Very rare Holden Torana A9X goes to auction

Auction house Pickles will sell a 1977 Holden Torana A9X that's truly one of a kind.

The car never won Bathurst – nor any other touring car race, for that matter. It's a car with a complex history and didn't even begin life as a true production car. Yet it's the car's history that makes it something genuinely different from other Holden Torana A9X models that have previously sold for such big sums.

This particular car has only travelled 475km – virtually all that distance at race speeds. But the Torana never raced in the category for which it was specifically developed.

The story begins with Holden's manufacture of 33 special lightweight body shells for racing versions of the A9X Torana. The shells were also sold without a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) stamped anywhere on the bodywork.

All 33 shells were painted white and double-seam-welded for strength. Weight-reduction measures included pared-down hinges, bumpers, tailgate glass and steel panels. Only Holden-supported race teams were able to purchase these shells – through GM's Parts & Accessories division, prompting an outcry from other race teams on the reasonable grounds that the lightweight body didn't comply with regulations applicable at the time.

CAMS (the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport) investigated, but Holden threatened to withdraw from racing, making the claim the difference in weight was due to the conversion from imperial to metric measurements earlier in the 1970s. It was a dubious claim that didn't really withstand close scrutiny, but CAMS caved under the threat of Holden's withdrawal from the category.

Ron Hodgson purchased three of these shells from Holden, immediately building up two as race cars and leaving the third shell spare as a potential replacement in waiting, should one of the race cars be written off during a race.

Two years later the Torana was being replaced by the then-new Commodore in touring cars and the spare shell was superfluous to needs. Hodgson's chief mechanic, Peter Molloy, was instructed to build a new car wrapped in the shell and powered by a Group C (400bhp) 308 CID (5.0-litre) V8 that drove through a Warner T10 transmission.

The completed vehicle was presented to New South Wales collector Pat Burke, who kept it sequestered with other prized possessions in his 'Modena Collection'. After several years the collection was broken up and the Torana was acquired by the late Paul Terry for his Esplanade Extravaganza Gallery in Albany, WA.

In 1992 the Torana took part in an historic event, 'Round the Houses'. The current owner became aware of the Torana's existence from the car's two demonstration laps at the event and made Terry an offer to buy the car the following year. Like Terry and Burke before him, the car's current owner is a collector and the Torana currently resides in Perth with a number of other historic racing cars. Apart from gentle laps of the Barbagallo circuit, the Torana has been hardly driven and has never been registered for the road. Its odometer reads 475km.

The current owner says the Torana is "as new" and "tight as a drum". It has been started regularly and properly maintained. Since the current owner purchased the car in 1993, the Torana has travelled just 200km. Desirable features include 15-inch Simmons three-piece alloy wheels with Pirelli P7 225/50 tyres and Recaro seats inside.

Pickles notes that many of the original 33 shells built by Holden have succumbed to race damage or have been since modified from standard in other roles.

"A more original example than this is hardly likely to exist," the auction house states in a press release.

"An inspection of this car is sure to more than impress. It is a remarkable motorcar with an amazing story and pedigree – easily likened to a piece of preserved artwork – a unique item reminding us in a most tangible way of one of Australia's most important V8 racing cars."

The Torana can be inspected Saturday, August 25 and Saturday, September 1, between 9am and 1pm. Pickles are taking bids for the Torana in an online auction that is scheduled to conclude at 7pm on Sunday, September 2. Further details are available at a dedicated web page, but beware...

During the course of writing this story, the highest bid had already reached $160,500 – and there's still over a week remaining to place higher bids.