Holden Torana

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Holden Torana
Production period: 1967-1979
Class : Lower middle class (1967–1975)
Middle class (1974–1979)
Body versions : Limousine , station wagon coupé
Previous model: Vauxhall HA Viva
Successor: Holden Gemini
Holden Camira

The Holden Torana was a car of the lower middle class , the Holden in Australia from 1967 to 1980 as a successor to the Vauxhall Viva HA produced. The name comes from an Australian language and means "to fly".

Year by year

HB Torana (1967–1969)

HB Torana (1967–1969)
The Vauxhall HB Viva (1966-1970) was identical to the Holden HB Torana.

The Vauxhall HB Viva (1966-1970) was identical to the Holden HB Torana.

Production period: 1967-1969
Body versions : limousine
Engines: Petrol engines :
1.2 liters
(41–58 kW)
Length: 4097 mm
Width: 1600 mm
Height: 1382 mm
Wheelbase : 2433 mm
Empty weight :

The first Torana was introduced to the Australian market in May 1967 and replaced the Vauxhall HA Viva as a facelift version of the Vauxhall HB Viva. It was available as a two-door sedan with 12 "wheels and had a 1.2-liter inline four-cylinder engine and a four-speed manual transmission. A three-speed automatic transmission from Borg-Warner was available on request . The cars had drum brakes on all four wheels, and a brake booster and disc brakes at the front were available on request.

In March 1968 the "Series 70" engine was available as an option. It was more compressed, its camshaft had higher cams and there was a Stromberg CD single carburetor. The new engine achieved 51 kW (69 bhp). Along with this engine, there were front disc brakes as standard. The weaker engine was no longer available in conjunction with the automatic. There was also a sports model named after the well-known Australian racing driver Jack Brabham Brabham Torana . The engine of the Brabham Torana also had the "Series 70" engine, but with two Stromberg CD carburetors and a sporty air filter. Together with the exhaust system with little back pressure, this increased the power to 59 kW (79 bhp). The Brabham Torana also had wider wheels and tires, brake boosters and front disc brakes than standard, different lettering and black trim. An automatic transmission was not available on this model.

In September 1968 the Torana vintage 1969 was presented, also called HBII Torana . The new series had a body made in Australia and was also available as a four-door sedan. The body of the four-door was also delivered to Great Britain for the Vauxhall Viva. The cars now had safety steering columns, gauges sunk deeper into the dashboard, and new steering wheels from the great Holden. No more components were imported from Great Britain, so parking lights, high beams and the horn were no longer operated using the steering column stalk. The high beam switch was now in the footwell like the big Holden. There was now a dual-circuit braking system as well, but the front disc brakes were still optional on the weakest engine. The Brabham Torana was also still available, but only as a two-door model. It now had the sports steering wheel of the contemporary Monaro GTS , many additional instruments, different lettering and black trim.

model designation Vehicle type Construction period
HB-82211 Torana Sedan 2 doors 05 / 1967-09 / 1968
HB-82411 Torana S. Sedan 2 doors 05 / 1967-09 / 1968
HB-82611 Torana SL Sedan 2 doors 05 / 1967-09 / 1968
HB-82211 Torana Sedan 2 doors 09 / 1968-10 / 1969
HB-82411 Torana S. Sedan 2 doors 09 / 1968-10 / 1969
HB-82469 Torana S. Sedan 4 doors 09 / 1968-10 / 1969
HB-82611 Torana SL Sedan 2 doors 09 / 1968-10 / 1969
HB-82669 Torana SL Sedan 4 doors 09 / 1968-10 / 1969

The HB Torana was built until October 1969. A total of 16,318 pieces of the first series (with body imported from England) and 20,243 pieces of the second series (with Australian body) were produced.

LC / LJ / TA Torana (1969-1975)

LC Torana (1969–1972)
LJ Torana (1972–1974)
TA Torana (1974–1975)
Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 (1972-1974)

Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 (1972-1974)

Production period: 1969-1975
Body versions : limousine
Engines:
Petrol engines : 1.2–3.3 liters
(41–140 kW)
Length: 4115-4394 mm
Width: 1600 mm
Height: 1346 mm
Wheelbase : 2433-2540 mm
Empty weight :
Holden LC Torana 2600 (1969-1972)
Holden LC Torana GTR (1969-1972)
Holden TA Torana (1974-1975)

The next generation, the LC Torana, appeared in October 1969 and was available with four- or six-cylinder in-line engines. The six-cylinder had a displacement of 2,261 cm 3 ('' Torana 2250 '') and developed 70 kW (95 bhp). The six-cylinder cars had a longer wheelbase of 2,540 mm (instead of 2,433 mm for the four-cylinder), a more aggressively designed front for the longer engine and manual transmission with three or four gears or a three-stage automatic. The Torana was named “Car of the Year 1969” by Wheels magazine.

