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Concept Corner: Aero Challenger

14 May, 2015

 

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“Every month we ask the NZV8 cover car over for the concept they’d most like to build, or see built ”

On the cover of NZV8 Issue No. 121, you’ll have seen the Hemi–powered Cuda that Bic Anderson built, so imagine what ideas would lurk in his mind if reality didn’t matter. 

“OK, since concept is the theme here, I’ve got an idea of what might have happened in 1972,” says Bic Anderson.  

“USAC, a US motorsport governing body, was worried about the fuel crisis, and, as such, decided to create a race series where the Big Three manufacturers (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) were tasked with designing high-efficiency cars to race in a state-versus-state race series. Each car would be driven by a professional driver, and would run its state colours and have corporate sponsors. They would be rated on their maximum speed, economy, lap time, and drivability.

“Chrysler decided to use its factory-supported race teams to do its R&D work. Petty Enterprises, Dan Gurney’s company, and Juan Nelson (whose son now runs Nelson Racing Engines) combined to come up with the fastest fuel-efficient race car they could. They chose a ’72 Dodge Challenger as the basis, as it best represented a scaled-down version of its larger B-body cousin — the Superbird. Petty Enterprises transferred all of its wind tunnel info — learned from the low-drag, high-downforce Superbird — over to the Challenger, with proportional nose and rear-wing dimensions.

“Juan Nelson built a twin-turboed 340ci small block using Hilborn’s latest mechanical fuel injection system. The system used a newly developed injector with superior atomization for increased power, economy, and drivability at part throttle.

“Dan Gurney oversaw the build at his premises in California, where, amongst other things, he installed the latest six-speed gearbox from Jerico, along with the latest low run-out wheels from Aero, with the latest Z-rated tyres from Goodyear.

“Obviously, the first car that rolled out of Gurney’s shop was painted in a combination of blues, to represent the Petty and Gurney traditional blue liveries.

“Now that’s an alternative reality I’d like to live in!” says Bic.

Motorsport Flashback: The Temple of Speed

28 August, 2026

On the banks of the Lambro River is Europe’s largest enclosed park, all 688 hectares of it. Parco di Monza was commissioned by the son of an Austrian empress as a summer retreat in the late 1700s, but it would be for another century and a half before ground was broken on what would become Italy’s famous theatre of speed at the park’s northern end. One hundred years ago on 3 September, less than four months after work started, Autodromo Nazionale di Monza was officially opened and the first race – appropriately, the Italian Grand Prix – was run a week later. Monza was the world’s third purpose-built circuit, after Brooklands and Indianapolis, and was the result of the Milan Automobile Club financing the 3500 workers who created the super-quick, and consequently dangerous, track that made the word ‘Monza’ synonymous for speed.

Bronze treasure unearthed

20 August, 2026

The car was put away in favour of something more practical, and when his father was unable to drive any more, Matt’s friend asked him to come and take a look at his dad’s old Holden. It turned out this was one of those phone calls that leads to that feeling of pure joy in the classic car world — the ‘barn find’ that turns out to be even better than expected. The HT Monaro had been put to bed some years before and had not seen the light of day since. Layers of dust and boxes of junk littered her undercarriage and bodywork and access points all around.