Torana Trilogy (3 Disc Box Set)

Torana A9X
Holden's Torana A9X Hatchback hit the racetracks in late 1977 as GMH attempted to halt the big dollar Moffat Ford Dealer Team steamroller that took first and second placings in the 1977 Australian Touring Car Championship.

Peter Brock threw down the gauntlet to Allan Moffat at the Sandown 500 with a debut victory in his privateer Torana A9X, but both Moffat and Colin Bond took sweet revenge with a one/two result at Bathurst as lack of development proved costly for the leading Toranas.

In 1978, the A9X had proved to be both an excellent road and race car as Peter Brock, now back with Holden Dealer Team, blitzed the ATCC.

The A9X Toranas, with a 400hp V8, roller rocker overhead cam gear, four wheel disc brakes, Detroit locker diff and wide allow wheels set the pace at Bathurst with Brock grabbing pole from Ford's Bond and Moffat.

Brock was slow away on raceday in foggy conditions then charged back through the pack as rivals dropped by the wayside.

Brock and New Zealand co-driver Jim Richards cleared away to win by a lap from the A9X of Grice/Leffler.

Things got even better for A9X and Holden in 1979. Bob Morris won the ATCC from HDT's Brock and John Harvey without Ford getting a look in.

Then Brock and Richards thrashed all-comers at Bathurst to record an unprecedented six-lap vistory with Brock claiming a lap record on the last circuit in his fabulous A9X.

It was the end of an era for Torana with five BAthurst tophies on the shelf while gaining a deserved reputation as on of Holden's great sporting icons.

Torana SLR 5000
Holden’s SLR5000, known as L34 in its Bathurst-winning race spec, was the V8 successor to the nimble Torana XU-1, and debuted by Peter Brock as he won the final two races of his first touring car championship title in 1974. But it was Colin Bond who was the star of Harry Firth’s Holden Dealer Team in the five-race manufacturer’s championship. HDT pipped the Falcon contingent of Moffat, Goss and Carter with a final victory at Phillip Island.

This classic cinema film represents Aussie motoring racing – seventies style. In a much different scenario to today’s high-tech Supercars, we revisit the days of long hair, flared jeans and leisurely pit stops. The V8 Torana came into its own in 1975. Brock had joined the privateer ranks after deciding to move on from HDT and fronted up to Bathurst heading up the Gown-Hindaugh team, with Brian Sampson as co-driver. The race was to be a Bond/Torana and Moffat/Falcon showdown, while Brock slotted into third, running at a pace to get the car home. Sure enough, Bond and Moffat struck problems and Brock led home a Torana clean sweep with SLRs and XU-1s taking all nine outright class-finishing positions.

Sydney’s Bob Morris was Peter Brock’s most persistent Torana rival in the late seventies, with both taking out touring car titles. Brock came to Bathurst in 1976 having delivered a crushing victory in his Team Brock Torana at the Sandown 400, but Moffat claimed pole with the Bond/Harvey and Morris/Fitzpatrick Toranas third and fourth on the grid. Another Torana was piloted by legends Jack Brabham and Stirling Moss – their chances ended by a start line accident.

Morris won a fluctuating race in dramatic circumstances when co-driver Fitzpatrick brought home an ailing car ahead of Bond and Brock. Again, Torana V8s had dominated Bathurst with the L34 claiming the top seven finishing places.

Torana XU-1: When You're Hot, You're Hot
Holden threw down the gauntlet to arch rival Ford in the late sixties when Bruce McPhee/Barry Mulholland and Colin Bond/ Tony Roberts claimed Bathurst victories in 1968 and 1969 with their mighty V8 Monaros.

Ford, not to be outdone, upped the ante with their Phase II GT HO 351 Falcons in 1970.

With the Monaros now out-powered, Holden opted for a David versus Goliath scenario by introducing a nimble six-cylinder Torana to do battle on racetracks around the country – the Torana GTR XU-1.

The XU-1 proved to be a fabulous road and race car with victory – courtesy of Peter Brock – at Bathurst in 1972 and a near-thing in 1973, while Colin Bond dominated rally championships for Holden Dealer Team in the same era.

The Torana XU-1 (and its V8 brothers) went on to secure a place in Holden history with five memorable victories at Mount Panorama during the seventies.

Peter Brock recalls the XU-1 at Bathurst. “It was a car you really had to come to grips with to drive at competitive pace. Because of its relative narrow track, reasonably long wheel base and power to weight ratio, it would get up on two wheels easily – for some of the most exciting moments of my motor racing career!”