There were completely new 2- and 4-door bodies in S or SL versions. The customer had the choice between a bench seat or individual seats at the front and, if desired, the front disc brakes were also available again. Soon after the model was introduced, there was a more powerful six-cylinder engine with a displacement of 2,638 cm 3 , which was 85 kW (114 bhp) in the SL ( Torana 2600 ) and in the 2-door, sporty GTR with Stromberg-WW twin carburettor 93 kW (125 bhp) ( Torana 2600S ) delivered. Later, the 2.6-liter R6 was a larger engine with 2,834 cm 3 Displacement ( Torana 2850 replaced), which was also available with a twin carburettor when GTR.

In July 1970, a high-performance Torana, the GTR XU-1 , was developed together with Harry Firth from the Holden Dealer Team for the popular production vehicle racing series in Australia and for rallies. The real purpose of this vehicle, however, was to give Holden a real chance in the well-known Hardie-Feredo 500 race in Bathurst over the powerful Ford Falcon GT-HO with V8 engine, a race that is considered Australia's jewel in the crown of motorsport is seen. The LC Torana GTR XU-1 was equipped with a six-cylinder engine with 3,047 cm 3 displacement, which developed an output of 119 kW (160 bhp) with the help of three Zenith Stromberg CD 150 carburetors. The car was also equipped with cast rocker arms, a different cylinder head, and a different camshaft. The manual four-speed transmission was supplied by Opel . Further equipment details were a spoiler lip at the rear, special tailpipes, flared fenders, several additional instruments and standard disc brakes at the front. The Torana GTR XU-1 proved to be a “small projectile” both on the road and in rallies, as the light, strong sports coupé had an excellent power-to-weight ratio . It soon made a name for itself as the ideal racing vehicle for many occasions, especially in series races and rallies. In 1970 he successfully inherited the Monaro GTS 350 with V8 engine and won many rallies and also the Bathurst 500-mile race mentioned above, the Ford XW Falcon GT-HO Phase Two in 1970 and the Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase in 1971 Three had won.

In February 1972, the revised LJ Torana was introduced, whose six-cylinder models now looked similar to the large Holden HQ . The LJ inherited many mechanical components from its predecessor; the biggest changes were in the engine range. The four-cylinder models kept their 1.2- and 1.6-liter engines, but they were now also available with a 1.3-liter in-line four-cylinder engine. The six-cylinder models were still available with the six-cylinder in-line engines with 2.3 or 2.85 liters displacement, but also with the 3.3-liter engine from the Holden HQ for the GTR model. There were no changes to the gearboxes. From August 1972, the Holden LJ Torana was assembled as the GMK Chevrolet 1700 in South Korea.

There was a high-performance version of the 3.3 liter engine in the LJ Torana GTR XU-1, which developed well over 149 kW 200 bhp. By equipping the XU-1 with the 3.3 liter engine, the larger Stromberg CD triple carburetors with 45 mm passage and the new, closely stepped four-speed gearbox made in Australia, the vehicle was given the thrust it needed, to compete with him against the Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase Three, which had won the Hardie Feredo 500 race in Bathurst last year. In the 1972 edition of this race, which took place under very damp conditions, the light Torana with Peter Brock at the wheel was able to clinch a victory against the heavy Falcon. This was the beginning of the Peter Perfect / Torana legend and the first of five victories at Bathurst over the next ten years. Holden also developed a V8-powered version of the Torana with 5,047 cm 3 capacity, which often GTR XU-2 is called, but never got past the prototype phase out. This was due to the "Supercar Affair" in 1972, which put considerable political pressure on Holden, Ford and Chrysler to get rid of their "Bathurst Supercars", such as the XU-2. The reason was a newspaper campaign against the "bullets on wheels", which should soon be available to the public as series vehicles. In the end, all three manufacturers bowed to the pressure and Holden postponed the introduction of the Torana V8 for two years. In April 1974 the LJ Torana was replaced by the slightly larger LH series. In order to fill the gap until the appearance of the little Holden Gemini , the four-cylinder LJ models with a short wheelbase and 1.3 or 1.8 liter engine were offered with a quick facelift (plastic grille in body color and new taillights) as TA Torana .

model designation Vehicle type Construction period
LC-82211 Torana 4-cyl. OHV Sedan 2 doors 10 / 1969-02 / 1972
LC-82311 Torana S 6-cyl. Sedan 2 doors 10 / 1969-02 / 1972
LC-82369 Torana S 6-cyl. Sedan 4 doors 10 / 1969-02 / 1972
LC-82411 Torana S / Deluxe 4-cyl. OHV Sedan 2 doors 10 / 1969-02 / 1972
LC-82469 Torana S / Deluxe 4-cyl. OHV Sedan 4 doors 10 / 1969-02 / 1972
LC-82569 Torana SL 6-cyl. Sedan 4 doors 10 / 1969-02 / 1972
LC-82611 Torana SL 4-cyl. OHV Sedan 2 doors 10 / 1969-02 / 1972
LC-82811 Torana Deluxe 4-cyl. OHC Sedan 2 doors 06 / 1971-02 / 1972
LC-82869 Torana Deluxe 4-cyl. OHC Sedan 4 doors 06 / 1971-02 / 1972
LC-82911 Torana GTR / GTR XU-1 Sedan 2 doors 07 / 1970-02 / 1972
LJ-82211 Torana 4-cyl. OHV Sedan 2 doors 02 / 1972-04 / 1974
LJ-82311 Torana S 6-cyl. Sedan 2 doors 02 / 1972-04 / 1974
LJ-82369 Torana S 6-cyl. Sedan 4 doors 02 / 1972-04 / 1974
LJ-82411 Torana S / Deluxe 4-cyl. OHV Sedan 2 doors 02 / 1972-04 / 1974
LJ-82469 Torana S / Deluxe 4-cyl. OHV Sedan 4 doors 02 / 1972-04 / 1974
LJ-82569 Torana SL 6-cyl. Sedan 4 doors 02 / 1972-04 / 1974
LJ-82611 Torana SL 4-cyl. OHV Sedan 2 doors 02 / 1972-04 / 1974
LJ-82811 Torana Deluxe 4-cyl. OHC Sedan 2 doors 02 / 1972-04 / 1974
LJ-82869 Torana Deluxe 4-cyl. OHC Sedan 4 doors 02 / 1972-04 / 1974
LJ-82911 Torana GTR / GTR XU-1 Sedan 2 doors 02 / 1972-04 / 1974
TA-8TE11 Torana Sedan 2 doors 04 / 1974-03 / 1975
TA-8TF11 Torana Deluxe Sedan 2 doors 04 / 1974-03 / 1975
TA-8TF69 Torana Deluxe Sedan 4 doors 04 / 1974-03 / 1975

GMH built 74,627 LC Toranas. A total of 81,813 examples of the LJ Torana were built, some of which were exported to New Zealand , but only as six-cylinder so as not to compete with the Vauxhall HC Viva that was also offered at the same time . The TA Torana was only produced for 11 months and produced 11,304 pieces.

LH / LX / UC Torana (1974–1979)

LH Torana (1974–1976)
LX Torana (1976–1978)
UC Torana (1978–1979)
Holden LX Torana SS (1976-1978)

Holden LX Torana SS (1976-1978)

Production period: 1974-1979
Body versions : Limousine , station wagon coupé
Engines:
Gasoline engines : 1.9-5.0 liters
(62-176 kW)
Length: 4493 mm
Width: 1704 mm
Height: 1328 mm
Wheelbase : 2586 mm
Empty weight :
Holden LH Torana SL / R 5000 L34 (1974)
Holden LH Torana 3300 (1975)
Holden UC Torana (1978-1979)

In March 1974 a completely new Torana was presented again. The LH Torana had grown significantly and was only available as a 4-door sedan in the middle class . Despite the considerable external dimensions, the interior of the car was quite cramped for the conditions customary in the 1970s. It looked similar to other contemporary GM products, such as the Opel Ascona . After the four-cylinder models were presented in May 1974, it was the only car that could be ordered with R4, R6 and V8 engines in the same body. These were the 1.9 l R4 from Opel , the well-known Holden machines with 2.85 l and 3.3 l and the Holden V8 with 4.2 l and 5.0 l.

