1:18 AUTOart 1996 Volvo 854 ATCC #05 Peter Brock

Biante Article - Peter Brock driving something other than a Holden during the course of his illustrious career was not as much of an eyebrow raiser as some may think. He drove BMWs and even Ford Sierras in between stints aboard a General Motors product, but it was his decision to drive a Volvo 850 Super Tourer in the 1996 two-litre series that got plenty of attention – particularly from his superiors given he was a Holden Racing Team V8 pilot at the time! The nine-time Bathurst winner combined his programs for the year, though it caused some serious distress and politicking. But racing was what fuelled the ‘King of the Mountain' and for the '96 season he was armed with an ex-British Touring Car Championship Volvo 850 sedan run by George Shepheard, who had masterminded the Repco Round Australia Commodore 1-2-3 that Brock led home in 1979. The Tom Walkinshaw Racing-built, five-cylinder howler was up against the works Diet-Coke BMWs of Paul Morris and Geoff Brabham as well as the four-wheel drive Audi A4s of Brad Jones and Greg Murphy and a handful of strong privateer entrants. After debuting in the non-championship events at Albert Park and at the Gold Coast Indy, Brock and the distinctive red #05 850 made their championship debut at Amaroo Park and, despite a new aero kit that arrived from Europe that week, the Volvo was down on pace and finished sixth in Race 1 and retired from Race 2 with a failed front wheel bearing. Round 2 took the teams to Lakeside in Queensland and luck was not on Brock's side. Oil left on the road from Jones' blown Audi sent him straight off the road, and copping a hit from Geoff Full's Peugeot that arrived behind him. Repaired for Race 2, Brock was able to salvage sixth place but sat a distant ninth in the points. Round 3 was back at Amaroo Park in Sydney and things started to improve, with a fourth place in Race 1 behind Jones, Morris and Brabham, but another retirement in the second race with suspected CV joint failure. Last time here I kept going and it literally cost thousands of dollars for a new part so this time I wasn't going to take any chances, Brock told Motorsport News magazine post-race.