A PAIR of special Super Tourers have emerged for sale in the United Kingdom that have impressive history in both the British Touring Car Championship and Australian Super Touring Championship.
The 1995-spec factory Vauxhall Cavaliers – originally built by Ray Mallock Limited – have been advertised for sale by owner (and former Bathurst 1000 competitor) Mike Newton via the Racecarsdirect website.
One of the cars – chassis 022 – is the car driven by John Cleland to victory in the 1995 BTCC, while the other (chassis 023) was driven by James Thompson during that season, his rookie year with the factory Vauxhall team.
LISTEN HERE: John Cleland on the V8 Sleuth Podcast
Both cars came to Australia in 1996 and were used in the BOC Gases-sponsored Australian Super Touring Car Championship
Racing legend Jim Richards took over the ex-Cleland car and ran it in five rounds of the series, while the other car was raced by speedway ace Brooke Tatnell under the Sentul Motorsport banner that same season.
Richards finished second in the final race of the 1996 series under lights on Oran Park’s short circuit in the ex-Cleland Cavalier.
Richards’ time racing Super Tourers, including the Vauxhall, is covered in ‘Gentleman Jim: The Official Racing History of Jim Richards’, the 400-page collectors book documenting his stellar career.
A small number of copies remain for sale here in the V8 Sleuth Superstore and are sure to be snapped up on the run up to Christmas.
The Cavaliers were later acquired by Sydney racer Bob Tweedie, who competed in them in the 1997 and 1998 Australian Super Touring Championships in a factory-like white and yellow livery.
Chassis 022 has been in dry storage since 1998 and unraced while chassis 023 has had very limited outings since returning to the UK, notably Goodwood in 2008 and the Silverstone Classic in 2012.
More information on the cars can be found here via the Racecarsdirect website.
