Interview: Bob Holden

For anyone involved in motor sport within Australia, the name of Bob Holden has been a prominent one for many years. After starting out during the 1950s in a Holden (no relation) sedan Bob tackled a variety of events in both racing and rallying with a number of different types of cars, most notably Mini Cooper S models. He is equally famous as a successful builder of competition cars, having constructed and maintained many different makes for a variety of customers over the years. Although now 72 years of age, he remains active and still enjoys his motor sport behind the wheel of both a Ford Escort and a Toyota Corolla. Our South Pacific Editor Patrick Quinn caught up with Bob near the scene of one of greatest successes, Bathurst.

We are here at Bathurst just below the famous Mount Panorama circuit, in a pavilion with about 20 BMC Minis. Not that far away is the famed circuit where, back in 1966, you and Rauno Aaltonen won the Bathurst 500 driving a Mini Cooper S. Can you enlighten us as to what led up to that event in 1966 and what brought you to Minis back then?[pullquote]