Following its eventual retirement, the Mustang remained with Flores, who ordered up a new engine, once again built with no expense spared by Holman & Moody at a cost of just under $30,000 for the engine work, reflecting the Mustang’s important and coveted status in Peru. Subsequently in 1993, the famous Holman & Moody-prepped Mustang was acquired by Jorge Nicolini, a successful businessman who had built his country’s premier auto collection, The Museo de Autos Antiguos Colección Nicolini, celebrating Peru’s history through the vehicles displayed there. The car was featured in the Nicolini Museum from 1993 to the latter 2000s in a climate-controlled environment, consistent with the favorably dry Peruvian weather conditions provided by the forbidding Andes mountains. Due to political concerns, the venerable Mustang was shipped from the Nicolini Museum to the United States with the assistance of Jorge Nicolini’s nephew. While complete and retaining its wide array of period racing upgrades, the Mustang had not been run since its Holman & Moody-built engine was installed in 1993. During the late 2010s, a sympathetic restoration was completed by Cameron Bishop, aided by detailed conversations with Mr. Flores ensuring the car was properly finished and detailed to its most successful 1973- 74 glory. Among its many fascinating features, the Mustang is equipped with a Ford Toploader 4-speed transmission with scatter shield, exquisite hand-fabricated, equal-length competition exhaust headers, a through-the-hood rear-facing air scoop, and Holman & Moody-trademark NASCAR-type heavy-duty steel racing wheels. Other highlights include a racing roll cage, competition bucket seats, period instrumentation, custom Holman & Moody electrical bus, a rule-compliant rear spare wheel/tire, and “407” racing numbers with “Competition Proven” Holman & Moody fender graphics and C-pillar decals. History is confirmed by a rich document album that accompanies this awesome veteran racer, including correspondence, dyno sheets, chassis set-up specifications, electrical schematics, newspaper clippings, period snapshots and Holman & Moody invoices. Confirmed by a 2009-dated letter from Lee Holman, the Mustang has been identified by him “… as a real Holman & Moody-built car,” assigned the identification number C7HM-10118-GT. Undoubtedly one of the most interesting racing Mustangs to come to market in recent memory, this example will cause a sensation wherever it is shown or campaigned in vintage racing events. Carrying extensive and successful racing history with one of the most skilled and charismatic drivers anywhere in the Americas, it is already immensely desirable and collectible. Factor in its documented period rebuild to full FIA/Trans Am specifications by the legendary Holman & Moody and its rich, very well-documented history, this Mustang is certainly one of the most interesting racing Mustangs in existence anywhere. OFFERED MARCH 20 AT GLENDALE 2021 MECUM.COM • 41
