Full Tilt A champion's story of Ford, Holden and the defining era of motor-racing (Colin Bond with John Smailes)

Full Tilt - A champion's story of Ford, Holden and the defining era of motor-racing

by Colin Bond with John Smailes

Ford versus Holden and beyond, the story of motor-racing's greatest era through the eyes of a champion

'Bond is a true pioneer of our sport. Growing up in a motorsport family I knew the strong rivalry between Holden and Ford. Not many drivers have managed to cross over and be successful. Colin Bond was one of the first drivers to make the change and show it works.' - Craig Lowndes, three-time Australian Touring Car Champion

Bathurst winner, Australian Touring Car Champion, and the only man to have won on both sides of racing's most iconic rivalry – Ford versus Holden – this is the high-octane story of motor-racing legend Colin Bond.

From his rallying crowns to his extraordinary Bathurst victory and his Touring Car Championship triumph, to the hugely controversial 1–2 Bathurst win with Allan Moffat in '77, Bond's career spanned the most thrilling decades of Australian motorsport. At the heart of it all was the fierce tribal battle between Ford and Holden – a rivalry Bond knew better than anyone.

Against the backdrop of the golden age of motorsport, Full Tilt is packed with accounts of racing with and against other superstars like Peter Brock and Allan Moffat. It captures the drama, danger and intense competition of the sixties to the nineties, the incredibly engineered Monaros, Toranas, Falcons and Commodores, the dirty tricks, dodgy deals and maverick team managers.

A celebration of speed, skill and the defining era of motor-racing, Full Tilt is essential reading for any lover of the sport. Written with bestselling motorsport journalist John Smailes, this is the incredible story of a life raced at full tilt.

'Colin Bond is one of the all-time greats of Australia's unique Ford vs. Holden battle. I don't recall ever having as much fun when working, and riding, with him.' - Edsel Ford II, Chairman of the Henry Ford Estate

'This is the motor-racing life of Colin Bond and it is also a history of the growth of the motor-racing scene at the time of the emerging touring car racing. A most interesting read - the backroom stories of some of my competitors are very entertaining.' - Norm 'Stormin' Norman' Beechey, two-time Australian Touring Car Champion

Author bio:

Colin Bond OAM is an Australian former racing driver. Colin reached the highest levels in Australian motorsport in 1969 when he was recruited to the newly formed Holden Dealer Team. He quickly found success, winning the 1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500 mile race, now the Bathurst 1000. He was Peter Brock's team-mate in Holden's 1974 Australian Touring Car Championship–winning team. Colin won the 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship himself, for Holden, before defecting to Ford to support Allan Moffat's championship dominance. Colin was Australia's most versatile driver, winning the Australian Rally Championship in 1971, 1972 and 1974. Colin is a prominent member of the Supercars Hall of Fame (inducted in 2002) and in 2016 became an inaugural inductee into the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame

John Smailes is a journalist, motorsport commentator and publicist. His speciality is the automotive industry and motorsport. He has covered and broadcast rounds of the World F1 championship (Australia, Singapore, India, Monaco), the World Rally Championship (Australia, New Zealand, Greece), MotoGP, the Le Mans 24 hour race and Goodwood Festival of Speed. John was part of the commentary team for the first live broadcast of F1 in Australia – along with Sir Jack Brabham. His bestselling books include Climbing the Mountain (with Allan Moffat), Mount Panorama, Race Across the World and Formula One. He is chair of the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame.