Names like the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore are synonymous with the Aussie automotive industry, but less is known about the purebred sports car that almost became an Australian icon. It never went into production, but the Holden Torana GTR-X was meant to be our very own homegrown sports car, and now, the only known privately owned example is up for sale.
As a bit of a Holden history lesson, the Holden Torana GTR-X followed the remarkable Holden Hurricane concept in 1970, originally considered a more affordable sports car for the Australian market. Its design took plenty of cues from the legendary General Motors Chevrolet Corvette and even featured a similar fibreglass body on a “ladder” chassis.
Its 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine was borrowed from the boxier Holden Torana XU-1 (the GTR version of which Peter Brock raced in the mid-70s), and was able to deliver a solid 119kW of power while mated to a four-speed transmission. Such a car would have been very popular in Australia, but unfortunately, the project was scrapped and series production was never reached.
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In total, only three examples of the Holden Torana GTR-X were produced. One was destroyed after testing, another promotional example lives on in the National Motor Museum in Birdwood, and this is the only privately owned example in existence.
A true piece of Australian motoring history, and one that was brimming with potential as an iconic vehicle when it was designed, the folks at Ecurie Bowden are offering is up for sale. Arriving in “Lone O’ranger” (Orange) as a pre-production car, you’ll need to get in touch with them directly to negotiate a price, before restoring what could have been Australia’s most beautiful sports car.
