1-of-1: 1977 Holden Torana A9X Hatchback
We see quite a few Australian classics at Barn Finds, which is understandable since we have a strong following Down Under. This 1977 Holden Torana A9X Hatchback is not the first we have seen, but it is unquestionably the most unusual. It doesn’t initially seem different, but its mechanical configuration makes it a genuine 1-of-1 vehicle with an interesting ownership history. The Torana is set for a new home, and I’m sure we will have readers who would consider pursuing it further.
While Australia hosted manufacturing facilities for a wide selection of marques, many people view Holden as the country’s only true brand. Early Fords were derived from American or European models, while other companies simply locally assembled foreign models. Holden strived to develop unique models, although there was undoubtedly foreign influence in styling and engineering at different times. The Torana was one of the staples from the late 1960s and into the 1970s, with the badge reaching the height of its power when Holden released the A9X version. It was a thinly disguised homologation special, designed to achieve success at the annual Bathurst 1000 race, held in October on the legendary Mt Panorama circuit. It was an evolution of the previous L34 version, bringing much-needed mechanical upgrades and the Hatchback body as an option. Holden released 405 examples to comply with racing regulations but also produced a run of rolling bodyshells that received a “GMP&A” designation on their Compliance Plate. GMP&A stood for General Motors Parts and Accessories, and while these vehicles were technically service spares, each was “walked” down the production line where the sound deadening was eliminated and additional welds added for improved strength and torsional rigidity. Sources quote varying figures, but it is believed that no more than fifty-one cars received that treatment. Our feature Torana wears a GMP&A plate and was built as a gift for factory Holden racing driver Wayne Negus after he attracted some welcome media attention due to his racing exploits. Holden was so impressed that they asked him what he would like as payment, and he chose an A9X as his reward. He followed his Torana down the production line, taking delivery of the “roller” on a Friday afternoon. He loaded it onto a trailer, took it to a friend’s house, and fitted its drivetrain that weekend. The car remains largely untouched, although it received a repaint in its unusual Mustard Yellow in 1994. That brings us to one area that makes this Torana unique. It was previously believed that all GMP&A bodyshells left the line finished in White. Therefore, this may be the only one to wear a different color when it left the factory. A close inspection reveals a typical array of chips and marks, confirming that it has been enjoyed as its creators intended. There is a small rust spot visible in one lower door corner. Otherwise, it is rock-solid. The A9X wears the correct scoops, spoilers, and fender flares, and sits on a correct set of steel wheels.
We’ve really only scraped the surface of what makes this Torana unique, but lifting the hood reveals more. The body additions were all practical, with the fender flares designed to cover 10″ racing wheels. The hood scoop allowed the engine bay to receive copious amounts of dense cold air, unleashing additional power from the 308ci V8. Roadgoing versions had a steel blanking plate below the scoop that could be left in place or removed at the owner’s discretion. This Torana has the scoop, but the hood is a standard Torana item without the blanking plate. Since the car is unrestored, it must have left the factory in that form. I don’t remember seeing another A9X with a standard hood, adding to the intrigue of this car. The 308ci V8 produced 236hp and 320 ft/lbs of torque, although modifications allowed under competition regulations pushed the power to 400hp in racing guise. All examples of the A9X featured a four-speed manual transmission, that fed the power to a “Salisbury” rear end. Power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes were also standard fare, addressing the brake and rear-end issues that were acknowledged weak points with the previous Torana L34. However, while this car retains the disc brakes and Salisbury rear end, Wayne Negus specified this Hatchback with a three-speed TH400 automatic. That makes it the only known automatic example ever built. It is in excellent mechanical health, having recently received a comprehensive service.
Holden didn’t restrict the A9X package to the body additions and mechanical upgrades, because the interior was as “bare-bones” as possible to reduce vehicle weight. Every car received the sports gauge cluster with a tachometer, but buyers didn’t receive items like a console or radio unless they ticked those boxes on the Order Form. Seats were typically covered in vinyl, but the Negus touch is apparent with this car when we open the doors. It features faux-woodgrain trim, a console, and herringbone cloth seatcovers. It also left the factory with a radio/cassette player, a power antenna, and air conditioning. Once again, I have never seen A/C on an A9X, further reinforcing the car’s unique status. The interior presents well for an unrestored survivor. There are no significant flaws or defects, and no signs of abuse. It carries the hallmarks of a car that has always been treated respectfully.
