One-owner gem
It’s not every day we get to shoot a one-owner car for the Unique Cars magazine cover, and it’s even more rare for that machine to be the owner’s first car! But that’s how this story worked out for issue 454.
| Read the full feature on the HJ Monaro GTS here
West Australia-based John Papayiannis has had a lifetime relationship with this Holden, vividly remembering the day he and his dad rolled into the showroom to order it.
They ticked most of the boxes for the upgrades, including the ‘big’ 308 V8, four-speed manual, power steering, air-conditioning, sunroof and the optional honeycomb wheels. Quite a package, and a serious financial commitment for an apprentice cabinet-maker.
Papayiannis recalls the time, “I worked seven days a week to cover the repayments and the fuel. I hardly went out – there were no girls at that stage, they came later! All the money went into the car.”
Roll on several decades, and the car has been pulled out of a shed where it ended up resting for the best part of 25 years. It was given a major freshen-up and you can see the results here.
The owner has decided he’s had his fun with the car and it’s time to move on. It comes with an exceptional paperwork file, dating back to the day it was ordered. See the ad with contact details here.
From Unique Cars #457, Sep 2021
Photography: Brad Miskiewicz