habul said. “They include building a factory in Bathurst focused on a range of enthusiast applications including restorations, performance enhancements and more.” A series of classic HDT road cars were on display at the announcement. From left: Peter Champion, Kenny Habul, Graeme ‘Mort’ Brown, Lewis Brock and Richard Craill at the announcement. Image: Supplied It followed a Bathurst 1000 in which multiple Habul-owned Brock race cars took part in commemorations of 20 years since the legend’s death. The pride of Brock’s collection is the VL Commodore that won the race in 1987 – a year in which Habul joined the team as a gopher. Habul had the car air-freighted back from the US to take part in the Bathurst 1000 festivities, driving it in the parade on Sunday. “I love that car,” he said. “I blew it up, unfortunately, trying to do donuts for the crowd. It blew the clutch or the gearbox or something.” Habul stressed his overall goal of helping the legend of HDT and Brock lives on for decades to come. “Eventually generations move on,” he said. “But I just hope that we never forget and we try and maintain the history, the legacy and the culture, and pass it on to future generations. “I hope there’s another one of me that comes along and says I’ve got better ideas for this and it continues.”