A phantom racer, a dream unfulfilled, is stirring from its slumber! Imagine a magnificent machine, born from a legendary collaboration, poised to conquer the iconic Mount Panorama, only to vanish before its moment. This is the tale of an abandoned Holden and Elfin challenger for the Bathurst 24 Hour race, a project that, ironically, met its end even before the race itself was called off.
Deep within the Garry Rogers Motorsport workshop, a chassis lies dormant, a relic of a grand ambition. This wasn't just any chassis; it was destined to be the heart of a Holden-powered Elfin Streamliner, a formidable contender for the gruelling Bathurst 24 Hour endurance race. This story unfolds 22 years after the project was shelved.
Elfin, a name synonymous with Australian motorsport heritage, had joined forces with Holden. Earlier in 2004, the world got a glimpse of their potential with the unveiling of the MS8 Streamliner concept at the Melbourne International Motor Show. This wasn't born out of thin air. Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM) had a stellar track record at Bathurst, securing two victories in the 24 Hour race with their seven-litre Monaros in 2002 and 2003. The natural progression was to field a V8-powered Elfin Streamliner the following year.
Barry Rogers, the chief at GRM, vividly recalls the project: "We had designed and built the whole chassis, it was going to run a sequential gearbox, pretty much a Monaro setup." It sounds like a recipe for success, doesn't it?
But here's where it gets controversial... Holden, for reasons not fully elaborated, pulled the budget, and the dream car was never brought to life. The absence of funding meant this ambitious project remained incomplete.
Further light is shed on this intriguing episode in the comprehensive Elfin history book, ‘Elfin: The Spirit of Speed’, published in 2020. Bill Hemming, who co-owned Elfin Sports Cars at the time, shared his insights. He explained that the initial concept was for a special wide-body car capable of accommodating 12-inch-wide wheels and large splitters, essentially a highly aerodynamic racing variant of the Streamliner. The vision was bold: "Garry Rogers Motorsport was commissioned to design and build the chassis. They went a long way down the line with that. We worked on the basis that Corvettes were winning their class at Le Mans, so something lighter with the same running gear should blitz it." The comparison to Le Mans-winning Corvettes highlights the high aspirations for this Australian contender.
However, as Hemming lamented, "Holden pulled the funding, so that ended. Garry has the chassis, and the body is over at Walkinshaw Performance." The chassis, meticulously crafted in GRM’s former Glen Waverley workshop, eventually found its way to their current Dandenong base. It even spent time suspended from the workshop roof and later resided in a shed on Garry Rogers’ farm. Sadly, Garry Rogers himself passed away in October last year.
Barry Rogers recently shared an update: "We brought it back here last November to the workshop and here we are. Obviously we just don’t have a use or need for it, so we’re going to sell it. If there’s anyone out there interested, get in touch!" This abandoned racer is now up for sale, a unique opportunity for an enthusiast to own a piece of unfulfilled motorsport history.
And this is the part most people miss... The 2004 Bathurst 24 Hour race itself never actually happened. Scheduled for November of that year, it was ultimately abandoned. Ross Palmer’s PROCAR relinquished the rights to the event following their withdrawal from motorsport. The Bathurst Regional Council and CAMS (now Motorsport Australia) faced immense pressure to find a new promoter with very little time. The hurdles, including the significant challenge of securing a TV broadcast deal, proved too great, and the race was ultimately shelved.
So, what do you think? Should a project with such significant backing and ambition have been allowed to fade away? Or is it a testament to the unpredictable nature of motorsport that even the most promising ventures can be grounded by circumstances beyond their control? Share your thoughts in the comments below – we'd love to hear your take!
