In 1969 Holden did a nose job on their Vauxhall Viva-based four cylinder Torana to allow room for a straight six. No sooner had they done this than a performance version was offered - the LC GTR.

Having retired the Monaro from racing with the arrival of the heavier HQ, Holden Dealer Team and privateers had to find another solution to compete with Ford’s 351 Falcon on Australia’s racetracks. Introduction of the LJ Torana lead to the release of the race-special GTR XU-1. Ably assisted by the brilliant driving of a young Peter Brock, the six cylinder XU-1 conquered Bathurst in 1972. Available as a two or four door - the XU-1 sported a heavily modified head, triple side-draft Strombergs, stiff suspension, rear spoiler and numerous cosmetic enhancements.

With the all new LH of 1974, Holden retained the Torana name but added it to a larger, locally designed sedan. The mildly face-lifted LX of 1976 added a two door hatchback option. In both sedan and hatchback the Torana became a multiple Bathurst winner with Holden’s 308 cubic inch (5.0ltr) V8. The SLR 5000-based A9X created yet another local performance legend - winning back to back Bathursts in 1978/79.