Would Roland Dane, one of the savviest operators in Supercars history, borrow the code name of Ford’s secret 1970s project to create a high-performance Falcon panel van and use it for his own Holden-based Sandman tribute? Coincidence or not, that’s exactly what Triple Eight Engineering did in 2014 with "Project Sandman." Built on Jamie Whincup’s 2013 VF Commodore Supercar, it honored the 40th anniversary of the iconic HQ Sandman Panel Van.

Debuting at the 2014 Gold Coast 600 complete with roof-mounted surfboards, the Sandman started with a V8 engine but was later equipped with a twin-turbo V6. Greg Murphy showcased the engine with demonstration laps at the 2017 Bathurst 1000, aiming to gauge interest in bringing it into Supercars in 2018. However, fan resistance and Holden’s exit from Australian manufacturing led to the project’s cancellation.

Image courtesy of Red Bull

Project Sandman would go on to become a ride car for Triple Eight before being sold in 2020 to Stephen and Brenton Grove of Grove Racing.

Over the course of its life, Project Sandman sported a number of different liveries and Biante have immortalised this iconic car in its two most famous schemes: silver (shown at launch and as it appears today) and blue (from when Daniel Ricciardo drove it in 2016). Both colours were offered in two scales, 1:18 and 1:12.

BR18601A - Project Sandman Tribute Edition (Silver)
Released in May 2020
820 made

BR18601B - Project Sandman Tribute Edition (Blue)
Released in June 2020
1188 made

BR12601A - Project Sandman Tribute Edition (Silver)
Released in May 2020
170 made

BR12601B - Project Sandman Tribute Edition (Blue)
Released in June 2020
222 made