The demise of Holden has seen values for desirable models wearing the marque’s badge climb at an extraordinary rate. With the company’s assembly facility now dismantled and its testing facility now up for sale, there is little chance that General Motors will relent and revive a brand that became an integral part of the country’s identity. This 1977 Holden Torana A9X Hatchback would be considered rare in isolation, but its history and specifications make it genuinely unique. The seller listed it for online auction here at My105.com. Bidding sits at A$100,000 with over a week remaining on the auction. How high will it climb? Recent sales results suggest A$250,000 should be within reach, although I wouldn’t rule out a higher figure. Do we have any Australian readers who might consider joining the bidding party for this classic?
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Comments
The “Holy Grail” of our Torana’s (excluding Brockys, aka Peter Brock, aka Peter Perfect, racing A9X). Sadly this one was gifted by GM-H as an auto and with a towbar????
Yes I know the story behind this car, I’m Aussie, and a one of one is worth knowing about.
The A9X is up there with the legendary Ford GTHO phase 3.
The A9X was developed to conquer the Bathurst 1000, which it did extremely well.
Brocky, on the last lap of the 1000km race, 2 laps ahead of 2nd place, when told by management to coast home to victory, said stuff that, and set a lap record on the last lap.
5L, 308ci, and Aussie know how. This were all road legal cars btw. Nuff said.
Interesting story about Brocky and his GTR Torana (previous model).
He picked it up late at night from the Melbourne workshop just after it was built, drove it all the way to Bathurst (800km) to run it in, and then won the race.
Nice write up Adam, you could almost pass for an Aussie, almost.
The first Torana was actually a Vauxhall Viva, British crap 4 pot, and Aussie know how, took it from there.
Thanks so much for the feedback, Aussie Dave. Ah, yes. The HB Torana, based on the Vauxhall Viva. At least Holden made an effort (of sorts!) with the “Brabham” Edition. Power was boosted from 56hp to 79hp, which improved the situation. Everything up to the LJ was derived from the original Torana, but Holden started with a clean sheet with the body for the LH onward. Of course, the mechanical components were carried over. I will never forget Bathurst ’79. Brock not only won by 6 laps in his A9X and set a lap record on the final lap, but it was the first time one car led from the green to the checkered flags.
Adam is an honorary Aussie, as he hails from the 7th state of Australia, Kiwi land, (New Zealand).
Ah, the Opel 1900/Vega on steroids. Apparently, the Australians knew a thing or 2 about performance. Sadly we in the US figured they just got electricity a few years back and still Aborigines in canoes. I think it was propaganda, of sorts, on Americas part, can’t have someone better than the USA. The author, who I believe is from Australia, has shown more than once how wrong that was. Some really neat cars, such as this one proves, we weren’t the only ones with fast cars.
It also proves we aren’t the only ones exploiting classic car prices. Oh well, if you can’t beat them, join them,,,for a while. This too shall pass,,,
Horrendous racism here, Howard.
Howard, our Ford Falcon GTHO phase III, was the world’s fastest 4 door at the time. And I can vouch my dad’s phase III went past 140mph, as did his Fairlane with the phase IV running gear (factory fitted). Both fitted with 351 clevo’s.
Aussie know how, at it’s best.
Tell me i’m crazy but i’m thinking from profile an X-11 Citation
Or oversized Vega..Hey it was GM Australia!
Robert and Terry both make observations that this car resembles aspects of the Citation X-11 and a bit of Vega styling, that I was thinking also.
GM should have brought this to North America. Would have sold like hotcakes. Especially when the “Mad Max – Road Warrior” movie was becoming popular.
Every Aussie car appears to be a cross between a Dart and Falcon or a distant design relative of cars we’re familiar with in the USA.
Weird but they have a big following and Ive yet to understand why. Completely uninspiring in my opinion.
Nostalgia comes in all forms. Enjoy it if you do.
Makes me think of Opal at first glance every time I see a picture of one. Never saw one in person. Cool car.
Replay to Harry, sorry can’t reply to him directly.
Your a one eyed yank!!!!!
Nostalgia has nothing to do with it, but race winning does.
Google how many times a yank muscle car has won the Bathurst 500 (miles), or the Bathurst 1000 (kilometres). They tried and failed, most of them raced with the State licence number plates still attached. Meaning road registered cars. Back to the true meaning of win on Sunday, sell on Monday.
