Rare Holden Torana A9X breaks record at auction
1977 Torana A9X GMP&A falls short of $1 million target, but sets record for classic racing hatchA super-rare 1977 Holden Torana A9X GMP&A hit a record price for the model at auction over the weekend, selling for more than $800,000 after intense bidding between two prospective buyers.
Despite the record, when the bidding finally stopped at $750,000 – and auction fees pushed the final price up beyond $800K – it was short of the expected $1 million target for the classic Torana, which is Build Number 1 of 33 special lightweight body shells manufactured by Holden to go racing in the late 1970s.
It’s never been raced, or even registered for the road, with the odometer displaying a verified 475km.
All 33 examples of the unique Holden muscle car were sold via General Motors’ Parts & Accessories division, hence the GMP&A moniker. They were all painted white, double-seam-welded for extra rigidity and never stamped with a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
Auction house Lloyds said two bidders – one online and the other on the phone – fought for 15 minutes before the final price of $775,000 was reached.
According to Lloyds, the last Holden Torana A9X GMP&A model sold by the auction house went for $500,000 in 2018, showing “a significant increase in Holden values in [just over] two years”.
“We are not surprised at this result because this is the holy grail of Holden motor collector cars in the country, and since the closure of Holden they have only become all the more popular,” said Lloyds Auctions chief operating officer Lee Hames.
Other Holdens to go for record prices at auction recently include the last Commodore (a 2017 VFII SS-V Redline sedan) to be framed, painted and allocated a serial number, which sold for $750,000, as well as a 2017 HSV GTSR W1 Maloo Ute that set a new auction record for an Australian-made production vehicle with a final price of $1.05 million.
Meanwhile, another sought-after Holden went to auction over the weekend, a low-kilometre Holden Commodore VK Group A, with less than 7000km on the clock.
The ‘Blue Meanie’ ended up with a final auction price of $510,625, once fees were added.
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