Roland Dane’s Camaro is up for grabs. Image: Collecting Cars
Dane, who stepped away leading the Triple Eight empire he founded at the end of 2021 and will soon take up a team principal role at PremiAir Racing, is amid a serious garage sale.
The 69-year-old has listed his Andy Rouse-built Chevrolet Camaro, Group A Jaguar XJ-S and ex-Possum Bourne Subaru rally car for auction via Collecting Cars.
It’s just the tip of the iceberg as Dane downsizes and reprioritises his life, which these days includes trips to the US to see daughter Jess and her husband Shane van Gisbergen.
“I’m trying to declutter my life so when I drop dead the kids don’t have as much angst. They can just fish out whatever’s left in the bank account and get on with it!” Dane told Speedcafe.
“Since I downsized about five years ago, I’ve had masses of art and cars for sale. I’ve sold almost all my cars in the UK and after this I’ll only have a couple of bits in Australia.
Roland Dane at the Sandown 500. Image: Russell Colvin
“The bottom line is I don’t use them enough. I’ll be working again in January, so between that and my trips to America, it doesn’t leave a lot of time for enjoying cars.
“It’s time to let somebody else have the pleasure of getting the most out of them.”
All three cars currently under the hammer via online auction have been driven by Dane during track days and a handful of public events.
The Camaro was built by Rouse in the 1990s and competed in historic events in the UK before being snapped up by Dane and imported into Australia.
The Camaro was a winner in UK historic competition. Image: Collecting Cars
Its 5.7-litre V8 has been maintained by long-time Triple Eight engine supplier KRE Race Engines.
“These three are the ones that have taken me the longest to get my head around selling,” said Dane.
“I’m emotionally struggling with the Camaro, because I’ve had that for 15 years, and it’s great fun. Shane described it as the most fun he’d ever had in a car!”
The Jaguar is presented in its Wellington 500 livery. Image: Collecting Cars
The Jaguar was a 1977-built road car imported into New Zealand in 1980 and converted into a Group A racing machine five years later by Allan Prince and Mike Hourigan.
It competed in the Wellington 500 and other period events in NZ and was restored by Angus Fogg before being bought by Dane in 2020.
“I loved those Group A Jaguars and there were only two ever built outside Tom Walkinshaw Racing, which were the Willmington car in Australia and this car in New Zealand,” Dane explained.
The XJS packs 5.3-litres of Jaguar V12. Image: Collecting Cars
“We spent most of the last three years rebuilding that car, which was an experience, and I really enjoyed driving it when I had it at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival this year.
“It’s a beautiful piece of 1980s history.”
The Subaru is a Possum Bourne Motorsport-built Group A car, campaigned by Bourne in the 2002 Asia-Pacific Rally Championship.
The Possum Bourne Motorsport Subaru. Image: Collecting Cars
It’s presented in the specifications it won the 2002 Japanese Hokkaido Rally – the last victory for Bourne prior to his tragic death the following year.
“Subarus have always been something I’ve loved,” said Dane.
“I had a two-door GC8 [WRX] Version 5 here for 15 years that I just sold a few months ago, and this is the last of them. I’m too old for Subarus now!”
Dane has driven the Subaru in the Noosa Hillclimb. Image: Collecting Cars
One of the few remaining cars in Dane’s collection is a Reliant Robin – a tiny, three-wheel, fibreglass-bodied machine that has provided plenty of laughs along the way.
“It might not command a very high price, but it will go too,” he said.
Dane does not officially start as PremiAir team principal until January but was on the ground at the weekend’s Sandown 500 observing the squad’s operations.
