Photo: u/NissanSilviaKs on Reddit
Not all rare and exotic performance cars have to be Italian. And not all V8-powered classics have to be American. Here's a 1974 Australian sedan that puts out up to 350 hp, spotted by a Redditor in Melbourne.
The Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 might not be incredibly pleasing to the eye - it's just your basic European/Japanese-looking sedan from the 70s, with a rear spoiler and some bolt-on flares. But it's a well-regarded and sought-after car, at least in Australia, where these things go for anything between $60,000 and $120,000. And pristine examples have an asking price three times as high.
"But... why?", you might ask. Well, first of all, the L34 was a performance package introduced for the Torana SL/R for homologation reasons, as Holden wanted to race the model in Group C of the Australian Touring Car Championship.
And not only did the L34 race in the Australian Touring Car Championship, but it completely obliterated the competition in the 1975 season, as all the winners of the 7 rounds held that year were driving this model. At the prestigious Bathurst 1000 in 1975 and 1976, all the drivers on the podium were L34 drivers. So, the car has a great racing pedigree.
Secondly, it was only in production in the final months of 1974 and only 263 cars were ever made, with just 30-40 estimated still in existence. All of the L34s left the factory race-ready, powered by a 5-liter V8 reworked by Repco Engine Developments, with an M21 four-speed transmission.
Holden was and still is a part of General Motors, but the V8 was Australian-made and it was rated conservatively by the manufacturer at 240 hp, although it was capable of up to 350 hp if it was set-up properly.
With Holden permanently closing up shop by the end of this year, the Torana SL/R 5000 L34, last of a dying breed of Australian muscle cars, is set to become even more collectible.
"But... why?", you might ask. Well, first of all, the L34 was a performance package introduced for the Torana SL/R for homologation reasons, as Holden wanted to race the model in Group C of the Australian Touring Car Championship.
And not only did the L34 race in the Australian Touring Car Championship, but it completely obliterated the competition in the 1975 season, as all the winners of the 7 rounds held that year were driving this model. At the prestigious Bathurst 1000 in 1975 and 1976, all the drivers on the podium were L34 drivers. So, the car has a great racing pedigree.
Secondly, it was only in production in the final months of 1974 and only 263 cars were ever made, with just 30-40 estimated still in existence. All of the L34s left the factory race-ready, powered by a 5-liter V8 reworked by Repco Engine Developments, with an M21 four-speed transmission.
Holden was and still is a part of General Motors, but the V8 was Australian-made and it was rated conservatively by the manufacturer at 240 hp, although it was capable of up to 350 hp if it was set-up properly.
With Holden permanently closing up shop by the end of this year, the Torana SL/R 5000 L34, last of a dying breed of Australian muscle cars, is set to become even more collectible.
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