Rare early AU Falcon AU V8 Supercar heads to auction
An exceptionally rare piece of Australian motorsport history is hitting the market via My105: a first-generation AU Falcon V8 Supercar that dates back to the late 1990s and carries a rigorous race history. Often referred to as JBMS 000, this car represents one of the earliest AU chassis built for racing and is steeped in the period when Formula 1-level engineering began shaping the Australian touring car landscape.
The car’s racing lineage
Built and raced in period by John Briggs Motor Sport (JBMS), the Falcon’s early career is a telling snapshot of the era. The team was later acquired by Triple Eight, a name that would go on to become synonymous with Australia’s top-tier V8 Supercars success. JBMS 000 began life as one of the first AU chassis constructed by Peter Beehag’s On Track Engineering, Ford’s partner in producing racing AU bodyshells. Its debut came at Phillip Island during the 1999 season, where Briggs piloted the car in Supercheap Auto colours for the bulk of that year.
At a time when only a handful of Falcons were on track—11 AU Falcons were racing in the Shell Championship Series—the car’s initial appearance was notable for coinciding with four other AU debuts on the same weekend. This early emergence underlines the model’s critical role in the evolving V8 Supercars field.
From Briggs to Toll and beyond
Post-Briggs, the car passed into Toll Racing’s hands, and its cadence of use extended into 2000–2002 with several notable drives. One of the highlights from this period was the 2001 Bathurst 1000, where the V8 Supercar carried Anthony Tratt behind the wheel, with Formula 1 world champion Alan Jones as co-driver. The period history and across-the-pence details of the vehicle are comprehensively documented in V8 Sleuth’s The Falcon Chronicles, which catalogues its journey through the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Authenticity, provenance, and current condition
The My105 listing confirms the car’s strong provenance, supported by CAMS/Motorsport Australia log books and Briggs’ documented lineage. In a recent refresh, the five-litre V8 engine has undergone a full rebuild, ensuring the car is ready for track use by its next custodians. Notably, the chassis now features modern electronic aids—launch control and traction control—upgrades that would have been unimaginable in the late 1990s but are increasingly common in historic race car preparation today. Despite these additions, the car retains its distinctive 1999 Supercheap Auto livery and the original AU Falcon front aero kit with the signature “shark fin” detail at the air intake.
Front-end and aero evolution
The Falcon’s front aerodynamics carry a notable history of evolution. A mid-2000 parity change saw the top half of the AU front bar mated to the bottom half of the VT Commodore unit, a modification that reflected the ongoing adaptations teams used to balance performance and durability on the track. For students of period-correct engineering, these details provide a tangible link between the late-1990s AU era and later bodywork iterations in V8 Supercars history.
What makes this car special for collectors
JBMS 000 isn’t just another race car; it’s a preserved snapshot of a transitional era in Australian touring car racing. Ownership history is well documented, with Briggs’ association and its later use by Toll Racing and Anthony Tratt highlighting the car’s continued relevance in high-profile races, including Bathurst. The combination of its early AU chassis status, documented competition history, and a period-correct livery places this Falcon at the top tier of collector interest for V8 Supercars aficionados.
Auction details and what to expect
The auction is scheduled to end at 7:30pm AEDT on October 20 via My105. Prospective buyers can anticipate a rare opportunity to acquire a historic V8 Supercar with full provenance, a rebuilt V8, and modernized electronics that still honors its original racing ethos. As with any historic race car, bidders should balance the thrill of ownership with the long-term upkeep required to maintain a car of JBMS 000’s pedigree.
For enthusiasts and collectors, JBMS 000 represents more than a car—it’s a piece of Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales racing heritage, a testament to the early AU era’s engineering and competition spirit, and a bridge to the storied lineage of teams like Briggs Motorsport and Triple Eight.
