If public relations is correct (some parts of that GMH Torana listing isn't right) then probably a display car for a motor show of some kind. Could be a small display at a Hotrod show or a local "show" or a big motor show. I wouldn't put too much weight into what it was made for, but the options on it like a CTV car with cloth inserts and 308 manual are what make it special. Anything in 308 manual outside of GTS (or later Sandman) in HQ is rare, normally 308 came with an auto if vehicle wasn't a GTS.

The other 350 ute was really only a "sister" as it was also a HQ V8 Kingswood ute with a 350 and auto but the similarity really ends there.

The Ewe't was silver (probably just Baroda or a close mix) with 350, air, steer, bucket seats, console shift and 3.08 rear axle. It was completed on 15/3/72, had a Premier nose, guards off a HQ GTS, Deville stuff inside including power windows and was covered in wool on places like the Tonneau. It also had blue Pontiac GTO stripes and other custom pin striping and badges. When it left GMH it sported the 14x7 PE1 rims and tyres off the 350Z and also off John Bagshaw's HQ Premier SS sedan concept.
The Chateau Mauve car was also 350 auto but was an otherwise pretty stock HQ V8 auto Kingwood ute. It was a column shift, bench seat car with aircon and 2.78 LSD. It was completed on 19/5/72 and was also an internal car.

I will ask Leo Pruneau about your car, but I doubt he'll remember as he didn't remember the Ewe't. I asked Joe Felice and Peter Nankervis about the Ewe't at Norm Darwin's Torana book release and Joe thought it may be an external build, until he saw the photo of it on the turntable on the roof of the Tech Centre. Joe was in charge of such show type vehicles at the time, he might be worth an ask as he did remember the Be-ute which was a purple HT-HG V8 Kingswood ute done with GTS nose and guards in 308 4spd, done for a show at the time.

Leo did tell me that the Sandman name was around when he arrived in 1969, so I doubt that an SS ute was ever envisaged.

Make sure that 265 dealer code is as you claim, Ben didn't say that on the HHS report.

Most of the 200's are internal numbers. Yours is actually 255, Ben tells you what it is in the report. 255 and all the others will exist, just that people other than Ben do not know what they are.

Ha! Benny boy has been using my cross referenced Dealer codes for years and so have other authors.

Hello ,

Many thanks for this. Your research is reassuring to say the least. I was beginning to doubt some of the 'factual' data I had amassed over time...

One problem I have is that I didn't note anything like where and/or how I obtained some of the Dealer Codes - I just kept adding names/numbers to the list. As these codes are people as opposed to the business/organisation they controlled, I should have recorded the person's name at the time the code was originally issued. Like a lot of things, if only...

I look at what you are compiling and take my hat off to you. I am having enough dramas trying to put together a composite of the dealer story in a relatively small timeframe (when the 81837 model was in production and under warranty). And this timeframe was back in the days when life was quite 'simple' in comparison to the 1980s and beyond.

Later,
B.

Ben had a lot wrong and still does. The biggest problem was GMH painted themselves into a corner and had to recycle D/CD from a defunct dealer to the next(new) dealer for external applications. For internal applications the D/CD were more of an account code or cost centre and were re-issued for different purposes at different times. When I field questions I ask for a date which zeros me in on a changing D/CD. The GMH Torana Forum D/CD list had 75 errors in it for the Torana period last time I looked. Ben and I parted company when the information exchange seemed to be all one way and the promises were never fulfilled. I was warned that this would be the likely outcome. Oh well. I have a 45k datapoint database on D/CD's. D/CD began in 1962 as a warranty cost centre account code.

At a given point in time the list of 200 - 299 D/CD is static (but only at a given given point in time)the day after some or one of those number could have been re-issued to a different description and purpose.

264 GMH (Pagewood) Internal GM-H public relations
264 GMH VDD
264 PRIXCAR SYD
264 NSW Zone Sales

255 Metro 3 VIC DANDENONG GMH Employee deal - Dandenong 1973

Edited by user Monday, 17 December 2018 9:08:09 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Sorry no further details. (YES 1/08/1973 a car has been documented as being GMH employee deal with code 255) What is typical for a Internal D/CD (accounting code/cost centre) is that the application of the cost centre is kept open until all transactions allocated to that cost centre are complete. e.g. Promo cars - manufacturing costs/ transport / promotional material / advertising / tender costs/ re-couped tender sale price. etc etc. All costs associated with a promotion or any other venture are captured /assigned to a cost centre this includes re-couped sale price if any.

It is obvious and something that needs more research as to how documented costs were assigned to a given task (D/CD) e.g. any D/CD assignment say 235 had to have a sub-set of invoice number to facilitate more than one assignment to that code at any one time. (235 -#101 differentiated from 235 #102) - could be cars for a promo/motor show from different states for the same show.

Edited by user Tuesday, 18 December 2018 6:48:54 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I disagree with people hoarding this information. If it’s not made public there is a good chance it will all disappear. I hate to say it but the people holding are not getting any younger and no one except the owner knows the value of it.

What should one do with their 1000’s of hours of work? Put it on the ‘web? Then lowlifes copy and paste it and sell it on CD. No thanks. That is why I no longer keep my website anymore.
Look what happened when the LC-LJ Service/Warranty report became public, history gets created, faked cars and engines appear.

This one is 255 Warren.