Australian Muscle Cars Never Die - The Holden Torana Resurrected
By Steven Miles
The legend, the monster and one of Holden's most popular muscle car is back. In the yester years, the Torana reigned supreme for almost ten years with 5 Bathurst wins. It's only fitting that the car was named after an aboriginal term (Torana) which means to fly.
Over the years, the Torana has had some facelifts but the common denominator is the brute strength of its engines. Holden manufactured the Torana for over 10 years from 1967-1978. The range of models start from the basic original HB followed by LC, LJ, LH, TA, LX and UC models.
The cars came with choices as well, they included 2 door coupes and 4 door sedans. The motors ranged from 4,6 and 8 cylinder engines. But the cars which caught the imagination of the muscle car community, were the sporty XU1, L34 and A9X. These cars dominated Panorama and unearthed drivers such as Bob Morris, Colin Bond, Allan Grice, Jim Richards and of course Peter Brock.
The last Torana ever built from Holden dates back to 1980. But today, nearly 30 years on, we can still see the Toranas gracing our streets. Not only did the Holden Torana dominate Mount Panorama, not only did they produce one of the all time classics within the muscle car community, they produced a car that was reliable and a great car to drive everyday.
The older muscle car enthusiasts have really targeted the Toranas. The price tag for these muscle cars have sky rocketed over the last year. The Holden Torana is finally gaining the respect of the Australian muscle car community and deservedly so, the public has finally unearthed a locally produced gem that has been part of our culture for some time. Peter Brock earned his nickname Peter Perfect driving in a Torana.
For more information, news and sales within the Australian muscle car industry, Visit http://the-carclub.blogspot.com/
Australian Muscle Cars never die, they just become expensive. Garage one today before they become a thing of the past.
