From The Classifieds: 1972 Holden Torana XU-1 LJ

From The Classifieds: 1972 Holden Torana XU-1 LJ

The Vauxhall Viva might have seemed an unlikely beginning for the car regarded as Holden’s most successful-ever sports sedan. But, as has been the case with many initially underwhelming British cars, unlikely beginnings often set the stage for a spectacular outcome.

Holden’s first Torana came in 1967 as a localised version of Britain’s Vauxhall Viva, and gave the company a credible entry in the small car category; neat style, reasonable interior space and an undernourished if relatively economical 1.2-litre engine defined the two-door only car.

But it is unlikely that, in 1967, the general public would have had any idea what was ultimately in store for the mild little Holden.

By 1977, a now much larger-bodied, second-generation Torana was offering not just a choice of two-door and four-door body styles, but also a diverse array of engine choices, from a 1.9-litre four-cylinder, to two six-cylinder powerplants from the Commodore range, and two V8s: The 4.2-litre Australian-built 253 and the muscular 5.0-litre 308. In A9X racing trim the Torana SL/R 5000 was a dominant force in Australian touring car racing.

But back to the beginnings. The first inklings of the Torana’s upcoming prominent role in motorsport came in 1969, when Holden introduced the six-cylinder GTR version.

Based on the two-door body (a four-door variant had been introduced in 1968) the GTR took the larger 2.6-litre version of the Holden six now available in the Torana, bumped up the power, screwed down the suspension and added some stripes to introduce some attitude to the still-pedestrian small car.

For all this, the GTR was a fairly half-baked effort compared to the XU-1 version that came in 1970.
 
Developed jointly by motor sport legend Harry Firth and the Holden Dealer Team, the XU-1 was the real deal. It used the bigger 3.0-litre 186 engine endowed with triple carburettors, performance camshaft and exhaust system to do all the things it could to mount a racetrack challenge to Ford’s GT-HO Falcons.

The GTR’s suspension was reworked, this time suiting it to racetrack work and, as a by-product, making it more compliant on the road than the bucking, inexpertly screwed-down original.

The XU-1 got the bigger, 3.3-litre 202 six-cylinder engine that came with the LJ series Torana in 1972 and, in the hands of Peter Brock, was victorious at Bathurst in the same year, where it finally got the measure of Ford’s Phase III GT-HO Falcons.

As one of Australia’s most iconic cars, the Torana XU-1 is treasured today by enthusiasts and a good example is this 1972 model on sale through carsales.com.au.

Hailing – somewhat appropriately – from Kingswood in South Australia, the Royal Purple XU-1 is priced at $85,000 and is claimed to be “absolutely immaculate” in every detail.

The car, which the owner claims drives “better than new” was built in May 1972 and comes with matching numbers, plus a letter of verification from Holden confirming its authenticity. The genuine XU-1 comes with a roadworthy certificate and, says the owner, must be seen to be appreciated.

A living, breathing piece of Australian motorsport history at a reasonable price.