Twenty years to the day since Peter Brock passed away, two of the King of the Mountain’s cars and the Peter Brock Trophy take centre stage in a new exhibition at The Bend, alongside one of the most significant collections of Australian touring cars ever assembled.
The Touring Car Icons exhibition brings together cars spanning more than five decades, with a combined worth of more than $12 million. From Brock’s 1978 Torana A9X to Chaz Mostert’s championship-winning Mustang from last year, each pairing has been hand-picked to tell the stories of the battles, rivalries and moments that shaped Australian motorsport.
Master and apprentice
The most poignant display pairs Brock’s 1978 Torana with Craig Lowndes’ 1998 VT Commodore, joined by the Peter Brock Trophy. Both drivers won their second Australian Touring Car championships in these cars, 20 years apart to the season. Lowndes grew up idolising Brock, with his father Frank having worked with the Holden Dealer Team during Brock’s formative years. When Brock died in 2006, Lowndes’ victory in the inaugural Peter Brock Trophy at Bathurst became one of the most poignant moments in the sport’s history.
The Shriek at the Creek
In the same room again after two decades apart are Mark Skaife’s Holden Racing Team Commodore and Russell Ingall’s Caltex Falcon from the infamous 2003 ‘Shriek at the Creek’. The pair collided during a fierce championship battle at Eastern Creek, with Ingall turning Skaife into the wall. What followed became one of the most extraordinary pieces of television in Australian motorsport history: Skaife climbed from his wrecked Commodore and stood at the edge of the circuit, shaking his fist as Ingall swerved the Falcon towards him.
Group A glory
The GIO Nissan Skyline GT-R that dominated the 1991 Sandown 500 shares the floor with the ANZ Ford Sierra RS500 that produced what was then the fastest qualifying lap Mount Panorama had seen. The Sierra remains in original, unrestored condition, still wearing its 1990 livery. Meanwhile, Mostert’s championship-winning Mustang is presented exactly as it crossed the line at the Adelaide Grand Final: tyre rubber, battle scars and all, it has never been washed.
Curator Adam Brook, The Bend’s Motorsport and Operations Manager, said securing the collection took months of work and more than a few favours.
“I’ve loved this sport since I was five years old. I was trackside at Eastern Creek in 2003 when Skaife and Ingall happened, and I’m not ashamed to admit I nicked the 1986 Australian Motor Racing Annual from my primary school library. Two of my favourite cars from that book are now sitting in our Welcome Centre,” Brook said.
“The people who work behind the scenes at The Bend are all very knowledgeable enthusiasts. We create the events we want to see, and we hope fans agree this is a love letter to everyone who grew up with these memories.”
When to see it
The exhibition opens across the AirTouch 500 race weekend (11–13 September 2026) to Grandstand ticket holders and above. Access is not included with General Admission. The AirTouch 500 is the opening round of the Ryco Enduro Cup in the Repco Supercars Championship, with the Top Ten Shootout on Saturday and the 500km enduro on Sunday.
Tickets, upgrades and camping are available at thebend.com.au/the-bend-500
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