WHEN Holden advertising gurus planned their campaigns for the snazzy burnt orange SS Commodore, they probably didn’t envisage it being driven by a 96-year-old.
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Warrnambool’s Max Hammond defies the stereotype.
He’s a former World War II cavalry trooper and commando who has been driving for 78 years with barely a scrape.
During the war he held seven licences and steered everything ranging from tanks and bren gun carriers to motorcycles.
Then after his military services he drove fuel tankers for most of his working life.
“This is the best car I’ve owned — it has all the bells and whistles,” he proudly said. “I’ve been buying Holdens since the 1960s. However, my first car was a Volkswagen Beetle because I couldn’t afford anything else and had to raise a family.”
Max is undaunted by the Commodore’s V8 powerplant which punches-out 270kW of power at 5800rpm and peak torque of 517Nm at 4400rpm.
He has had other V8 Holdens and sold his previous SS Commodore to a nephew.
