Return of the dream machine

The 1953 FJ–inspired one-of-a-kind handcrafted magic machine – the Efijy – will be on the Holden stand at the Adelaide Motor Show.

But the Swiss could easily have robbed South Australia of the chance to see this hot rod with the heart of a V8 Supercar in the flesh.

Holden was approached to take the car to the Geneva Motor Show but knocked back the offer because the bosses felt obligated to give all Australians a chance to see it up close.

The Efi jy stole the show at Sydney last October when it was fi rst revealed... bowling over the $8.5 million Maybach Exelero which rated a distant second in the favourites race.

Bathurst 1000 winner Mark Skaife raved about the Efi jy, which is inspired by arguably the defi nitive Australian car.

"It's just fantastic," the Holden Racing Team driver says.

"The whole retro thing is out of control. That's what happens when you have true petrol heads in the industry."

The brainchild of Holden chief designer Richard Ferlazzo, however, is not likely to run on the road. Although it is more than capable of doing so.

Adelaide Motor Show goers may even have to consider themselves fortunate if the big six-litre V8 engine under the hood is fi red up.

Holden says it is strictly a show car and has, reportedly, already knocked back some big money offers for the vehicle.

It was built by a "passionate" group of Holden designers and engineers who worked in their own time, often ducking out to the studio at the end of their shifts to fi nd inspiration in crafting this grand piece of metal.

The material cost of the Efi jy is estimated at $200,000, but it is very much a labour of love and sponsored parts kept the total pricetag down.

It sits on the same chassis platform as the U.S. Chevrolet Corvette and is powered by a supercharged six-litre V8 that cranks out 480kW of power and 775Nm of torque.

Mr Ferlazzo says dozens of designers worked in their spare time to build the car for October's Australian International Motor Show in Sydney.

He fi rst designed the car in 2002 and was given the go-ahead to build it by Holden general manager Denny Mooney at the beginning of last year. "It was a little pet project and I'm ecstatic about it," Mr Ferlazzo says.

"I've always liked the custom car scene."

The Efi jy is a car for all generations. This is a car which has appeal for the young and the old, the hot rodders and those with a vision for the future.

When first shown in Sydney it set the scene for a memorable motor show, much the same as Holden's Monaro concept car fi rst shown fi ve years earlier did. The story of the Monaro is well known: public demand forcing Holden to put the car into production.

But there is no such hope for the Efi jy, despite some considerable pleas from the motor car-mad public. However, as compensation, Holden made a commitment to send the Efi jy on the show circuit throughout Australia.

There are also plans for the car to participate in this year's Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise in Detroit, U.S. The Dream Cruise is the pinnacle of hot rod drives in America and started with a few mates running their machines down Woodward Ave. It has grown to become somewhat of a motoring festival, with hundreds of cars involved. Mr Mooney says Efi jy is "the wildest show car to ever bear the Holden badge".

"Efi jy is pure fun. It's about emotion. It's about imagination," he says. "Efi jy shows what a great bunch of design people can do when you let them loose and let them have a bit of fun."

That fun will be on Holden's stand in the Royal Showground from April 5 to 9.