Holden Torana 1971 News

From its humble beginnings 45 years ago, Holden grew the Torana franchise from a small 1.2 litre four cylinder two door into an iconic brand name. First released in Australia in 1967 everyone knew the Torana was a rebadged 1966 Vauxhall Viva. What is less known is that the Viva/Torana was styled in just one afternoon. Cars normally take up to two years for their design to evolve, but not this little baby. The guy who drew it in record time is Leo Pruneau, the former Design Director of Holden. Leo picks up the story. "I was an Assistant Designer in the GM advanced styling studio in Detroit in early 1964 working on what would become the Chevy Comaro. One day the fibreglass prototype of the 1966 Viva was brought into the studio for GM's boss of styling Bill Mitchell to review. The head of styling for Vauxhall, David Jones, had flown over from London to be there too. "Well, Mitchell walks around the car three or four times. It was a boxy little thing and we knew right away it was not going to find favour with him. So Mitchell starts to ask lots of questions about various aspects of the styling and by the time he'd finished he'd basically dissolved that car into nothing." "Anyway, it's about lunch time now, and Mitchell turns to me and says `Pruneau, David and I are going out to lunch. We'll be back at 3pm.We want to see an alternative design drawing, full size'." "Now usually just one of these full-size drawings takes about two weeks to develop because you try out ideas, and make changes. So I drew just one car with a coke-bottle side styling motif " "When Mitchell and Jones came back, Mitchell took one look and says `That's it! Wrap up that drawing and David can take it with him on the plane tonight'. " Leo says that the next day Mitchell sent him to Vauxhall for six months to ensure "they do it exactly like you drew it". Those six months turned into six years after which Leo was transferred to Holden as Design Director, where he found the Viva had morphed into the Torana and one of models was called an XU1. Not bad for a car that only took three hours to design! Leo went on to direct the design of the LC/LX/UC Torana .Holden sold almost 200,000 of them. At its zenith the Torana represented many things many people: two and four doors, hatchback and sedan, four, six and eight cylinder engines, manual and automatic, family car and winning race car. You name the demographic and market segment and Torana had it covered. It's the kind of car I bet Holden wished they had now. www.retroautos.com.au  

The heat has well and truly come out of classic prices for hyper-expensive collectible cars with prices for the famous Ford Falcon GT-HO dropping in value up to 30 per cent over the past few months. The values are a far cry from 2006 and 2007 when speculators and collectors were paying stratospheric prices of up to $800,000 for Phase III versions of the Falcon GT-HO.Prices for other proven Bathurst pedigree cars like the Holden Torana XU1 and A9X, as well as the Valiant Charger E38 and E49, grew in value because of the Phase III phenomenon. But prices for some of Australia's most collectible muscle cars are cooling as investors keep their hands in their pockets because of the global financial crisis. The decline is not just restricted to the top-end cars either.Classic retailers say that some collector cars that several years ago would have fetched $200,000 are now worth $100,000 and the impact has been felt further down the price scale.But Mike Selby, owner-operator of the Sydney-based on-line company Australian Muscle Car Sales, says even though prices have softened, a mint condition Phase III Falcon GT-HO will still fetch between $500,000 and $600,000.He says even rarer versions may command more but it's a buyers' market. "We've just sold one very good Phase III for $550,000 and we've got one we're selling for $600,000," he says. "But lesser cars without logbooks and that are not perfect will struggle."Selby says a low mileage Falcon GT-HO Phase III in exceptional condition will still command big money, particularly because very few survive. "They only build about 300," he says."There are about 180 left and of those there are probably between 12 to 20 cars with less than 50,000km on the clock. Those cars will command really big dollars."Selby says there is a distinct reason why people opt for the famous Bathurst cars like the Torana XU1, A9X, various Falcon GTs and Valiant Chargers. "They are really buying what you can't buy ever again," he says. "They were cars you could buy at your local dealer, drive to Bathurst, and win a race. That is the mystic of that era. They were factory built race cars and that has not been done since."Selby does not believe that some of the newer cars like the Group A Holdens and Fairmont Ghia ESP models will command the same respect, or prices, among collectors. "They are certainly rare cars and interesting but the reason people were buying the GTs and XU1s is because they were something very special," he says. "I think that is an era that's gone."He says as with all cycles he believes the time is right for smart buyers to re-enter the market. "The market has come down a fair way, in line with what happened in the financial world," he says. "But I think it's flattened out now and holding steady," he says "I don't see anything going up yet but there's definitely more interest now than there was before even if cars are taking longer to sell." Specialist classic seller Paul Sabine of the Brooklands Classic Car dealership in suburban Melbourne echoes Selby's view of