62 replies to this topic

[xu2308]

They were taken from HDT HQ (Harry Firth's Workshop) and sent to Lang Lang to be hidden until the Dust settled on the Supercar Scare, never heard of the Goverment doing that to Holden and Ford over the V8 LJ and Phase 4 etc

[StephenSLR]

I also have heard they made only a few and then the Government took them away. Then I have heard only some were taken away by the government and some were also went missing days before the raid. 

 

The government doesn't do that, Holden didn't commit any crimes.  At the time, the media had a slow news weekend and hyped up the news about car companies releasing 'supercars' and how dangerous our roads would be, etc. The govt. panicked and set a restriction on the power to weight ratio on cars that car companies could release for sale.  All the car companies that had planned on releasing high performance vehicles that exceeded those limits had to then abort their plans. It wasn't only Holden that was affected.

 

I heard one of the V8 XU-1's was smashed at Lang Lang and Holden took the V8's out of the other two and put 6's back into them. This of course is just another rumour of many.

 

s

Edited by StephenSLR, 06 September 2014 - 10:54 AM.

[Potta]

Yeah there is an official story and then there is the truth.

[xu2308]

I don't believe they crashed tested any of the V8 LJ's, only thing we don't know is how the Pink LJ GTR and White LJ GTR left GMH (By Tender or GMH Employee) we know for fact the Lone o Ranger (Orange) LJ GTR was Put up for Tender in Feb 1975, this is what we know.

[StephenSLR]

 

@ 0.46 in this clip there's a different style of XU-1 sticker.

 

Could this have been what the V8 XU-1 sticker was going to look like?

The car also features a hood scoop suited for a V8

 

s

Edited by StephenSLR, 05 April 2015 - 12:25 PM.

[xu2308]

That is the Stying Car (Barney Shirt) as I said those who were at the Book Launch of Torana Tough, would of heard Leo the Styling Guru say he and he only has the Photos of LJ's with XU2 Decals on them.

[StephenSLR]

I first worked as a district sales manager based at the company's NSW manufacturing plant at Pagewood, now the site of the Eastgardens shopping centre.

The job took me all over NSW to manage the company's relationship with 10 country Holden dealers, from Orange through to Dubbo and north-west up to Cobar, Walgett and Burke.

Since they were first made in Australia in 1948, Holden cars have been a familiar site on roads and racetracks across the country, creating memories of summer holidays, first cars and first dates.

Due to a shortage of brand new cars from time to time, it was sometimes hard to for the company to find me a mainstream production vehicle as a company car.

So I was often given unusual vehicles, some of them coming from the promotional pool.

One that stands out was the specially built Torana SLR XU1 police evaluation vehicle, which I was trusted with at the tender age of 22.

A special car with "Bathurst" engine mods, racing suspension and close-ratio gearbox but with no external body modifications indicating anything other than a standard Torana SLR.
 
It was very hard to drive this car below the speed limit. Its minimum speed in reverse was 20 kilometres an hour, making it hard to reverse out of driveways without burning rubber.
 
And the temptation was there at every traffic light.

 
https://www.abc.net....n-wall/11984836

 

I think he means to say the XU-2 which became the 5000 or more specifically the L34?

 

"Maybe? I don’t think they made any though prior to LH restricted production.The XU2 was the L34, it was delayed to be released later and they instead released the SLR5000. Either he means the only SLR5000 (Saffron car) built for Press evaluation (this was assigned to Pagewood) or an evaluation SLR5000 fitted with L34 engine mods but no flares?" - Yel327

 

http://www.gmh-toran...gone/?p=1046209
 
s

Edited by StephenSLR, 24 February 2020 - 11:15 AM.

[RallyRed]

No nothing about this gent, but he did well to become a District Sales Manager by the age  of 22 y.o.

[Dr Terry]

I think that this guy was referring to the LJ XU1s which the police used in 1972/73. They had no front or rear spoiler, so looked just like a stock LJ GTR.

 

I think he said SLR when he really meany GTR. The XU1s were pigs in traffic. which is what he described, none of the V8s were like that.

 

Dr Terry

[StephenSLR]

I think he said SLR when he really meany GTR.

Typical!

 

Probably the reporter didn't take down proper notes.

 

s

[MFM]

Just to throw a small piece of the jigsaw relating to the disposal of the XU1 v8 which may or may not be accurate. I have an old friend Lindsay Roberts who lives at Nerang here on the Gold Coast. He's 96 years of age now, and tells me the story that he was the quality controller for GMH retired in 1974 (showed me the watch GMH used to give their retiring employees). He tells the story that he saw a body shell on the scrap metal area at GMH which he claims was an XU2 LJ. He said that it was quite common for employees to buy off this scrap metal pile as it was going to be scrapped anyway so employees used to pay. he asked his manager if he could buy it as he was a tool maker and gun armourer and had his own home workshop, and the manager said he could but wanted to check 1st with senior management and came back at a later timer and told him he wasn't allowed to as there were specific instructions from senior management GMH to destroy it. He also went on to say that the three prototype v8 LJs were taken away to be scrapped and that a security guard was tasked to guard these vehicles overnight so no-one could strip or steal them and this security guard managed to take one and hide it at a different location. Apparently got caught and lost his job. Lindsay seems to think they were definitely scrapped? I should go and confirm with Lindsay more specific information such as the names of the personalities involved. 

[CI 0308]

 I should go and confirm with Lindsay more specific information such as the names of the personalities involved. 

 

If he is 96 I think you need to go right now, I mean forget breakfast and the coffee and head straight over. Also take your phone and record the conversation.     Please practice safe distancing!!