Torana reaches record price at auction

By George Skentzos | March 11th, 2008

Proving the lust for Australian classics is far from over, a 1977 Holden Torana A9X has fetched a record $192,000 at Shannons Melbourne Motor Show Auction.

Spending the lesser half of its life behind a block of flats near inner Melbourne, the Jasmine Yellow four-door sedan emerged in show condition after an exhaustive nine-year restoration.

The Torana A9X was not the only classic to sell well above expectations, with a white 1977 LX Torana SS 5.0 Hatchback reaching $53,500 against a guiding range of $25-$40,000.

Other notable results include a meticulously-restored black 1966 Mustang notchback coupe that got $51,000 and a beautifully presented, low kilometre red 1971 Ferrari Dino 246 GT coupe that brought $180,000.

However the standout result was a nicely restored right hand drive 1935 Ford V8 Coupe that was pursued by over 10 telephone and floor bidders before eventually selling for $47,000 – well above Shannons’ $25-$35,000 guiding range.

In all, more than 65 per cent of all lots sold on the fall of the hammer for total sales of more than $2 million.

Andrew

The Dino is just fantastic. Timeless styling that represents one of the iconic marquees in the industry. Worth every penny IMO.
o

yes the dino for 180k is a bargain timeless classic styling who would pump out an extra 500k for a ford
Bavarian Missile

sigh where oh where has my old black A9X gone to in NSW? Hate to think what that would now go for now! Is it just me or is it too low for factory height?

Wheelnut maybe a A9X instead of a RT Charger……I still miss the beast. Great fun to drive too,better than the equivalent Ford of the time dare I say. Same floor pan as what the VB Commodore would get,there’s some useless info if you didn’t already know it.
Like the Dino too but prefer old OZ Muscle cars.. Anyone think the TRD Aurion will ever go down as Oz Muscle Car in 20 years? I think not!
Duck

Anti-Spam word falcon……..hehehehe!

The ferrari was sold cheaper than the torana!
Duck

BM, i thought you dislike (hate) Holden.
Bavarian Missile

No…..Duck.Surprised! Owned a few but my heart is with Ford in Muscle cars,but as Wheelnuts a Holden man we thought we would compromise with the RT…..however I do like the A9X still.
Richo

BM i thought the A9X more or less came from the factory ready to race, if so i wouldn’t be surprised at all for the ride height to be set at that level… however you’ve owned one so you would know more then me!
Wheelnut

Aahh yes but how would an SLR/5000 or an A9-X go up against an Aurion….? or the 380Kw Wide Body Camry….? Hey TP?
Bavarian Missile

Get off the computer you and cum talk to me.
http://db9 XR2_Capri

Duck,
quote “The ferrari was sold cheaper than the torana!”

In Australia icon terms,torana won Bathurst the ferrari didn’t = torana is worth more,icon wise that is.

Al Juraj

Yeah, it’s something like Garth Tander being a V8 champion while Mark Webber isn’t. All those dollars for such a worthless vehicle.

Reckless1

Wheelnut,

I’d put the A9-X up against the poxy Aurion at Bathurst any day.

With 20 years to improve, the Aurion is still inferior, and the engine probably wouldn’t last long enough for the front tyres to scrub out from the horrendous understeer.

Aussie muscle car it is definately NOT.
http://db9 XR2_Capri

1979 A9X sports model 240hp factory
2008 Aurion family hack/ taxi 260hp factory
Foggy

One of my mates had a fake SLR5000 about 20 years ago, what a chick magnet it was…. unfortunately they were all wearing a police uniform
golfschwein

Fer Chrissake, don’t invite Certain People into this blog! You’ll regret it! Oh, and a marquee is something you have a wedding under.
KJ

No offence, but it’s a car that you see today being driven by toothless rednecks with Confederate flags on the bumper. At least a classic Monaro/Falcon GT has some class to it.
http://impreza dlr1

With prices like that members of Torana clubs around the country must be wetting their pants in excitement now. I cant help but think that a few more may surface at auction once their owners realize wha they are sitting on.
Phill

Old Holdens are good.
FORD is No.1

New Holdens are bad
TP

Both old and new are better then Fords
FORD is No.1

Old and new Toyotas are for the blind and innocent who are pounded by billion dollar advertising, doesn’t make Toyota any better than Ford ya fruit cake..
http://. Naughtyius Maximus

LOL the new Hoff! Get in ya Prius with ya fairy comment!
troy

a9x

tough car, fast and fun. Very collectable as well.