The 5.0-liter V8 was reserved for the LH Torana SL / R 5000 . A special hybrid model of the SL / R 5000 and the L34 option, which was intended for Bathurst, had a special engine block and other changes to increase reliability in racing. The most noticeable external change of the cars, which were only built 263 times, were the riveted fender flares for the use of wider wheels and tires. The L34 turned out to be fast and successful, but fragile. It was later replaced by the enhanced A9X option for the LX Torana from 1977. The LH Torana L34 won the famous Bathurst 1000 mile race in 1975 with Peter Brock and Brian Sampson at the wheel and in 1976 with Bob Morris and John Fitzpatrick .

The LH Torana did build station wagon and station wagon coupé prototypes, but they never went into series production.

In February 1976 the slightly redesigned LX Torana came out . The most noticeable external change was the replacement of the rectangular headlights of the LH with round ones in rectangular frames. The side window frames were no longer in the same color as the car, but black and the company emblem on the radiator grille was larger. Soon after its appearance, the engine output had to be reduced in order to be able to comply with the emission limit values ​​that came into force from mid-1976.

There were engines with four, six or eight cylinders. New was a three-door station wagon coupe, but not with the 1,897-cm 3 was offered -Motor of Opel. In November 1976 the Torana 1900 came out as the Sunbird . The introduction of the Sunbird coincided with Holden's first attempt to offer a handling package for their range of models. The introduction of the "Radial Tuned Suspension" (RTS) began with the LX Sunbird as a sedan and station wagon and then with the LX Torana.

In the course of 1977, a performance-enhanced version of the series was created again, which was to win the races in Bathurst. This was the A9X option for the 4-door SL / R 5000 sedan and the 3-door SS station wagon, each with a 5.0-liter V8. The A9Y cars were similar to those in the LH series with the L34 option. The A9X package differed from the old L34 package for road use, but the engine was not changed. Nevertheless, the A9X had some mechanical specialties, such as rear disc brakes, more stable axles and a heavy-duty differential with 10 screws. After quickly getting ready for the 1977 Bathurst 1000 mile race, the Torana A9X lost its debut against Allan Moffat and Colin Bond's Ford Falcon . But the A9Y was soon redesigned and proved to be dominant in Australian racing for the next two seasons. In 1978 and 1979 he won the Australian championship and the Bathurst 1000 km race.

When the UC Torana was introduced in March 1978, the V8 engines and the sporty SL / R variant were no longer available. The UC series featured a significantly modernized vehicle front and a new dashboard. There were only two equipment variants and two six-cylinder engines with 2.85 and 3.3 l. With the optional “Deluxe Package”, the UC Torana SL was as well equipped as the Ford TE Cortina Ghia . It contained a laminated windshield, tinted side and rear windows, an interval switch for the windshield wipers, a radio recorder, better fabrics, sporty instruments and bumper horns.

The Holden Sunbird was also updated to the UC series and continued to be sold with the 1.9 liter engine, with its body corresponding to the UC Torana as a sedan or station wagon.

For a while it was thought of bringing out a 5-door station wagon of the UC Torana, which would have looked similar to the Rover SD1 and would have been brought out with a longer wheelbase. The idea only made it to the clay model, presumably because the introduction of the Commodore was imminent.

After the introduction of the VB Commodore in November 1978, the management realized that the Torana was too similar in size to this modern vehicle. Therefore, the Torana was dropped from the range in 1979 and the Sunbird followed in 1980, but shortly before the end it received the new 1.9-liter "Starfire" machine based on the 2.85-liter engine and the Opel -Motor replaced.

For a while there was talk of continuing the Torana / Sunbird series beyond 1980 with a UD series that would have resembled the Opel Ascona B from the start. But after the cars were outdated compared to the new Japanese models (especially the Datsun Bluebird and the Mazda 626 , but also the Chrysler Sigma ), Holden decided on the simpler way of simply introducing the new "Starfire" machine into the VC Commodore.

Finally, the Camira , a version of the front-wheel drive GM-J-Car, took over the role of the mid-range car with four-cylinder engine at Holden. The "Starfire" engine was still available for the Commodore for two years, also in the VH series.

