Holden officially killed the V8 Torana with the UC — but a factory-sanctioned dealer could still order you a turbocharged six. Only 33 of these UC SL/T turbos were ever built, in batches of five.
Lead trim: 2.85 Red 173 OHV six · up to 97 hp
Holden Torana UC1978–1980
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Holden Torana UC yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactHolden officially killed the V8 Torana with the UC — but a factory-sanctioned dealer could still order you a turbocharged six. Only 33 of these UC SL/T turbos were ever built, in batches of five.
The introduction of the UC Torana in March 1978 brought the end of V8 power and of the sporting SL/R variant in the Torana range. The UC series featured a significantly altered frontal appearance, with square headlamps and a smoother front end, and a completely new interior dash layout, and the range was rationalised to two equipment levels and two six-cylinder engines, the 2.85-litre and the 3.3-litre. A factory-sanctioned dealer option of a turbo, the UC SL/T, was offered, but only 33 were built. The Holden Sunbird was also updated to UC specifications and continued as a 1.9-litre four-cylinder car, initially with the Opel engine and from September 1978 with the locally produced 1,892-cc Starfire Four; the UC Torana was dropped from the range in 1979 after the release of the VB Commodore, while the Sunbird continued until the last Australian Sunbird was built in September 1980. Just over 55,000 UC series Toranas and Sunbirds were produced.
Collectors Spotted in the Holden Torana Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Holden Torana yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9 Opel CIH four Sunbird | 1978–1978 | 1.9 L Inline-4 | 97 hp | 116 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 1.9 Starfire OHV four Sunbird | 1978–1980 | 1.9 L Inline-4 | 80 hp | 103 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 2.85 Red 173 OHV six | 1978–1979 | 2.8 L Inline-6 | 78 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3.3 Red 202 OHV six | 1978–1979 | 3.3 L Inline-6 | 86 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Holden officially killed the V8 Torana with the UC — but a factory-sanctioned dealer could still order you a turbocharged six. Only 33 of these UC SL/T turbos were ever built, in batches of five.
The LX Torana's race-bred A9X option wore a bonnet scoop that faced backward — built to feed the carburettor, not the wind, for maximum power on track.
The LH Torana's hottest version, the L34, wasn't sold to just anyone: Holden quietly required a current CAMS racing licence before a dealer could let you buy one.
The TA Torana was only ever meant as a stopgap, built for 11 months to bridge a gap before its real replacement — and it still moved 11,304 units.
In pouring rain at Bathurst 1972, Peter Brock drove the XU-1 solo for all 500 miles to beat the mighty Ford GTHO — the start of the Torana legend.
Nobody's fully sure who designed the LC Torana's four-door body — some accounts say Australia shipped the design to Britain for the Vauxhall Viva saloon, though Vauxhall's own historians say it was the other way round.
This Torana's sport option was named for the reigning Formula One World Champion — Australian driver Sir Jack Brabham.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
It briefly served as senior sibling to Marquette, a GM companion brand cancelled after just one year.
Nissan hired former BMW engineers to help develop the 510's suspension, which is why period reviewers frequently compared its handling to the BMW 1600/2002.
A Trabant 601 won its class at the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally, with a second 601 right behind it in second.
The 600 was a stopgap: the P50's body over the 601's mechanicals, and for a while its estate was built alongside the new 601 saloon.
The G80 Sport brought a 370 PS twin-turbo 3.3 V6, a mesh grille and copper-tinted chrome with copper stitching to match.
The Vigor was sold only with a five-cylinder engine, an unusual configuration Honda used to fit a longer engine transversely under a short hood.
The GS/E coupe earned the nickname "German Charger" for its long hood, short deck stance borrowed from Detroit muscle cars.
This DeVille/Fleetwood was the first production car anywhere to mount its V8 sideways, Cadillac's front-drive gamble on the new C-body.