14 November, 2024: On this day 25 years ago, Steven Richards etched his name in Bathurst history, becoming the first driver in 15 years to claim back-to-back victories in the Great Race. His 1999 triumph came behind the wheel of the Gibson Motorsport Wynn's VT Commodore, shared with co-driver Greg Murphy, who notched up his second win too, following his victory with Craig Lowndes in the HRT VS Commodore in 1996 (B180402A).
What makes Richards’ consecutive victories truly remarkable isn't just the repeat win—but the circumstances of his 1998 victory. Partnered with Jason Bright, their campaign nearly ended during Friday qualifying when Bright crashed the Stone Brothers Racing Pirtek EL Falcon, relegating them to a 15th-place start. Despite the setback, the duo charged through the field to claim victory, making Richards' back-to-back success even more impressive.
Both victories have been immortalised in 1:18 scale. Classic Carlectables and AUTOart have both released a version of the 1999 Winner and APEX released the 1998 Winner.
The 1998 Bathurst Winner
AD81301 - APEX Replicas
Full opening model
Released in 2015
Production run of 2,502
Dual-signed COA
The 1999 Bathurst Winners
18004 - Classic Carlectables
Sealed model - known as a "brick"
Released in 1999
Production run of 8,000
Dual-signed COA 
89966 - AUTOart
Full opening model
Released in 2005
Production run of 2,000
Unsigned COA
Current Diecast Detective Prices for the AUTOart and APEX Replicas models are virtually lineball - at least for 'New' condition models, with both just under $400.
The "brick" on the other hand is around $150 regardless of condition. As can be seen from the sales chart, it's not uncommon to find this model for under $100 making it the cheapest Bathurst winning model you can buy along with the Classic Carlectables version of the 2020 winner (18736).
Interesting Fact
The chassis that carried Steven Richards and Jason Bright to victory in the 1998 Bathurst 1000 had a rich history, having previously competed in the Great Race under Alan Jones Racing in 1996 and 1997.
In 1996, Alan Jones paired with two-time Bathurst winner Allan Grice, driving the car in the now-iconic Pack Leader livery—a cheeky nod to the banned Peter Jackson tobacco brand.
This version was released in 1:18 scale by APEX Replicas (AD81003) in 2018, with just 336 units produced. However, the market was flooded with unauthorised “factory seconds” lacking a Certificate of Authenticity (AD81003 (No COA).