Peter Brock had a high interest in the Club and was keen to see it grow and develop into a formidable force in the Club scene. An HDT Owners Club had already been formed in Qld, and by 1986 HDT Owners Clubs were being formed in Victoria and South Australia.
With a little initiative from Paul Dillon, Peter Brock and Holden Dealer Special Vehicles invited representatives from each state to discuss the direction of these clubs and the involvement of Holden Dealer Special Vehicles in Melbourne on 31st January 1986.
The result was the formation of a national strategy with a common name – “HDT Owners Club”.
Accordingly, Holden Dealer Special Vehicles committed resources and funds to assist in the management of these clubs. The first was the organisation of a National HDT Owners Club Meeting, that being the first “HDT Nationals”, which was to be held in Melbourne from the 7th to the 9th of June.
A meeting was also convened at the Kelly’s in January 1986, during which an initial NSW committee was established and the drafting of the club’s constitution commenced. The foundation committee was: President: Warren Jenkins, Vice President & Motorsport Director: Jeff Kelly, Secretary & Editor: Brian Cassell, Treasurer: Mark Hitchenson and Membership & Social Secretary: Tricia Kelly.
The NSW Club Committee met with representatives of the Canberra Club in Canberra on 22nd February to coordinate a combined club calendar for 1986.
Later, in June it was arranged for the transfer of the membership of the NSW resident members of the Canberra club over to the NSW club together with their original application forms. This was to give these members a continuity of membership.
After running the ACT Club for three years on an informal basis it was suggested at the ACT AGM on the 22nd February that it should change to a more formal organisation with a full committee of elected personnel running it. Subsequently the first committee of the ACT HDT Owners Club was elected in 1986 and comprised of Paul Dillon (President), Terry Short (Vice President), Sandy Black (Secretary), Kerry Short (Treasurer), and Bruce Webb, Pat Sears and Mark Denley (Committee Members).
8:00am on Sunday April 6th saw the club’s first monthly meeting of members of the NSW Club held at Dennys, North Parramatta. Later in the morning most adjourned to Amaroo Park for an Australian Touring Car Championship Round. At that meeting it was agreed that the Club should hold all future monthly meetings at the Baulkham Hills Sporting Club on the second Thursday of each month at 8:00pm.
The first meeting at the Baulkham Hills Sporting Club was held in May and was well attended with, it is estimated 80% of members coming along. Business was limited to a general introduction of all those present, a discussion on membership and a run down on the forthcoming national meeting in Melbourne. It was confirmed at that meeting that general meetings will be held on the 2nd Thursday of each month, except January, at the same venue.
In May 1986 the NSW Club had 90 financial members, Victoria 100, Queensland 40, South Australia 30 and the financial membership of the WA Club was not known.
Paul Wakeling Holden at Campbelltown became a NSW club supporter in July and the NSW Club’s first organised Club Motorsport day was scheduled for August 31 with a Supersprint at Oran Park, the Corvette Club being invited guests.
Ian Luff of Dynamic Safety Driving gave an entertaining address to the August General Meeting on advanced driving courses.
At the Bathurst 1000 a meeting of HDT Owners Club State Presidents was organised during a lull in proceedings. Peter Brock attended and was not in his usual form due to a blow up over something.
November saw a press release from HDT Special Vehicles Pty Ltd referring to the fact that certain owners had taken it upon themselves to carry out modifications which were not within the philosophy of its design consultants, Peri Integration.
The release went on to instruct owners to clear proposed modifications to the cars with the HDT Customer Liaison Officer to ensure that the HDT ID plaque remained valid.
The December Newsletter also included a copy of an article from Car Australia magazine in which Angus MacKenzie reported:
“The VL Group A SS would thus appear to be a legitimate heir to the Brock Commodore legend. But all is not quite as it seems. The car you pay $29,000 for at your friendly local Holden Dealer may be a Group A SS, but unless you order it from HDT Special Vehicles with a “Plus Pack”, it won’t be a genuine Brock Commodore. Confused? You’re not the only one. It’s all to do with a device invented by Brock called an Energy Polariser …. “
The Club had $3,534.55 in the bank at 30th September and the Club’s new Constitution was ratified at the AGM held at the Baulkham Hills Sporting Club on Thursday 13th November 1986.
The NSW Club closed 1986 with 150 members and total assets (including cash) of $6,249 – not bad considering that the Club only started in the middle of the previous year!
Social Events:
Brunch at Sublime Point via Princes Hwy and Audley (February), Breakfast at Denny’s before run to ATCC Round at Amaroo Park (March), Club Display at Motor Club Show Macquarie Centre North Ryde (March), Breakfast at Denny’s before run to Open Race Meeting at Amaroo Park (April), Sunday Run to Bundanoon with Canberra Club (May), Breakfast at Denny’s before run to Open Race Meeting at Amaroo Park (May), Mothers Day Run to Briars Inn Burradoo (May), General Meeting at Paul Wakeling Holden Campbelltown for the opening of their new premises (June), Melbourne Weekend Away for the HDT Nationals (June), Breakfast at Denny’s before run to Open Race Meeting at Amaroo Park (June), Breakfast at Denny’s before run to ATCC Round at Oran Park (July), Breakfast at Denny’s before run to Endurance Championship Round at Amaroo Park (August), Club Day at Oran Park in conjunction with Paul Wakeling Holden (September), Groups Outing and BBQ at El Cabelo Blanco (September), Village Grand Prix (September), Club Run to Mount Panorama for the James Hardie 1000 (October), AGM to be held at Paul Wakeling Holden Campbelltown (8th October), Weekend Away in the Hunter Valley Vineyards (November), Breakfast at Denny’s before run to Endurance Championship Round at Oran Park (November), Annual Christmas Party to be held in Canberra (December), New Years Eve Fancy Dress Party with Spit Roast (December).
Motorsport:
Drags at Oran Park (August, December), Club Supersprint at Oran Park with Corvette Club (August).
1986 Committee: President Warren Jenkins, Vice President Jeff Kelly, Secretary Brian Cassell, Treasurer Mark Hitchenson, Social Secretary Tricia Kelly, Sporting Secretary Terry Short, CAMS Delegate Chris Stott, Editor Julie Cassell.
1986 Club Magazines:
With Paul Dillon taking on a more “national” role, the ACT Club published an “up market” magazine relative to all HDT Owners Clubs nationally. This magazine included updates from each state club as well as lots of press clippings keeping members up to date with happenings with Peter Brock and HDT.
However by mid 1986 Paul and the ACT Club could no longer carry the cost of producing this magazine for a national membership of over 500, so the June 1986 magazine pictured below was the last National magazine that would be published.
The HDT Owners Club (NSW) monthly newsletter (an example is pictured above) then became the publication that would keep NSW members informed of Club activities and events.
Club Monthly Newsletters for the rest of 1986:
