{"id":610115,"date":"2026-09-24T09:04:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T09:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/610115\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T09:04:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T09:04:15","slug":"v8-legend-dick-johnsons-falcon-sold-overseas-set-for-first-race-since-1993-bathurst-1000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/610115\/","title":{"rendered":"V8 legend Dick Johnson’s Falcon sold overseas, set for first race since 1993 Bathurst 1000"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Dick\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe car has been dispatched to NZ as raced in the 1993 Tooheys 1000. Image: Supplied <\/p>\n

Lance Coupland has purchased the recently restored Shell Falcon and plans to enter it in New Zealand\u2019s booming heritage touring car class.<\/p>\n

DJR EB3 was campaigned by Johnson throughout the 1993 Australian Touring Car Championship, winning the first five-litre V8 era race at Amaroo Park and finishing fifth in the standings.<\/p>\n

Johnson shared the car with John Bowe in the 1993 Bathurst 1000, where the legend suffered a heavy hit at Reid Park after being collected by privateer Bill O\u2019Brien.<\/p>\n

The damaged shell sat idle for years at DJR before being rebuilt by panel beating students from Campbelltown TAFE.<\/p>\n

It was subsequently displayed within DJR\u2019s race shop museum as a replica of the destroyed 1994 Bathurst 1000-winning car.<\/p>\n

Part of a fire sale of Johnson\u2019s collection in 2006, EB3 passed through multiple owners before undergoing a full restoration alongside EB2 at the hands of John Vergotis.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

EB3 spent a period on display as a replica of the 1994 Bathurst winner. Image: Supplied<\/p>\n

Coupland already owns the last of the DJR-built Ford Sierras (DJR6), giving him a pair of Johnson cars that straddle the international Group A and Aussie V8 eras.<\/p>\n

\u201cDJR Sierras are my main passion, but it\u2019s quite special to have basically the car Dick got out of and the one he got into,\u201d Coupland told Speedcafe.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be pretty cool to have it out on track again and I think it\u2019ll enrich the grid in New Zealand historic touring cars.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guys who have refurbished the car have done a really good job, it\u2019s just mint.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coupland has enlisted multiple NZ V8 and Trans Am champion Kayne Scott to race the car, beginning with the Skope Classic at Ruapuna in February.<\/p>\n

It\u2019ll go head-to-head with the 1993 Peter Brock Mobil Commodore VP raced by Kane Lawson in the events that feature early five-litre V8, international Group A and Super Touring machinery.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

These two cars pictured at Amaroo Park in 1993 will face off again in NZ. Image: Supplied<\/p>\n

Coupland will continue racing his Sierra that was fully rebuilt after being devastated by fire at the 2025 George Begg Festival.<\/p>\n

Its return to action at the Ruapuna Supercars meeting was blighted by a cracked engine block, after which Coupland has sourced a replacement.<\/p>\n

While many would have expected the immaculately restored Falcon to sit in a museum, Coupland believes such cars belong on the track.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously I don\u2019t want them to get damaged but at the same time they are the sort of cars that need to be raced,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we have a pretty good group of drivers. It can get a little bit aggressive but we try and stay out of that.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy one rule is that if it\u2019s wet, I don\u2019t run them. I go and have a beer if it\u2019s raining!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Lance Coupland racing DJR6 at Ruapuna in April. Image: InSyde Media<\/p>\n

The sale of the Falcon was facilitated by Australian historic racing identity Chad Parrish, who acknowledged the significance of the car heading offshore.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese early V8 Supercars are currently undervalued,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a shame this iconic car has left the country but there\u2019s another one here ready to purchase.\u201d<\/p>\n

That car is EB2, which was raced by John Bowe throughout the 1993 ATCC and is currently numbered #17 as Johnson debuted it at the \u201992 Adelaide Grand Prix meeting.<\/p>\n

Coupland also has a reassuring message for Aussie fans of his pair of famous #17 Fords.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

EB2 during a demonstration at the 2025 Adelaide Grand Final. Image: InSyde Media<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say eventually the pair of my cars will end up back in Australia,\u201d said Coupland.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne day I\u2019ll sell them and that\u2019s the logical place they\u2019ll go. Anyone upset about it can rest assured they\u2019ll be back there one day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coupland plans to race his cars two-to-three times per year, with 2027 duties set to include the support card to the Ruapuna Supercars meeting.<\/p>\n

Watch below Supercars\u2019 feature video on the restoration of EB2 and EB3 from 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The car has been dispatched to NZ as raced in the 1993 Tooheys 1000. Image: Supplied Lance Coupland…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":610116,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[127836,16901,111,139,69,1058,213],"class_list":["post-610115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-dick-johnson","tag-dick-johnson-racing","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-slot1","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=610115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610115\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/610116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=610115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=610115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=610115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}