Ian Tate:

Looking back, Ian Tate concedes that an upgraded GTS 350 might have been a better option at Bathurst in 1970 than the XU-1. But that doesn’t mean he thinks that the HDT could have won with the Monaro. The Monaro was not without its shortcomings; according to Tate, the success Colin Bond had achieved in the HT model Monaro only flattered to deceive.

“We did win Bathurst and we won the Surfers 12 Hour race,” Tate says. “But I think we had a bit of luck at Bathurst in ’69. Those Monaros were under braked to buggery;