BUT i think torana is aboriginal for TRACTOR

god they are horrible to drive!
Realcars

Any classic Toyotas for sale? ha, ha ,ha

No,I didn’t think so.

Straight to the tip my guess.
troy

“”
I’d put the A9-X up against the poxy Aurion at Bathurst any day.

With 20 years to improve, the Aurion is still inferior, and the engine probably wouldn’t last long enough for the front tyres to scrub out from the horrendous understeer.”"

torana wins on collectabilty and tuffness, oh and coolness.

BUT the aurions engine will take twice as much time to burn oil as a 308 holden lump. Also the aurions front wheels wont seek out and find EVERY rut, ridge and pothole in the road and proceed to rip the wheel from your hands. oh and it will be quiet, wont leak air at high speed or water in the rain like the torana.

saying this….. id own the torrie before an aurion ANYDAY just on the lack of coolness to the aurrie
troy

hey real cars

lets se a holden fetch the price that a toyota 2000gt will get??

nope…. didnt think so
Realcars

…what am I bid for this TuRD Aurion. Very unique and if u drive it backwards(and who would notice)it’s a rear wheel drive!
Realcars

Yeah Troy if u can find one that isn’t already backfill for a playing field! Ha Ha Ha.
troy

wouldnt be many mate

ALL in museums would be my guess.
Realcars

Toyota E type. Yes an historical exhibit of Japanese copying prowess.
Realcars

Go get em Torana

Any one remember that slogan?
Oz.

Hey Charger! …No wait that was Chrysler.
Realcars

R.T.S That was magic at the time.

Remember wheels doing a comparo between 3.3 HZ Kingswood SL (RTS equipped)and 5 series BMW of the era and the Kingswood came out on top?

My lx 3.3 Torrie stuck to the road like shit to a blanket.
Chad

Just go to show once again some people have more money than sense, but I guess as an investment maybe but I`d rather be enjoying driving a car not looking at it
Jon

Realcars
My lx 3.3 Torrie stuck to the road like shit to a blanket

Thats because it was shit and I`m guessing it still is
http://www.caradvice.com.au/11160/torana-reaches-record-price-at-auction/ Bogan hater

Man this site’s been overrun by Holden lovin’ bogans.

This article was about Holden Torana yet somehow the Aurion has been dragged into it – what’s up with that? They’re not in the same class or era. But that’s bogans for you. Probably shagging their cousins right now
Rich0

Bogan Hater – this thread has been taken over by nob heads in general, its not just on the holden side of the fence!

“ALL HOLDENS ARE CRAP TOYOTA’S RULE COS THE AURION HAS MORE POWER = BETTER AND NEW HOLDENS SUCK MORE THEN OLD HOLDENS HAHAHA HOW FUNNY THAT FORDS ARE BETTER TOO COS MY DADDY TOLD ME THEY ARE!!!!!!!!!111 TORANAS ARE SHIT COS THEY JUST IS I HAD ONE 20 YEARS AGO AND EVEN THO IT WAS THE BASE MODEL I STILL KNOW THAT THE A9X WAS SHIT TOO COS IT JUST IS HEY AREN’T WE JUST A GIANT BUNCH OF TOSS POTS?”

yes you are…
Rich0

Realcars – your right, R.T.S was a revolution at the time, pity they where still sticking R.T.S badges on commodores right up to the VS days when R.T.S was well past its day… But yeah that article between the kingswood and the commodore! BMW flew the then editor over to Germany for a please explain! They just couldn’t accept that some aussie cheapo car could handle better then their car! That’s untill they flew a kingswood over to germany and drove then thing and where all like “how can zis be?”

To be fair though those germans only make a mistake once! The next 5 series was brilliant
Rich0

obviously i meant the article between the kingswood and the 5 series…
http://impreza dlr1

I seem to recall a press release about the 1989 Batman movie with Michael Keaton that mentioned that even the Batmobile was fitted with RTS and TST.
Johny

“Toyota E type. Yes an historical exhibit of Japanese copying prowess.”