the classic slide. Brooklands specialises in rare European vehicles and Sabine says he avoids Australian muscle cars because of the over-inflated prices."Some of the later-model Europeans like Porsches, Ferraris and Mercedes-Benz have dropped off a bit," he says. However, he says demand is still strong for low-mileage early model Europeans and finding early examples is getting harder. Demand is outstripping supply but prices for these cars haven't dropped much," he says.Sabine says one segment that has experienced substantial price plunges of up to 30 per cent are the "middle American cars". "The garden-variety Mustangs, Thunderbirds, Camaros... there are just too many out there now," he says.He says the market is awash with imported left-hand drive daily drivers with people hoping to restore them and sell them for profit. "The bottom line is that the restoration costs still keep climbing," he says. "While parts are available for Mustangs the labour costs still haven't dropped. Why would you spend $60,000 doing up a Mustang that's going to be worth $40,000 and you've also paid $15,000 or $20,000 for it?"Apart from road-registered classics, original race cars are also still commanding top prices. "There are very few around," Sabine says. The national auctions manager for classic auction house Shannons in Melbourne, Christophe Boribon, says although the Bathurst cars have dropped in value, prices for some of the European cars being auctioned have remained buoyant.But Boribon admits that even values of some of the Shannons collectibles have dropped about 10 per cent since the global financial crisis. "But unlike the muscle cars, the European cars are in a less speculative area," he says. "We sell passion and hobbie cars, we don't sell the A to B cars."Selby says the market still has some way to go before it is fully recovered. "What you'll find is that once confidence returns to real estate and sharemarket, things will pick up," he says. "The stock that is there isn't moving really quickly but it is moving." He says the only people who have survived the shakeout unscathed are seriously rich collectors who have been able to hang on to their cars. "There have not been any firesales," he says. Tomorrow's highly collectible car could be sitting in your garage. If one of the original Australian muscle cars from the 1960s or 1970s are out of reach some later model cars have collector potential. And you might already be driving around in them.Early examples of the humble Ford Fairlane, Valiant Pacer and Safari wagons and various Falcons from the early 1960s like the XK and XL are becoming more desirable. Prices can start from as low as $10,000, rising up to $30,000 low-mileage mint condition locally built Aussie cars.Even the humble Holden Torana sedan and hatch are now considered collectible with growing interest in original Torana SL and SS hatchback with its "hatchback hutch" portable tent from 1976 to 1978. Very few were made and carsguide has heard of one country NSW collector who found one in mint condition, including the tent, for $15,000.Some of the older Subarus, Mazdas and Hondas are even worth a look. Early Honda Civics are relatively cheap but if you're after the S600 or S800 sportscars - if you can find them - expect to pay top dollar. The same goes for some of the older rotary-engined Mazdas. Some of the first MX5 sportscars are now considered collectible too. Early examples of Subaru's Liberty GT, if they aren't bastardised with big wheels, garish interior gauges and oversized exhausts, plus the quirky looking SVX also have collector potential.European cars like the Saab's 900 series hatch, particularly the Aero models from the early 1990s, have strong reputations and the Pininfarina-designed Peugeot 406 coupe is something of a sleeper. Cars like the Morris Minor Traveller, Ford Capri RS3100, Datsun 240Z and 260Z and Volvo 1800ES are out there but are becoming harder to find. Various older Mercedes-Benzes, like the 1970s 280SE and the 280SL Pagoda are popular but the Pagoda is rare today and commands big prices.If all else fails early versions of the Citroen DS, Mini Cooper, Alfa Romeo GTV, MG and Triumph, some Jaguars, the BMW 2002ti and 6 Series and early E39 3 Series iS models. Shannons' Christophe Boribon reckons later model limited-edition cars like the Mitsubishi Evo, the original R32 GTR Skylines, Toyota MR2, original two-door Subaru STis and the Mazda RX7 Series 8 have potential as tomorrow's classics.Further up the scale Boribon says the Audi RS4 wagon, BMW M3 CSL and even the Mercedes-Benz AMG65 SL Black Series are likely to become more desirable as the years pass. "It really comes down to whether they're limited edition models though," he says. "It's the same for Ferraris and Lamborghinis; they have to be limited edition models."Boribon, Selby and Sabine agree that a car's rarity and its condition are paramount for true collectors. "An original condition car, whatever it is, will fetch a good price," Sabine says. There are few specifics about what will, or won't, become a collectible, he says. If very few examples of a particular model exist and its in original condition, it can be more desirable, he says."But if you absolutely like the car you're looking at then I'd say buy it," he says. "Life is an experience. "The one tip is to buy the best car you can afford, whatever it is." However, he has a word of warning for those expecting their classics to drive like a 2009 model. "They often don't have power steering, handle particularly well or have the creature comforts you get today," he says.

