The Holden Torana was the mini-muscle car that could for Australia. The A9X and S/LR packages turned what was basic small-car motoring into something to behold with the addition of the 308ci Holden V8. 240 horsepower doesn’t seem like a lot, but in a car that was barely tipping over two tons, that made for some sprightly behavior in the mid-1970s…and if it was good from the factory, it just got better when it got into the hands of gearheads. Having Peter Brock stomping around tracks in the car didn’t hurt anything, either. But that was 1977…1978 brought the bad news to the lineup: no more V8 power, no more A9X, no more 10-bolt with rear disc brakes. The Torana had returned to it’s basic transportation roots and had adopted a more subtle, toned down look.
Like that’s ever stopped a true gearhead before. Look at this little beast of a car. Yeah, four doors, whatever…on slot mags, with that ducktail spoiler and the wild paint job, it looks the part. With a 304ci “Red” V8 raided from an early Commodore, it promises to go the part. And with a weak-ass Toyota manual transmission that commits hara-kiri behind an Australian V8, it’s not going anywhere swiftly. But it’s still the promise…it’s a small car that looks capable of big fun. Mr. Regular compares it in size to a Fox-body Mustang or an AMC Eagle. A five-liter engine in either one of those machines makes for some fun times. But the four-doors and the freak-factor of having a never-seen car has us searching Gumtree now….