model designation Vehicle type Construction period
LH-8UG69 Torana S 1900 Sedan 4 doors 05 / 1974-02 / 1976
LH-8UH69 Torana SL 1900 Sedan 4 doors 05 / 1974-02 / 1976
LH-8VB69 Torana S 6-cyl. / V8 Sedan 4 doors 03 / 1974-02 / 1976
LH-8VC69 Torana SL 6-cyl. / V8 Sedan 4 doors 03 / 1974-02 / 1976
LH-8VD69 Torana SL / R / SL / R 5000 / L34 Sedan 4 doors 07 / 1974-02 / 1976
LX-8UG69 Torana S 1900 Sedan 4 doors 02 / 1976-03 / 1978
LX-8UH69 Torana SL 1900 Sedan 4 doors 02 / 1976-03 / 1978
LX-8UH77 Torana SL 1900 Combi coupé 3 doors 07 / 1977-03 / 1978
LX-8VB69 Torana S 6-cyl. / V8 Sedan 4 doors 02 / 1976-03 / 1978
LX-8VC69 Torana SL 6-cyl. / V8 Sedan 4 doors 02 / 1976-03 / 1978
LX-8VC77 Torana SL 6-cyl. / V8 Combi coupé 3 doors 07 / 1977-03 / 1978
LX-8VD69 Torana SL / R / SL / R 5000 / A9X Sedan 4 doors 02 / 1976-03 / 1978
LX-8VD77 Torana SS / A9X Combi coupé 3 doors 07 / 1977-03 / 1978
UC-8UG69 Torana S 6-cyl. Sedan 4 doors 03 / 1978-12 / 1979
UC-8UH69-A9H Torana SL 6-cyl. Sedan 4 doors 03 / 1978-12 / 1979
UC-8UH77-A9H Torana SL 6-cyl. Combi coupé 3 doors 03 / 1978-12 / 1979

The LH Torana produced 70,184 copies, the LX Torana 65,977 pieces. Of the UC series - Torana and Sunbird - Holden built just over 55,000 cars.

Concept vehicles

Torana GTR-X (1970)

Torana GTR-X (1970)
Torana GTR-X 1970.JPG
Production period: 1970
Body versions : Combi coupe
Engines:
Petrol engines : 2.85–4.2 liters
(87–136 kW)
Length:
Width:
Height:
Wheelbase :
Empty weight : 1043 kg

The Torana GTR-X was designed during the construction of the LC Torana and was to go into series production in the early 1970s. It had a wedge-shaped fiberglass body with a tailgate and - at least as a prototype - the mechanics of the LC Torana GTR XU-1.

The GTR-X saw the sports car icons of the 1970s, e.g. B. the Ferrari 308 GT4, the Lotus Esprit or the Mazda RX-7 . It weighed 1,043 kg and reached a top speed of 210 km / h. A Torana GTR-X - in series production - would have been the first Holden vehicle to be equipped with disc brakes on all four wheels.

When Holden published the first advertising brochure about the GTR-X, it said: “(...) Its long, slim bonnet is highlighted by a wedge-shaped radiator grille. The body line swings up at the rear to a raised rear light unit. Simplicity is its design principle. This is achieved by means of covered headlights, a steeply inclined windshield, recessed parking and turn signal lights and fuel caps and door handles embedded in the body. The front and rear bumpers complete the body contour. You can recognize the car by the inscription GTR-X, which can be seen in a lively black and orange stripe along the door sills. "

The Torana GTR-X was already very well developed by Holden, the brochures had been printed, photos and advertising films had been made - all of this shows that Holden really wanted to mass-produce the car, but in the end people were afraid of the high costs and thought because of it The then still small population of Australia could not sell enough vehicles for profitable production.

One of the two GTR-X prototypes produced was recently restored to its original white color and is on public display in the Holden branch on Salmon Street in Melbourne .

Torana TT36 (2004)

Holden Torana TT36 (2004)

In 2004, Holden presented a sporty 5-door station wagon as a concept vehicle, which was called the Torana TT36 (TT = Twin Turbo; 36 = 3.6-liter V6). The model was said to introduce a new GM platform and anticipate the look of the new VE Commodore from 2006. The outside of the car was slightly larger than a BMW 3 Series , but with its large interior it was in competition with the BMW 5 Series . The response in the auto world was mixed, with some older Torana enthusiasts not liking the color and missing the crisp look of the 1970s Toranas.

Web links

Commons : Holden Torana  - collection of images, videos and audio files

source

  • Terry Bebbington, Michel A. Malik: 45 Years of Holden. Australian Publishing and Printing Company, Sydney NSW 1994, ISBN 0-947216-31-6 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Darwin, Norm: 100 years of GM in Australia , (2002), p. 276
  2. ^ Davis, Tony: Aussie Cars (1986), 114
  3. ^ Darwin, Norm: 100 years of GM in Australia , (2002), p. 281
  4. Darwin, Norm: 100 Years of GM in Australia , (2002), p. 288
  5. ^ Davis, Tony: Aussie Cars (1986), 152