Jackson remembers Brock's Bathurst glory days fondly and he was trackside for some of the great man's wins. So, when the chance to pick up a rare original Torana similiar to Brock's early cars came up Jackson couldn't resist the temptation. Having said that, its not exactly the same. Brock debuted a six-cylinder LC Torana at Bathurst in 1970 but it had a larger engine, a lot more tweaking and two less doors than Jackson's standard 2600 four-door sedan, but there's enough left to keep the sentiment strong. "I'm an extremely staunch Peter Brock and Torana fan" he says proudly. "I've always loved Toranas, the style, the character. They handle really well, they're comfortable and they're easy to work on." Jackson is involved with both the Lion's Pride Holden and Sydney Torana car clubs where he rubs shoulders with fellow Torana fans. The LC was the first of the Australian-designed Toranas. The earlier models were re-badged Vauxhalls from England. Nearly 75,000 LC models were made between September 1969 and early 1972. He is only the second owner of this white LC since it left the yard at Loders in Caringbah (Sydney) way back in 1971. The car stayed in the same family for nearly 40 years. Jackson bought it three years ago when old age and fading eyesight were restricting its loving owner from driving. She swapped the Torana for an electric scooter. "The lady who owned it wanted someone to look after it. She wanted the car to be kept in the original condition. "Her daughter said they had some young people come to look at it but when they asked "what are they going to do with it, they said they were going to paint it another colour and put a V8 in it." But Jackson's vow to preserve the LC won him the day. Despite its age the car has done only 61,00 miles (98,000km) on the clock and has been garaged for all of its life which accounts for it being in remarkably good original condition. "It runs beautiful," says Jackson. "It hasn't had much use." When he got the car it only needed the three-speed auto transmission serviced and the radiator core replaced. While the paintjob had some minor dents and scratches and had faded to a yellow off-white colour he didn't want to respray it. Instead he had it repaired, the scratches painted and the whole car was then buffed to bring up the colour to its original sheen. Inside the car the red upholstery is also in remarkably good order. Exposure to the sun has created some marks on top of the back seat but he has covered that up. While the car is far from concours condition it is an authentic representation of how it looked when new 38 years ago. The car is on historic vehicle plates and he only drives it to car shows. "I take it to car shows so people can enjoy it as it was." he says. "Some of them have driven similiar cars in its day or have had such cars in the family." And Jackson has even found a Holden lion mascot to go with the car to display at shows. When Brock and Co sat on the grid at Bathurst all those years ago the faithful Holden mascot, Roary the Lion, was with them to rev up Holden fans and upset Ford and Chrysler supporters. Jackson's Torana will be on display this weekend at the All-Holden Day show at the Hawkesbury Showground opposite the RAAF base at Clarendon. It starts with a swap-meet today and expands into a car display show tomorrow. Organisers say the show is one of the world's biggest displays of Holdens. Money raised will be donated to charity.

