Toyota Corolla GT/FX AE Series Group A

[DAVID PATERSON]

Twelve months later, it might be time to update the list of all the Australian Group A Corollas and what i believe to be their current situation. Please speak up anybody who knows more/different.

TTA AE86 Sprinter - Steven Toth has finished the restoration, I hope we will see the car competing in Historic Group A in 2012.

2 x TTA AE86 GT - Both spent many years in the museum at Bathurst. One was donated by Toyota to the musueum, who aren't interested in selling. The other was recently sold by Toyota to Willofan & I believe he will be racing in Historic Group A in 2012 or 2013. Both cars are in close to original condition.

2 x TTA AE82 - One is owned by Scott King and is in immaculate condition and was racing in historic Group A until recently. Scott is now living and working in the USA and the car is on display in the musueum at Baturst. The other was owned by Brad Stratton for many years and is now owned by Peter Herlihen and has been restored to it's TTA spec & livery. I keep encouraging Peter to race it in Historic Group A.

2 x TTA AE92 - The Bates/Dowson car was recently sold by Toyota to Willofan, not sure what he has planned. The other car was converted into a rally car and was destroyed/badly damaged years ago.

Bob Holden's first AE86 - Terry O'Beirne has owned this car for many years and is nearly finished restoring it to 1990 ATCC spec.

Bob Holden's AE86 renter - I bought this from Terry O'Beirne in 2007 and ran it in the 2011 Historic Group A Touring Car series, after a total restoration to 1987 ATCC spec.

Ratcliff AE86 - This became Geoff Full's car and gave Paul Morris his Bathurst debut. I'm told it was convered into a rally car and was later destroyed in a traffic accident.

Mal Rea AE86 - This was one of the last Group A cars ever built and did just three races before Group A was killed off. It then did many years of club level Sports Sedan racing, but fortunately it wasn't greatly modified and restoration is well underway. We hope to see the car competing in historic Group A in 2012.

2 x Bob Holden ex TOM's AE82 - Bob still owns one of these cars and races it regularly in historic Group A. Terry O'Beirne owns the other car and has raced it recently in historic Group A and now has it on the market for around $60K. You won't find a Group A car ready to race any cheaper! Both cars are still in original condition!

I think that's all of them, I'd love to know if there were any other Australian Group A Corollas.

[R59]

Trying to trace the ex-BTCC AE86 Corollas that Chris Hodgetts ran in 86/87

He seems to remember them going to an "Andrew Bagnall", and one of them went down-under for the Wellington Street Race, and maybe Bathurst.

Anyone got any info as Chris is interested in where they went.

[DAVID PATERSON]

I thought only one of those cars went to Andrew Bagnall of NZ, who stepped up to an RS500 in 1988 BTW.