Holden · 1967–1980

Holden Torana

The Holden Torana is a mid-size car that was manufactured by Holden from 1967 to 1980. The name apparently comes from a word meaning "to fly" in an unconfirmed Aboriginal Australian language. 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 1969–1973 (LC and LJ series) cars included more popular, longer-wheelbase six-cylinder versions, and with the 1974–1977 (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, 1972–1976) 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.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: Holden Camira

All Holden Torana data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years → + Compare

First generation

=== HB === 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 rear tail panel (no registration plate recess), the deletion of the Viva's dashboard air vents, the wheel trims, and the badging. Holden's HB Torana sedan was produced in three model specifications: Torana, Torana S, and Torana SL ... these models effectively mirrored the concurrent larger HR Holden sedans with their three-tiered specification of Standard, Special, and Premier. A 'sports' option package was released in October 1967, called the 'Brabham' Torana, named in honour of the Australian race driver, Sir Jack Brabham, who at the time was the reigning F1 World Champion and Australian of the Year for 1966. The Brabham Torana's engine featured twin CD Zenith-Stromberg carburettors fitted with individual sports air cleaners. Together with a low-restriction exhaust system, power was boosted to 79 bhp (59 kW; 80 PS). The Brabham option (available only with manual transmission on Torana S or Torana SL) also included wider wheel rims and red-wall tyres, power-assisted front disc brakes, black body accents, and subtle 'Brabham' identification badges attached to the leading edges of the front fenders and to the rear boot lid. In early 1968, a "Series 70" engine option (equivalent to the '90' option for

Second generation

=== LC === The next generation of Holden Torana, the LC-series, appeared in October 1969 and was made available with a range of a four-cylinder or six-cylinder engines. The inline six had a capacity of 138 cu in (badged as the '2250'); a 161 cu in engine (badged as the '2600') was optional. The six-cylinder cars had a longer wheelbase (100 inches against the 95.8 inches (2,430 mm) of four-cylinder models), a more aggressively styled and longer nose to accommodate the larger engines, and offered a choice of three-speed column shift or four-speed floor shift manual transmissions or the new locally GM-manufactured 'Trimatic' three-speed automatic transmission with column or floor shift. A bench front seat was available for some column shift models. The LC Torana won Wheels magazine's Car of the Year award 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 Torana engine was not carried over to the LC-series and the model itself was also 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 OHC engine option also included a strengthened gearbox. Body styles were based upon the previous HB-series, but the new six-cylinder cars were of a significantly different external appearance. All LC Toranas shared a new body shape rear of the 'B' pillar, but shared windscreen and front doors carried over from the HB-series (modified with the recessed door handles now required by Australian Design Rules [ADRs]; further to this, all LC four-cylinder cars carried over HB body panels forward of the 'A' pillar. The LC-series was available in two-door and four-door versions of base (four-cylinder only), S,

Third generation

=== LH === March 1974 had the first completely new Torana body, with the arrival of the larger mid-sized LH series, produced in four-door sedan style only. It resembled other GM products of its generation, notably the Opel Rekord D and particularly in overall size and profile, the closely related FE series Vauxhall Victor. It was unique in that, following the addition of a four-cylinder option in May 1974, the same body style was available with a choice of inline-four, inline-six, or V8 engines, specifically, 1.9-litre Opel four, 2.85- and 3.3-litre Holden 'red' sixes, and 4.2- and 5.0-litre Holden V8s. Low-compression versions of the fours and sixes were also available for export markets. Exports were made to the Philippines, where the Torana 1900 was sold as the "Holden 1900". The 5.0-litre engine was reserved for the sporting LH Torana SL/R 5000 sedan. A special build derivative of the SL/R 5000 was the Bathurst-intended 'L34 Option', of which only 263 were built, with a higher-compression engine with stouter components for more power and durability in competition use. The most notable external feature of the L34 was the bolt-on wheel arch extensions, designed to accommodate the larger racing rims and tyres. According to Holden, the top speed of the SL/R 5000 was 208 km/h (129 mph). The L34 option, which was first seen in 1975, proved to be fast and successful, yet fragile, in Australian touring car racing. It was eventually superseded by the evolutionary A9X option made available in the LX Torana series in 1977. The A9X road car was delivered with a standard L31 5.0 V8 (detuned to comply with emissions laws), but used the L34 motor in races which was developed by Repco for the LH SL/R 5000 H.O. L34. The A9X version of the Torana had a larger 10-bolt Salisbury diffe

Torana concept cars

=== Torana GTR-X === The Torana GTR-X was designed during the era of the LC series, and was seriously considered for production in the early 1970s. The GTR-X had a wedge-shaped fibreglass body featuring a hatchback rear access, and the prototype cars had LC Torana GTR XU-1 mechanical components. The GTR-X looks similar to iconic sports cars of the 1970s, such as the Maserati Khamsin and the Porsche 924. It weighed 1,043 kg (2,299 lb) and has a top speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). The Torana GTR-X in production would have been the first Holden car to be factory fitted with four-wheel disc brakes. When Holden released a promotional brochure about the GTR-X, they said, "Its long, sleek hood is accentuated by a low, wedge-shaped grille. The body line sweeps up at the rear to an elevated tail light assembly. Simplicity is the keynote. It is achieved by concealed headlights, sharp windshield rake, recessed parking and turning lights, and flush petrol filler access and door handles. Front and rear bumpers assume the contour of the body. To identify the car, the GTR-X identification is contained within a crisp black and orange stripe running parallel to the rocker panel". The Torana GTR-X was highly developed by Holden from concept, and though brochures, photography and promotional films were produced to show how serious they were in putting the car into production, the company was ultimately unable to justify the high cost of committing itself to production given the size of the Australian population then. The only existing complete prototype GTR-X car was originally white, but painted silver in the mid '70s. It had UC Torana SL/E wheels fitted and a few other cosmetic changes (bonnet badge, etc.) made in an attempt by Holden to update the car for the times and "restore it". Duri

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Holden Torana

aka

Holden Sunbird (4 cylinder version)

Manufacturer

Holden

Production

1967–1980

Assembly

Australia: Adelaide, South Australia (Elizabeth), Brisbane, Queensland (Acacia Ridge)

Class

Compact car/Mid-size car

Layout

Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive

Successor

Holden Camira

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q739622CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_ToranaCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1370841913 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1978-1979_Holden_UC_Torana_SL_sedan_02.jpgPublic domain · Photo: OSX · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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