1997 Wayne Gardner Racing VS Group A Commodore Ute (SOLD)

Early in 1996, Street Machine magazine broke the news: 1987 500cc World Motorcycle Champion and then celebrated V8 Supercar race driver Wayne Gardner was planning a range of Wayne Gardner Racing (WGR) appearance and performance accessories for late-model Commodores. The idea sounded like a winner. People would take their cars to WGR in Sydney’s west, tick the boxes for what they wanted, and the same blokes who spun the spanners on the bright red Coca-Cola sponsored WGR race Commodores would upgrade the customers’ road cars.

It was a traditional speed-shop with a credible corporate touch; in many ways the WGR Road Cars division was to echo the efforts of another racer, Peter Brock, who 15 years before had a similar race/road relationship with his General Motors Holden-supported Holden Dealer Team (HDT) road car operation.

Sadly only around 35 WGR Commodores were built making those that remain today a very rare and sought after commodity.

For sale is this one of a kind as new WGR Group A ute in Diablo Red with WGR Recaro seats and Momo steering wheel. The Group A Ute is powered by a 304 fuel injected engine with Wayne Gardner carbon fibre airbox and intake snorkel plus WGR 185KW chip and Pacemaker extractors, T-5 five speed gearbox, 3.7:1 LSD and WGR lowered suspension.

The current owner bought the ute in 2004 and has replaced all warn items with new parts making this an ultra reliable ute. The suspension has been upgraded with Pedders front height adjustable coilovers, engine bay strut brace, adjustable panhard rod, larger sway bars and lowered rear springs and brand new lowered shocks. The car runs VT front calipers, AC Delco pads, new front rotors with braided brake lines and new rear rotors and pads.

The Ute runs a Drivetech mechanical LSD with brand new Spicer 3.7:1 diff gears. A new single 2 1/2 inch exhaust with new cat and original WGR ceramic coated Pacemaker headers. The original Enkei G-Zeros have been replaced with WGR Momo Status 18x8.5 wheels.

The interior is all original with Recaro seats with WGR logo, bolsters newly reconditioned, Recaro material door inserts, Caprice console lid with cup holders trimmed in genuine Recaro material, a Momo 'Race' steering wheel and Momo gearknob plus WGR dash and cluster stickers. The glovebox has been signed by Wayne Gardner and Neil Crompton. A JVC sound system has been fitted with bluetooth cd player, Alpine rear 6x9’s, Alpine door speakers, Alpine splits and electric antenna with new mast. The car has a lockable hard lid with Wayne Gardner rear wing and new VS tub liner.

The car comes with WGR documentation and sales brochure, magazine articles, photo album of the car over the years and WGR key ring and WGR model racing car key ring, two sets of keys, WGR Coca Cola sticker and WGR Commodore sticker. As featured on the cover of Street Commodores Issue 10 and Awesome Commodores Magazine (Approx 1998).

This is perhaps one of only 10 utes built by WGR and certainly a one off example that presents in as new condition. Full NSW registration. In our Kingsgrove, Sydney showroom for your inspection. (Ref: 5408)