Wasn’t the Torana just a rebadged Opel? I’m not saying this is bad though, just saying Holden isn’t as ‘original’ as you think.
http://www.autoinsuranceselect.com atlantis

if im rich, i’ll buy a brand new car that i can drive like crazy, i’m not spending my cash for some oldie display..
Realcars

Yeah, the Torana was originally a derivative of the Vauxhall Viva?

During the sixties and seventies the Jap makers copied many Euro designs and concepts.
troy

AND improved them
Marty

The highly unpopular HB torana was a rebadged Vaxhaull Viva.. I think the LC/LJs kept the Viva’s floorpan, but apart from that they were all aussie.
Duck

FORD Is NO.1 say……….”New Holdens are bad”

Well thats odd because i hear that new fords are crap and old fords were good, which i believe!
Holdens are as good as they used to, there actualy getting better!
True Blue

Good folk, don’t bag each other for car loyalties that you don’t agree with but respect all who are toiling to preserve the old Aussie “Muscle Cars”. You all know that the “Green Police” will prevail and it’s good to know there are some people preserving motoring history for subsequent generations. Not so selfish really. Yes, the oldies do use a bit of fuel but their low km useage probably doesn’t equate to as much as “mums taxi” ferrying progeny around that should be introduced to their legs.
pragmaticus

You got to be kidding me?? I was oginally looking up specs on the Ferrari 246 Dino and somehow landed upon this Holden. I am not sure what the exchange to US dollars would be but $180,000aus for a car that looks like a pimped up chevy citation seems up bit much…even for the wacky land down under!!! I mean, at least the Mad Max car had a supercharger and wasn’t a four-door. I am looking for the fuzzy-dice and bobble-head on this one but cannot see any. Maybe it is Holden’s version of the 1964 Ford ThunderBolt (of which only 10 or so existed), except in awful 1970′s plummage instead of the slightly better 1960′s???
pragmaticus

As an addendum to my previous message:

Upon closer inspection of the vehicle (and I think all cars are at least worthy of another look), I see by the evil cant of it’s tires and their low-profile, that the car is probably set-up to move out when one tromps on the peddle.

And if the air-dams and wheel-well extensions fastened with stainless steel fasteners indeed have utility, then I may presume that it does have intentions of high-speed merriment, and thus, upon second thought, find it’s design fairly endearing….sorta like a wolf in grandma car clothing.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Pragmaticus,why bother commenting if you have no idea what your looking at ? Oh and the Blower on the XB didnt work,it was all show !

You obviously have no knowledge of Aussie Muscle cars……..you think this is expensive then 800k for a 1971 XY GT phase 3 of which 300 were made and 93 remain will floor you!
john

Underneath all of this is the “I am too good to be Australian”. If you really look at who is behind calling Torana lovers Bogans and the people that like GT Falcons or just fords they are all racist Migrants. People who like Fords have a grudge and need to prove to Aussies that we are hopeless that there was only grass and trees here when the migrants turned up and they built all and sundry and carried us all the way. I say to all who believe that people who like Holden’s are Bogans that they should get on the next boat and go home. My family was pioneering this place before there were docks that migrants tied there boats to. Guess what Bogans made the docks for them to tie there boats to. They created the farms for them to grow there crops and other items. They greased the wheels of progress with there blood their lives and there families lives while the rest of the world bitched and fought world wars over jack sxxt. Which lead them to run away from there mess to this country. Which they continue to do.
I say to all you pigs who want to call us Bogans, get out of our country as we are not more than the product of what this country has done to our families for generations leaving our families tired and in need of repair. When things actually became good every looser in the world came here and stole everything out from under us. Helped by an uncaring Government that shipped them here as they again held the unfortunate back by pulling losers from all over the world to prevent us locals from having a decent bit of the cherry. Even they didn’t want to give us a helping hand apparently our lives were just the grease in the wheels of progress. Anyone who calls anyone a Bogan is a migrant and they will never be Australian, until they become a bogan. Thats what this place does to you.