Before the covers came off the Supercheap Camaro, the team reunited Lowndes with the Holden Racing Team Commodore in which he won his first V8 race 30 years ago.
The initiative tied in with the Supercheap wildcard now sporting #15 following its move to Team 18 from Triple Eight.
Lowndes used #15 throughout his sensational 1996 Australian Touring Car Championship campaign.
‘The Kid’ won two of the three races to take round honours on debut in the season opener at Eastern Creek and went on to take the title.
The car was unveiled by Charlie Schwerkolt and ex-HRT engineer Richard Hollway. Image: Supplied
“It brings back a lot of memories,” said Lowndes.
“It’s special to sit in it again and even more special for people to see the connection between the #15 then and the #15 we carry now.”
Eggleston Motorsport supplied the car in question, HRT 031, to Team 18 for the launch from its incredible collection of V8 Supercars machinery.
Lowndes raced this car alongside Greg Murphy in the 1995 endurance events, which included a surprise pole position for the Bathurst 1000, and the opening five rounds of 1996.
Lowndes back ‘home’ aboard the HRT Commodore. Image: Supplied
A heavy crash at Phillip Island resulted in the early the debut of Lowndes’ famous ‘Supercar’ (HRT 033), in which he went on to seal the title at the penultimate round at Mallala.
Damage sustained at Mallala led to HRT 031 being recalled for duties at the Oran Park ATCC finale, before 033 returned to win the Sandown and Bathurst enduros wearing #1.
That car, which featured a distinctive diagonal roll-cage bar that was subsequently banned, is currently under restoration at EMS.
Trio of iconic Lowndes, Brock HRT Commodores to re-emerge
A restoration of HRT 031 back to its 1995 Bathurst pole colours had been completed in 2024, with last month’s Adelaide Motorsport Festival its most recent public appearance in that guise.
Eggleston converted the car to its 1996 livery for the Team 18 launch and has flagged it’ll have HRT 033 finished later this year.
The Eggleston collection also includes Lowndes HRT Commodores from 1997, ’98, ’99 and 2000, after which the star departed for Ford.