I’m damm proud to be Aussie.
“Aussie Dave” you completely misunderstand my point. Let me help you along .. the sense of nostalgia that anyone senses stems from events or things that they experienced in the past. Those feelings don’t equate to rigid fact in the real world. You inadvertently make good case for my remark when you get all excited with your default memories of “the glory days at Bathurst” as you consistently do when someone says something about these cars. It’s ignorant to take the meaning as an attack on your ethnicity or country when the less than favorable comments are simply directed at a car your country produced. Regardless of how fast they are or how many trophies collected or even the staggering prices they sell for, the overarching census is that the Australian designs are uninspiring and lack the striking design of what we enjoyed here the states at that time. Your insecurities are on full display. So enjoy your memories of the “Clevos and going 140 in your 4 door Vega/Dart/Falcon.”
Yes lots of time left, but at the moment only one bid.
That’s normal. I bid on a collection of something the other day, it was a 7 day auction and had one bid of $1.00, my bid was $45, it stayed at whatever the next increment was until some guy placed 4 bids before he surpassed my bid. That was 2 days ago, there are less than 2 days left. I’m expecting a couple of dealers to enter bids, if they find the auction, in the last hour and for the price to rise to well over $100. That’s the way these things tend to work out, many potential buyers will not show their hand until the very end, what’s happening now has no impact on the final price.
Steve R
Has front subframe like 1st & 2nd gen camaro & firebird, & 2nd gen novas & cousins. But it has rack & pinion steering. Tires made down under.
That Torana looks like an AMC Spirit only plainer and without the integrated bumpers. Thought and money was spent on everything but the bumpers. The more I look at it, this car looks like it was designed by American Motors, not Holden and not GM. The side mirrors are AMC mirrors by the look of them. The seats look like the seats in my Hornet AMX. It could be said that this Torana is a transition from a Hornet hatchback to a Spirit. It would be interesting to see a Hornet AMX, a Spirit AMX and a Torana X9X parked next to each other with the Torana in the middle. Then you’d see the design transition clearly. The Torana’s tail pipes are straight out of 1956 styling and are out of sync as are the bumpers with otherwise sleek styling.
Great car and backstory. Thanks to Adam and Ausie Dave for their comments. This is what makes BF a site to come back to.
The LH Torana was a redesigned and lightened HQ with 700 pounds shaved off
I saw one of these go for A$700k not too long ago. Definitely Vega styling. 308ci also looks very Chevy small block. Take a close look at one.
Spent a lot of time in an SLR 5000 back in the ’70s , this A9X GMP&A with an auto box is nothing short of a unicorn , I would think in excess of $1 million easily but current world economy might affect that
Like others I was thinking opel front end stuck on a Vega side profile very cool car I have never seen or heard of but how’s it a barn find? LOL that must be one heck of an expensive barn
I have an X-11 and that’s what caught my eye as well. Iconic profile.
Remarkable similarity with the hood and spoiler shapes also – as also with the Vega. The design teams were both working at about the same time, with the Citation reaching its final iteration around 1979 just before its 1980 release. So its not beyond imagination that there might have been meeting over a nice late night barbie and a few beers a couple of years earlier where some ideas may have been tossed around between camps – who knows????
Great writeup, Adam …… a bit off topic …. I had a 1970 (LJ?) Torana GTR with (I think) the 161 ci inline 6 some years ago and just loved it! A mate had a Holden Brougham with 253 ci V8 and regularly I dissed him on the 1/4 mile run …. My car was known as ‘Lime Riipple’ as it had been a bit beaten up in a previous life and been resprayed in a REALLY LOUD lime green. That was back in the days of Shocking Pink & Burnt Orange. Basically a Vauxhall Viva 2-door with a 6 cylinder stuffed into it and so much fun!!!
OH , I’m a Kiwi bt the way
Hmmmm 161? The LC GTR had a 186, and the LJ GTR had a 202
Factory GTR’had triple SU’s. Did yours?
Sooo..how much is shipping to 49684- U.S.A.??
Thank you, this is has always been my point with regards to the design of these cars. Seems like the US auto manufacturing all pitched in with sending parts of various cars to Australia.
Maybe they were inspired by Johnny Cash’s song “One piece at a time?”