The Holden VL Commodore Group A SV ‘Walkinshaw’ was built to homologate the Group A race car. Following Holdens split with Peter Brock and the dissolution of the Holden Dealer Team in 1987, the VL ‘Walkinshaw’ would be the first car to roll out of Tom Walkinshaw Racing’s newly formed Holden Special Vehicles operation in Melbourne.
Although the TWR developed body kit added an extra 65kg, it was able to reduce the drag from the previous Group A by 25%, with the radical design coming from the benefit of the MIRA wind tunnel in Britain. Under the bonnet was Holden’s first V8 to have electronic fuel injection, the engine also featured twin throttle-body intakes that sat higher than the bonnet line, requiring the vented raised bonnet scoop. The Group A engine development was done in house at Holden, with fine tuning done by Holden Motor Sport driver Larry Perkins.
Only produced in one colour, Panorama Silver the VL ‘Walkinshaw’ was limited to a production of 750 vehicles. When the VL ‘Walkinshaw’ was released the design was polarising, but now VL ‘Walkinshaw’ is one of the most iconic Holdens ever produced