Rob Luck's Background
As Editor of Sports Car World, Rob Luck broke the first news and undertook the first road tests on the Mark 7 Bolwell. What was not known at the time, was that Rob ‘engineered’ a series of leaks and ‘scoops’ with Bolwell to create the unprecedented level of interest in this type of car at the time. This was a breakthrough marketing concept that has since been utilised by many major manufacturers.
This was the start of what became a lifelong affiliation with the Bolwell brothers and key staff. When the ‘Holden crisis’ arose as the Bolwells were planning their Mk7 successor, Rob stepped in with a solution. He persuaded Campbell and Graham to consider re-engineering the car for a V8, then did the famous deal with Ford to get engine supply. At the time Rob thought this would be an excellent fit with the Mk8 nomenclature, although the shift to a name instead of a type had already been mooted.
Rob’s family later acquired the original Barry Mayne Nagari racing chassis which was mated with an original Nagari convertible body. With the help of Wayne Draper (then Director of the Automotive Design Institute at RMIT), Ford design staff, Bob McWilliam of GT HO fame, and many others including Bolwell
enthusiast Karl Helene, Rob set about building the ultimate ‘retro-Nagari’.
It involved comprehensive re-crafting of the original Nagari convertible body in such a way that the original lines were retained although the body was completely re-sculpted. This concept for a retro sports car was later emulated by leading manufacturers such as Ford for their GT40 and Mustang.
The car, dubbed Nagari 2000, was exhibited at Motor Shows across Australia under the auspices of Rob’s
then magazine, Australian Road & Track, winning ‘People’s Choice’ awards at various venues. Expressions
of interest were taken for more than 25 vehicles at a price of $200,000, but Rob and his family
decided not to proceed with a manufactured version. This car is now being converted from show/race
condition to road condition by Glenn Goldfinch in a new state-of-the-art workshop in South Sydney.
When Campbell decided to produce a new Nagari he again conferred with Rob who agreed that the ideal
design approach would be based on an ultra-light, ultra-stiff reinforced central cockpit capsule.
Rob has followed the new Nagari from the drawing board and was recently invited to do the first full test
of the current production proto.
He spent a great deal of personal time with Campbell, reviewed the factory and drove and photographed
the car extensively. This is the first of some reports Rob has agreed to provide exclusively for Slipstream.
This was the start of what became a lifelong affiliation with the Bolwell brothers and key staff. When the ‘Holden crisis’ arose as the Bolwells were planning their Mk7 successor, Rob stepped in with a solution. He persuaded Campbell and Graham to consider re-engineering the car for a V8, then did the famous deal with Ford to get engine supply. At the time Rob thought this would be an excellent fit with the Mk8 nomenclature, although the shift to a name instead of a type had already been mooted.
Rob’s family later acquired the original Barry Mayne Nagari racing chassis which was mated with an original Nagari convertible body. With the help of Wayne Draper (then Director of the Automotive Design Institute at RMIT), Ford design staff, Bob McWilliam of GT HO fame, and many others including Bolwell
enthusiast Karl Helene, Rob set about building the ultimate ‘retro-Nagari’.
It involved comprehensive re-crafting of the original Nagari convertible body in such a way that the original lines were retained although the body was completely re-sculpted. This concept for a retro sports car was later emulated by leading manufacturers such as Ford for their GT40 and Mustang.
The car, dubbed Nagari 2000, was exhibited at Motor Shows across Australia under the auspices of Rob’s
then magazine, Australian Road & Track, winning ‘People’s Choice’ awards at various venues. Expressions
of interest were taken for more than 25 vehicles at a price of $200,000, but Rob and his family
decided not to proceed with a manufactured version. This car is now being converted from show/race
condition to road condition by Glenn Goldfinch in a new state-of-the-art workshop in South Sydney.
When Campbell decided to produce a new Nagari he again conferred with Rob who agreed that the ideal
design approach would be based on an ultra-light, ultra-stiff reinforced central cockpit capsule.
Rob has followed the new Nagari from the drawing board and was recently invited to do the first full test
of the current production proto.
He spent a great deal of personal time with Campbell, reviewed the factory and drove and photographed
the car extensively. This is the first of some reports Rob has agreed to provide exclusively for Slipstream.
