About the HSV VN SS GROUP A

Australia has only ever built only three absolutely genuine ‘muscle’ cars. And only one of them is a Commodore.

Motor vehicles that deliver dedicated performance need an element of mongrel in their breeding. They absolutely cannot be something you’d be happy to lend Aunt Minnie for her meals-on-wheels deliveries - not unless Minnie has a few motor sporting trophies on her mantelpiece.

They are cars that were designed to cover great gobs of terrain at licence-losing average speeds and, with minimal modifications, do the business in competition as well. Extracting optimum performance from such cars demands dedication on the part of the driver and a degree of compromise.

So, in company with the Falcon GTHO Phase III and E49 Charger, the HSV VN Group A SS scores a spot on the podium - and not necessarily on the lowest step. For, in addition to being a superb long-distance cruiser and successful Group A racer, the VN SS was crucial to the survival of Holden Special Vehicles.

Founded in 1987 in the wake of Peter Brock’s celebrated split with Holden, the Tom Walkinshaw-backed operation fired its first angry shot via the silvery-blue VL Group A. Sales of the VL matched its achievements as a Group A race competitor - the ambitious 750-unit production run taking almost two years to shift. Seeking cash flow and to calm fears among its dealer network, HSV pulled all the wrong levers with image-murdering products like the SV Astra and a series of uninspiring, VN Commodore-based models. Then, in November 1990, came the Group A.

The cars arrived at HSV’s factory in the guise of a VN Berlina and left looking like a ‘Star Wars’ battle cruiser - but with wheels. Unlike the earlier VL version and its excess of skirts and wings, the VN’s ‘aero pack’ was sculpted to blend almost seamlessly with the original structure. The under-bumper spoiler incorporated functional brake cooling ducts, the side skirts and boot-mounted spoiler about half the size and weight of the VL equivalents.

Under the bulged Group A bonnet was a seriously reworked version of Holden’s 4.9-litre V8. The engine block was specially cast for additional strength and there were modified cylinder heads, roller rockers, high-flow fuel injection and a 9.0:1 compression ratio. Output was 215kW at 5200rpm, with 411Nm of torque delivered at a surprisingly high 4000rpm. Behind the engine was a six-speed ZF gearbox similar to that used in late-1980s Corvettes, a heavy duty racing clutch and limited-slip differential. At maximum revs in sixth gear, the Group A had a theoretical top speed of 414km/h but was never timed at more than 253km/h.

Stability and strength were attributes of the VN that set it apart from any previous Holden. Despite the limitations of its live rear axle design, the suspension was effective and handling excellent unless serious bumps or corrugations were encountered. Also new were the five-spoke, 17-inch alloy wheels with grippy Z-rated rubber.

It had been HSV’s intention to build 500 of the VN Group A - that being the magic eligibility number for Group A competition. But somewhere between concept and launch of the new model Australia’s economy imploded, the car’s showroom price soared from a projected $55,000 to more than $68,000 and there was little prospect of reaching that target before the VP Commodore’s scheduled arrival. Pleas to the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) were made, agreement reached and Holden allowed to pitch its Group A into battle against Nissan’s ‘Godzilla’ GTR. Eventually, just 302 of the projected 500 cars were built.