The latest addition to the growing memorabilia surrounding the legendary racer is a working replica of his 1971 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 known as "The Beast".It has been lovingly brought to life as a tribute car by motoring enthusiasts Dale Booth and John Oost and commissioned by Peter Champion for his Champions Brock Experience museum near Yeppoon.Booth is confident the car is a 90 per cent faithful replica right down to the same wiper blades, steering wheel, seat, headrest and a V8 engine mounted in the middle of the car right next to the driver."It gets pretty hot and noisy in there," Booth said. "I drive it with a rag tied around my leg to protect it from the heat."The original Formula 5000 engine had so much torque it twisted the chassis making the doors difficult to open and close."It's the worst driving position ever; I don't know how Brock managed to drive around Bathurst with that thing next to him."Fans of the late Brock can get a close look at the Beast at 12.30pm on Saturday at Queensland Raceway when it is presented for a close inspection by Harry Firth who gave Brock his break in racing.Booth said he believed the original XU-1 no longer existed, so he sourced most of the artwork and technical details from photos, Ebay and talking with people involved in Brock's racing career."I even did all the signage with a brush not stickers like they do today," he said."We're still looking for a Speco wooden gearshift knob and a few other bits."I suppose Harry will tell us how close we are."Booth would not reveal how much the car cost to build, but said replica wheels specially made from the original moulds cost $2600.He said he had always been a Brock fan with a house and garage devoted to Brock memorabilia.Booth's next replica project is the restoration of a 1979 A9X Torana like the one in which Brock won Bathurst and set a circuit record on the final lap, despite leading by six laps.Visit: championsbrockexperience.com.au 

For some car fanatics, it's all about building a pristine show car. For others, it is the engine and the way it performs at the track that counts. And then there are those who want a dressed-up street car. But Torana owner Ian Williams decided to cover all bases. “My favourite thing is I can actually drive it on the street and do other things with it as well,” he says. Williams has transformed a 1976 LX Holden Torana into a real beauty. His interest was sparked years ago when his sons got their licences and he bought both a Torana for about $2000 each. That began their passion for the old-school Holden and, before long, they were modifying their cars and buying more. Then Williams succumbed to the muscle-car craze. “I said, `Boy, they're nice cars, I'm going to do one up one day too',” he says. When the perfect car presented itself in 2002 Williams couldn't resist. “My wife's son in Queensland had the car we have now,” he says. “He wanted to sell it 'cause he wanted his garage space back, so my wife bought it for me for $10,000.” While the LX Holden Torana had already been modified, Williams wanted to go further. So he stripped it down, pulled out the motor and completely rebuilt the car from scratch over the next four years. “There's nothing from the original Torana other than the body, and doors. Everything else has been replaced or modified,” he says. “The whole car is pretty much a new car. If there was late technology to put in it, we did.” The 58-year-old says he always admired the A9X models but as they came out in 1977, they fell under new emission regulations. So Williams was in search of a car released prior to then to give him more freedom in what he could do to the engine. He started with the 1976 LX model and added some Bathurst heritage, with A9X character traits, as well as integrating modern motorsport technologies to make the ultimate jack-of-all-trades Torana, which now proudly wears the number plate 2TOUGH. And with a 536hp (400kW) V8 engine, Brembo brakes, 17-inch wheels, a 100-litre fuel tank and a $13,000 paint job, among many other changes, it really does live up to its name. “I wanted a car that was completely legal, so I got the engineers involved to ensure that it was,” he says. “In my younger days I used to get pulled over by the police and get defected all the time, I don't want to go through that again.” Williams says the car has had about $80,000 worth of work, including the recent replacement of the manual transmission with a four-speed automatic, improving its track time. “We think it is a bargain. It can now out perform most modern factory sports sedans, and retains the eye-catching, classic styling of what we believe is the best Bathurst muscle car ever built,” he says. Williams says you could spend your money on a new Monaro or SS Commodore, which might be as quick around the race track, but there are more benefits to owning a Torana. “Monaros are more reliable and have better fuel economy, but everybody's got one,” he says. “The A9X-looking car is rare. Everywhere you go you get looks. You don't get that in a new Monaro or SS Commodore and that's all part of the enjoyment of having a cool car.” Williams says while it can't be the best show car, race car and street car all in one package, the Torana still has “the capability to not embarrass itself” on the track and also manages to attract a whole lot of attention. And it gets the thumbs up from the previous owner, Williams' stepson. “I took him for a drive in it and he was stoked, he was really happy about it,” he says. While Williams loves his Torana and enjoys Holdens, he says he appreciates good engineering, no matter what make or model. “Cars are like people, there are a variety of cars and a variety of things people do to them, it all adds to the rich tapestry of life,” he says.

