CarBrandLogos archive · Holden · 1967

HoldenTorana

A small Holden that grew a six, then a V8, and went hunting at Bathurst.

Photo: The original uploader was 2tough at English Wikipedia. · Public domain

The story

A defining chapter in Holden history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Holden Torana, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

It began as an import in a thin disguise. The 1967 HB was a Vauxhall Viva with a Holden badge, a small four-cylinder car sold to plug the gap below the Kingswood. What made the name matter was what Holden did next: the LC of 1969 was stretched to take the company's own straight-six, and the GTR XU-1 version added triple carburettors, a close-ratio gearbox and enough chassis work to make a light car with a large engine behave.

1974-1976 Holden Torana SLR sedan 01 · Museumsfotografierer · Public domain

1973-1974 Holden LJ Torana GTR 2-door sedan 01

Design and engineering

That combination was aimed squarely at Bathurst. The XU-1 gave Holden a car small enough to be quick through the mountain section while carrying six-cylinder power up Conrod Straight, and it turned the Torana into the company's competition weapon rather than its economy model. The larger LH generation of 1974 accepted V8s, and the LX-based A9X homologation cars of 1977 took the idea as far as it would go, with rear disc brakes and a bonnet scoop that existed for cooling rather than decoration.

1973-1974 Holden LJ Torana GTR 2-door sedan 01 · Ferenghi http://www.carsaroundadelaide.com · CC BY 2.0

In production

Peter Brock's 1979 Bathurst victory in an A9X, won by an enormous margin, is the moment most Australians attach to the name. Production ended in 1980, with the front-wheel-drive Camira taking the small-car slot and doing nothing for the reputation. Good A9Xs are now among the most expensive Australian cars ever sold.

1970 LC Indy Orange== · Sicnag · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Produced

1967–1980

Technical specification

The Torana, in detail.

Production: 1967–1980
Class: Compact car/Mid-size car
Layout: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Assembly: Australia: Adelaide, South Australia (Elizabeth), Brisbane, Queensland (Acacia Ridge)
Manufacturer: Holden

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