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According to CarsGuide, it’s the end of the line for the classic V8 sedan in Australia:

Aussie V8 fans will have to get used to four-cylinder and V6 power for their future performance sedans, the Asia-Pacific boss of General Motors Stefan Jacoby has confirmed what has long been feared.

The Holden V8 will die once manufacturing comes to an end at Holden’s factory in Elizabeth in South Australia at the end of 2017.

In an interview with Australian media at the Frankfurt motor show overnight, Mr Jacoby said: “The world obviously is changing and the V8 period is coming to an end.”

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One of only two road going HRT 427 Monaros built and the only one in private hands, a rare machine and part of Australian motoring history.

What’s an HRT 427? According to Wikipedia:

Originally intended to be put into production as competition against vehicles such as the Porsche 911 GT2, it soon became apparent to Holden that the high specification HRT 427 could not be built in such limited quantities for the original A$215,000 asking price. As a result, the project was eventually cancelled and all customer deposits received refunded.

See also: 2002-2003 Bathurst 24 Hour.

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Peter McKay for Wheels Magazine:

The surprise move to purchase the rights to promote and run the 12 Hour certainly triggered a tsunami of comment in the grown-up media as well as the usual gossip – much of it ill-informed and hysterical – on blogs, Twitter and Facebook.

In some quarters, the bold act by V8 Supercars – the same rival category that earlier this year blocked its drivers from competing in the Bathurst 12 Hour – could be interpreted as being bad for the future of that enduro.

Some even suggested the V8s only wanted it to kill off a rising threat, a race with real momentum and one that in recent years has been emerging as an increasingly popular and significant event internationally.

Not so. V8 Supercars Australia (using owner Archer Capital’s money) wanted the 12 Hour for many fascinating reasons – mostly very positive for V8SA and some potentially beneficial for the race.

Let’s hope he’s right on this one.

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Mark Oastler recounts Peter Brock’s battle to homologate parts for the VH Commodore to race at Bathurst.

As “Peter Perfect” put it himself:

“It’s a police car without a siren!”

(via Motorsport Retro)