Holden Torana Details, Photos and Videos

The Holden Torana is a mid-sized car manufactured by Holden from 1967 to 1980. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly". The original HB series Torana was released in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle closely based on the British Vauxhall Viva HB series of 1966 - 1970.

Whilst the 1969-73 (LC and LJ series) cars included more popular, longer-wheelbase six-cylinder versions, and with the 1974-77 (LH and LX series) cars adding eight-cylinder versions to the mix, a range of four-cylinder versions continued for the entire production life of the Torana (with later four-cylinder versions being marketed as the Holden Sunbird from November 1976).

In South Korea, the LJ Torana was produced locally as the Chevrolet 1700 (시보레 1700, 1972–1978) and Saehan Camina (새한 카미나, 1976–1978).

Changing tack in Australian motor sport, Holden released the LC Torana GTR XU-1 in 1970, with performance-enhanced drivetrain and handling. From this time through to the release of the Holden Commodore, the Torana remained Holden's most successful sports/performance vehicle, with many victories garnered in rallying and circuit racing.

The introduction of the VB Commodore in 1978 was preceded by the arrival of the updated UC Torana/Sunbird twins, but with no sports versions or V8 engine options. The Torana was subsequently discontinued in 1979, followed by the four-cylinder Sunbird in 1980.

Introduced in May 1967 to replace the HA series Vauxhall Viva in the Australian market, the first Torana model was a mildly facelifted HB series Vauxhall Viva. It featured a two-door body, 12-inch (305-mm) wheels, and a 56-bhp 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed gearbox. A Borg-Warner Model 35 three-speed automatic transmission was optional. Drum brakes were fitted front and rear, with power-assisted front disc brakes optional. In terms of styling, the only points of visual difference between Viva and Torana were in the grille and headlamps, the wheel trims, and the badging - otherwise it was very much a straight-forward exercise in badge engineering.

In early 1968, a "Series 70" engine option - equivalent to the ‘90’ option for the British Vauxhall Viva - was added. This engine had a higher compression ratio, a higher-lift camshaft, and a single CD Zenith-Stromberg carburettor, which boosted output to 69 bhp (51 kW; 70 PS). Power-assisted front disc brakes were standard when this engine was used, and the automatic transmission option was now no longer available with the standard 56 bhp (42 kW; 57 PS) engine. A 'sports' model was also released in October 1967, called the 'Brabham' Torana, named in honour of the well-respected Australian race-car driver, Sir Jack Brabham. The Brabham Torana's engine was based on the Series 70, but twin CD Zenith-Stromberg carburettors with sports air cleaners were fitted. Together with the low-restriction exhaust system, this boosted the power to 79 bhp (59 kW; 80 PS). The Brabham also included wider wheel rims and red-wall tyres, power-assisted front disc brakes as standard, different badging, and black body accents. An automatic transmission was not available on this model.

In September 1968, the '69 Torana' was released, sometimes called the HB Series II. This featured locally made body panels, replacing the imported bodies of the original HB. The model lineup now included a four-door sedan which some claim was developed in Australia, with four-door bodies shipped back to the UK to be constructed and sold as the Viva. However, the Vauxpedia website, after extensive research with Vauxhall, says that, in fact the 4-door was designed in England, to compete with Ford’s four-door Escort, and both Holden and Vauxhall made their own body panels for their respective Torana and Viva versions. A collapsible steering column was now fitted, together with a new recessed instrument cluster, new indicator switch, and new steering wheel borrowed from the contemporary full-sized Holden. These local components replaced the previously imported Vauxhall items. A consequence of using these local components was the loss of the stalk-operated headlight dip switch and horn. The dip switch ended up on the floor, as was the case for full-sized Holdens. Dual-circuit brakes were now standard on all models, though power-assisted front disc brakes were still optional with the standard 56 bhp (42 kW; 57 PS) engine. The Brabham Torana was still available, in two-door form only. It now included a sports steering wheel similar to the contemporary Holden Monaro GTS, full instrumentation, different badging, and different black accenting. The HB Torana continued until late 1969. Total production was 16,318 with imported panels and 20,243 with the locally manufactured bodies.

The next generation of Toranas (LC) appeared in October 1969 and were available with either a four- or six-cylinder engine. The inline six had a capacity of 138 cu in (badged as the '2250'); a more-powerful 161 cu in engine (badged as the '2600') was optional. The six-cylinder cars had a longer wheelbase (100 in against the 95.8 inches (2,430 mm) of four-cylinder models), a more aggressively styled, slightly longer nose to accommodate the larger engine, and offered a choice of three- or four-speed manual gearbox or a three-speed Trimatic automatic transmission. The Torana was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1969.

The four-cylinder engine was initially of 1,159 cc, and offered either 56 or 69 hp (42 or 51 kW). The more powerful Brabham model was discontinued. In July 1971, a bigger overhead cam 1.6-litre engine with 80 hp (60 kW) was added; this engine was also sourced from Vauxhall in the UK. The 1600 received a strengthened gearbox, as well.

