THE only Honda to ever contest the Top 10 Shootout at the Bathurst 1000 has emerged for sale in the United Kingdom.

Run in the white, yellow and purple of logistics company Rock-It Cargo, this Accord was fielded by British Touring Car Championship squad Brookes Motorsport in the 1998 AMP 1000.

It was shared by its regular driver Robb Gravett and team owner Lee Brookes for the Great Race, marking a return to the event for the former following three starts in Sierras from 1988.

Bathurst rookie Brookes tackled the Shootout and scored the eighth placed grid slot, from which Gravett blasted his way to fourth at race start, out-dragging a four-wheel-drive Audi!

The Honda did not have the pace to stay there though and soon slipped down the order, before being delayed by driveshaft failure and eventually retiring after 49 laps with a holed sump.

That was the last top-level outing for the Accord, which had been the 18th of 20 built by British firm Motor Sport Developments when it ran Honda’s Super Touring program from 1995-96.

According to its racecarsdirect listing, MSD HR018 was built with assistance from German team Linder Racing, which then campaigned it in the 1996 ADAC Super TourenWagen Cup.

The team’s drivers that season were familiar Bathurst names; 1990 Great Race polesitter Klaus Niedzwiedz and 1985 winner Armin Hahne.

After a single season in Germany the car was purchased by Rock-It-Cargo and run by Graham Hathaway Engineering in the 1997 BTCC, winning the Independents Cup with Gravett at the wheel.

Brookes Motorsport took over the running of the car in 1998 and Gravett finished second in the Independents standings before Rock-It Cargo had the Accord shipped to Bathurst.

It was one of four Hondas in the 1998 AMP 1000 alongside Mark Adderton’s ex-GRM Accord (HR 003), a New Zealand Schedule S Integra and a Production class Civic (complete with sunroof!).

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Restored to its 1997 BTCC Independents Cup winning colours, the Rock-It Cargo Accord is advertised for sale for £120,000 ($AUD212,000).

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