When a dealership takes a vehicle as a trade on a new car, they generally like to flip that trade pretty quickly. Those cars usually represent a significant slice of their profit margin on the new car, so the faster it sells, the faster they make that magic profit. That means that it is unusual to see a trade sitting around a dealership for more than a few weeks or months. This 1973 Holden Torana GTR is a very different story. It was taken as a dealer trade back in 1985. The dealer couldn’t find a buyer for the Torana quickly, so placed it aside in a shed… and promptly forgot about it. The GTR has recently been unearthed and is set to go to auction 35-years after it last saw the road. If this is a classic that sparks your interest, you will find it located in West Wyalong, New South Wales, Australia, and listed for sale here at Burns & Co Auctions. It isn’t clear what the Torana will finally sell for, but expert opinion suggests that a six-figure sale price is a strong possibility.

Hiding under that thick layer of dust is a Torana that is finished in a striking color called Tangerine. The car hasn’t been thoroughly inspected at this point in time, so it isn’t clear whether that dust is hiding any rust problems. The Torana could be prone to these sorts of issues, but it appears that the storage environment has been dry, which bodes well in that regard. The panels appear to be straight, and no-one has been tempted to fit aftermarket spoilers or bonnet locks, which is a significant plus. Both items were a common addition through the 1970s and into the 1980s. Our more astute Australian enthusiasts will notice that the Torana doesn’t roll on its original wheels. It has been fitted with what is referred to locally as “12-slotters” at some point in the past. These were a reproduction of a Ford product, and are wheels that the majority of our American readers will recognize. All of the trim, chrome, and glass is present, but the condition is difficult to determine under all of that dust.

The LJ Torana can trace its roots back to the humble 4-cylinder HB Vauxhall Viva, although the local Holden engineers made plenty of changes during the years following its introduction in 1967. The ultimate version of this series of Torana was the LJ XU-1. This was a 6-cylinder version that was introduced by Holden with the aim of securing a win in the annual 500-mile race conducted at Mt Panorama, Bathurst. The fact is that if you trace the majority of the performance cars that were produced by Holden, Ford, and Chrysler in Australia during the 1960s and 1970s, they were almost all produced for this specific purpose. Holden continued this trend into the 1980s and 1990s with hot versions of its Commodore. The XU-1 dragged more than 200hp from its 202ci 6-cylinder “Red” engine, which made the 2,420lb Torana a potent little performer. The GTR was not as highly tuned and didn’t feature the triple-carburetor system or radical camshaft that was an integral part of the XU-1 package. It still featured a 202ci engine, but this one produced 135hp. This power found its way to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission, while proceedings were brought to a halt by power front disc brakes. Performance figures were still pretty reasonable, and off the showroom floor, a GTR could cover the ¼ mile in 17.1 seconds. The beauty of the GTR was the fact that owners had ready access to a wide variety of performance upgrades. At that point in time, Australia wasn’t hampered by emission laws, so updating and improving engines was no real drama. There were plenty of owners who had managed to squeeze 200hp or more from these little engines, which made the lightweight Torana really sing. This GTR is said to have a genuine 86,000 km (53,400 miles) showing on its odometer. Given the fact that the car saw active duty for little more than a decade before it was parked, that is a figure that is possible. It isn’t clear what sort of state the car is in mechanically, but if the engine turns freely, then it might not take a lot of work to coax it back to life. My very first car was an EH Holden fitted with a similar motor. All I can say is that these engines are pretty robust. The fact is that if teenaged Adam couldn’t kill one of these, then no-one could!

The interior of the Torana is in surprisingly good condition, with no signs of any upholstery problems. The carpet looks to be fine, as does the majority of the plastic. The original radio is missing out of the dash, which is common to find. More often than not, owners used to pull the radio and slot in an aftermarket radio/cassette player. I suspect that that has been the case here. If a radio isn’t a necessity, then it is possible to buy a reproduction of the factory blanking plate for $60. The original and distinctive GTR wheel has also gone, and in its place is a SAAS Blackjack wheel. This should be bound in leather, but someone has fitted a wrap over it. The leather on these wheels could deteriorate over time, so I suspect that this has been the case here. Finding a genuine wheel will be a mission, but thankfully, there is a thriving industry for high-quality reproduction parts. That means that it is possible to buy a reproduction wheel with the correct GTR badge for A$585. When the driver slid behind the wheel, they found themselves facing a decent set of factory gauges, including a temperature gauge, an oil pressure gauge, an ammeter, a fuel gauge, and a tachometer. All of these items appear to still be in situ, and they are also in good condition.

I will readily admit that the Torana GTR is not as desirable as its XU-1 sibling, but finding an unmolested example today is quite a battle. When this car was traded at the dealership, it wasn’t considered to be a particularly desirable vehicle. While the XU-1 version could command respectable prices at that time, potential buyers would have been spoiled for choice if they went hunting for a GTR with $2,000 in their pocket. There is no indication of what the seller is expecting to get for this car, but a six-figure sum is not out of the question. The classic car scene in Australia is relatively buoyant at present, so anything is possible. Another factor to consider is that the timing for this car to appear couldn’t be much better. In February, General Motors announced the decision to “retire” the Holden brand. That means that Holden is set to follow brands like Pontiac into extinction. The last new Holden will roll out of the showroom before the end of the year, which means that classic Holden models are set to increase in value. That includes cars like this GTR. That could make this the right vehicle to buy at the right time.