Body styles were all new and available in either two- or four-door versions, and were offered in base (four-cylinder only), S, or SL trims. A two-door sports model, the GTR, had the 2600S motor with a two-barrel Stromberg WW carburettor and front discs as standard. Front discs brakes were an option for all other models. Bucket front seats were standard for all LCs, with a front bench seat optional for four-door S and SL six-cylinder models. Later in production (July 1971), the 161-ci engine was replaced with a larger 173-ci version (badged as the '2850') which also made it into the last of the LC GTR cars in two-barrel form (2850S).

In August 1970, the first genuine performance Torana, the GTR XU-1, was developed by Holden along with Harry Firth of the Holden Dealer Team for competition in popular Series Production racing series in Australia, as well as in off-road rallying. However, the main purpose of the Torana GTR XU-1 was to keep Holden competitive against the big and powerful Ford Falcon GT-HO V8s in the Hardie-Ferodo 500 (Bathurst) endurance race that some consider to be the jewel in the crown of Australian motorsport.

The LC Torana GTR XU-1 was equipped with a 160-bhp, 186-cu in (3-litre) six-cylinder engine, fitted with three Zenith-Stromberg CD-150 carburettors, cast-iron headers, a performance cylinder head and camshaft, and an Opel four-speed manual gearbox. This car featured a rear spoiler, guard flutes, wider steel rims, full instrumentation, and front disc brakes as standard. The Torana GTR XU-1 proved to be a strong performer on both the road and track due to its favourable power/weight ratio. It soon gained popularity in Australia, being an ideal race car in many forms of motor sport, especially Series Production touring car racing and rallying. It successfully replaced the V8 Monaro GTS 350 as Holden's frontline track race car in 1970, winning many touring car and rally events, but for the famed Bathurst 500-mile (800 km) race which Ford won in 1970 and 1971 with its XW Phase Two and XY Phase Three Falcon GT-HOs, respectively.

Holden built a total of 74,627 LC Toranas.

In February 1972, the facelifted LJ Torana was introduced with the six-cylinder models now visually associated with the larger Holden HQ series. Many mechanical components were shared with the LC, with the major changes limited to the choice of engines. The four-cylinder Torana retained its 1200 and 1600 engines, but was now also available with a 1300-cc unit. The old 1200 was now only available as a two-door Standard version, while the 1300 equipped the Deluxe model and was also available with four doors and an automatic transmission. The 2250 and 2850 engines carried over into the revised six-cylinder Torana models, and the 3300 engine (known as the 202 in the HQ range) was adopted as the engine for the LJ Torana GTR sedan. Gearbox choices remained the same across the range.

A race-bred version of the 3300 engine was also fitted to the LJ Torana GTR XU-1, producing well over 200 bhp (149 kW; 203 PS). By now equipping the XU-1 with the 202-ci engine and larger CD-175 Zenith-Stromberg triple carburettors, as well as a new close-ratio M20 four-speed Australian-made transmission (commonly known as the Aussie 4-Speed and often incorrectly called an M21), this gave the nimble XU-1 the power boost it needed to seriously challenge the powerful Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III, which had won the 1971 Hardie-Ferodo 500 production-car endurance race held annually at Bathurst.

In the somewhat wet 1972 Hardie-Ferodo 500, the lightweight HDT Torana GTR XU-1 was able to finally claim victory against the heavyweight GT-HO, driven solo for 500 miles (800 km) by Peter Brock. This would be the start of the 'Peter Perfect'/Torana legend, and the first of five Bathurst wins for the Torana in its colourful 10-year racing career at Bathurst.

The Holden Dealer Team also developed a 300 bhp (224 kW; 304 PS), 308ci V8-powered version of the GTR XU-1, often erroneously referred to as the GTR XU-2. The V8 Torana did race in Sports Sedan racing in the hands of Brock and Colin Bond, and was extensively road tested by HDT boss Harry Firth and young team engineer/driver Larry Perkins, but the car never made it past the prototype stage. This was due to the 'supercar scare' of 1972, which involved vast political pressure being placed upon Holden, Ford, and Chrysler to abandon their proposed specially built 'Bathurst Supercars', such as the V8 GTR XU-1. This was the result of a media frenzy that was reporting against these soon-to-be released "bullets on wheels" available to the general public. In effect, all three manufacturers (Holden, Ford and Chrysler) bowed to this pressure, and Holden postponed its introduction of a V8 Torana for two years until the release of the larger LH series Torana in 1974.

A total of 81,813 LJ Toranas were built by Holden in Australia, with some exported to New Zealand, but only in six-cylinder form, likely due to the similar four-cylinder Vauxhall Viva HC range being sold there, as well. The 2850SL model, with bucket seats and four-speed floor shift or Trimatic three-speed automatic, was also shipped to New Zealand in CKD kit form for local assembly from 1973, becoming the first Kiwi-built Torana.

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