Torana Timeline

---

Did you know that the Holden was named after James Alexander Holden, who in 1852, at the age of 17 years, immigrated to South Australia from Staffordshire, England.  Originally a leather-worker and saddle-maker, Holden extended his work in 1908 to carrying out repairs to car upholstery.  He soon manufactured automobile hoods and side-curtains and in 1914, extended his business to manufacturing custom-made car bodies using laborious carriage-building techniques.

  1967.   The first small Holden, called 'Torana', is introduced. Taking the name from an Aboriginal word meaning 'to fly', it is based on the English Vauxhall Viva.  The Torana is prefixed as the HB. Between 1967 and 1969, 36,561 are produced.

  1968.   Torana bodies are made in Australia for the first time.

  1969.   The HB Torana is replaced by the Australian-designed LC, available with an imported 'four' or a locally made six-cylinder engine. Between 1969 and 1972, 74,627 are sold.

  1970.   The stunning GTR-X is exhibited to an enthusiastic response, but the car does not go into production.

  1971.   A DeLuxe version of the four-cylinder LC Torana is released with a 1.6 litre engine.

  1972.   The LJ Torana, the third small Holden, is launched. Between 1972 and 1974, 81,453 are built.

  1973.   Peter Lang drives a Torana to victory in the Australian Rally Championships.

  1974.   The fourth Torana, the bigger LH model, is announced. Available only in four-door form, it is one of the few cars ever offered with a choice of four, six and eight cylinder engines.  Between 1974 and 1976, 71,408 are built. The TA Torana, basically a facelifted LC, is offered with a choice of 1.3 litre and 1.7 litre four-cylinder engines. By years end, 9,288 are sold.

  1975.   Colin Bond drives a Torana to victory in the Australian Touring car Championships.

  1976.   The LX Torana range is unveiled, with a sedan body and a locally produced hatchback.  There is also a choice of four, six and eight cylinder engines.  Just under 50 000 LX Toranas are produced, including 8 527 hatchbacks. Late in the year, the four-cylinder LX is revised and relaunched as the Holden Sunbird.  Sedan and hatchback variants are offered.

  1977.   Radial tuned suspension (RTS) was added to the Torana. The Torana range is expanded with the release of the A9X performance equipped package. Available with sedan and hatchback bodies, this turns the 5-litre V8 Torana into one of the most potent road cars ever built in Australia.

  1978.   The four and six-cylinder UC Torana and UC Sunbird are released, both with a choice of sedan and hatchback body styles. Later in the year, the Opel-built four-cylinder Sunbird engine is replaced by the Australian-made Starfire 1.9 litre 'four'.  A total of 53 007 UC Toranas and Sunbirds are sold.

  1979.   The last Torana is sold after 11 years of production, six series of models and 370 000 sales.