A fully restored Sebring Orange 1969 Monaro GTS 350 coupe sold at auction for $200,000 this week.It was the highest price paid for the 32 cars on offer at the Shannons 2007 Australian International Motor Show Auction.Second best was a low-mileage 1972 LJ Torana XU-1 finished in Lone Orange that went for $143,000.The sales follow a similar auction in September when a record $450,000 was paid for a 37-year-old XW Ford Falcon GTHO.The V8 muscle car was bought for $4933.25 on April 24, 1970, in Mackay.When the car came up for sale again on at the Shannons Auction it was passed in at $620,000.The immaculate Monza Green 1971 XY was expected to beat the $683,650 record price, which a Queensland buyer paid for a similar car earlier this year.Owner Steve Ribarevski, 30, is still confident the muscle car classic will sell on the private market.He bought the fully-restored GTHO for $200,000 three years ago saying it was a promise he had made to himself years earlier.“I was told by everyone at the time that I was the biggest goose in town for paying that much money for the car but I had promised myself I would own one before I was 30,” he said.“I don't look that silly any more.”It could even turn up at the first Shannons auction, which is to be held at a Brisbane Motor Show next February.Shannons Queensland business development manager Philip Ross; said the auction was the beginning of what he hoped would be the first of many auctions in Queensland.“Generally speaking if a car is passed in at auction it turns up at the next one, so the GTHO could be there,” he said.“We're looking at having about 30 cars at the show."“I've been out west and had a look in some of the sheds at the stuff that may come out of the woodwork."“I'm thinking that we know there is a lot of interesting stuff in Queensland that owners weren't prepared to send to Melbourne or Sydney auctions, but may send to Brisbane because it's closer to home."“I have no idea of what we have so far, but we like to have a good cross-section of vehicles.”The auction vehicles will be on display at the show from February 1-10 with the auction at 2pm on the Sunday.The last Shannons Auction held reached a record $3.75 million with $2.64 million achieved for the 62 number plates; and more than $1.1 million paid for the eclectic mix of Australian; US muscle cars as well as American and European classics on offer.It was the best result achieved by Shannons in a combined single day sale in the company's 26-year history of classic auctions.It was beaten only by the $4.1 million achieved in last year's RTA plate auction at the 2006 Australian Internation Motor Show. The highest single sale of the auction was $245,000 paid for the right to display the early NSW number plate 78.Personalised Plates Queensland also holds an annual plate auction on the Wednesday of the Brisbane Motor Show, last year raising more than $531,000 for the Road Safety Fund of Queensland.  Does it make sense to waste your life savings on a 30-year-old car when for the same money you can buy 13 brand new Holden Barinas?   

Millions of dollars worth of history's finest cars of all shapes and sizes will go for auction this weekend at the close of the Australian International Motor Show.All eyes will be on the 1971 Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III, which is expected to sell between $600,000 and $800,000 with the value of Aussie muscle cars going through the roof.This could set a record price paid at auction for a Phase III, the previous sitting at $683,650.“It's one of the nicest Phase IIIs we've ever had on offer,” Shannons national auctions manager Christophe Boribon says. It features racing legend Allan Moffat's signature on the glove box.While seems like a lot of money for a car, it's an old number plate that is expected to be the biggest seller of the event. Organisers believe the No.6 plate will attract $1 million-$1.5 million.A 1929 Hudson Super 6 'Model L' Dual-Cowl Phaeton has a range of $100,000 to $140,000.A classic 1972 LJ Torana XU-1 Sedan is expected to be sold for $85,000 to $100,000.For '50s style, try a pink 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Seville “Cool 57” Custom (LHD). Restored in 87 days, it's priced at $70,000 to $100,000.But it's not just the big cars going under the hammer. A 1929 Austin Seven Wasp Sports is up for grabs, expecting to attract $10,000 to $15,000.The auction starts at 2pm on Sunday at the Australian International Motor Show; dont miss out.How much do you think the Falcon GTHO Pase III will go for?  

It is nearly a year since Peter Brock left us. Memories of him still burn and will burn even brighter thanks to a new book on the great man.Peter Brock is an innovative and original sports book, thanks to the creative approach of HyperActive Inc.The company collected personal pictures, press clippings and race pictures and has assembled them in a book covering Brock's life from start to finish.Added spice comes from personal introductions to each chapter by Brock's family, friends and racing rivals.It is a big book, bold and bright and straight to the point, much like the man himself.Turning the pages is like flicking through a family album, from school pictures to Brock's early racing days and his incredible Bathurst successes.There are some great memories from his brothers, Neil, Phil, Lewis and his race mates."The first time I met Peter Brock was during the 1971 Hattah Desert Rally," race rival Larry Perkins says. "He was broken down on the side of the road in a Torana as I flashed past in an EH wagon."“I stopped and towed him back to the finish at a hundred miles an hour. We arrived in a cloud of dust, much to the excitement of the event announcer who thought it was one of the closest finishes ever! Life with Brock was always interesting.”Fellow Holden driver Mark Skaife says: “Like Muhammad Ali, he matched ordinary technique with freakish skills, hand speed and reflexes — the bloke was an absolute superstar.”CARSguide is giving away six copies of Peter Brock. For a chance to win a copy, email the word 'Brocky' to carsguide@heraldsun.com.au with your name, address and a contact phone number. Winners will be notified by return email.If you miss out, buy one anyway. Peter Brock is $79.95 it's a wonderful tribute to a fallen hero.