The
HB Torana was replaced by the LC (which stood for "Light Car") in
October
1969.
A much better car than its predecessor, it did however
share the same floorpan - although on 6 cylinder models
the wheelbase was lengthened. Its timing could not have
been better, particuarly as Australia at the time was dominated
by six cylinder Holden, Falcon and Valiant family sedans.
Sure, there were some "big four" sedans on offer too, such as the
Hillman Hunter,
Datsun 1600,
Mazda 1500 etc. But only the Datsun 1600 offered performance anything like the larger Aussie six cylinder sedans, and without the lazy torque that Australian's had come to enjoy, these cars were never going to usurp the traditional family car from the best seller list.
The GM designers knew the HB Torana was never a real family car, but a larger six cylinder Torana would be a different proposition altogther. The concept of a car that offered the compact size of the fours, and the easy torque and power of the Holden six was sure to be a showroom floor winner.
The two most important aspects to the LC were the all
new body - vastly more handsome than the humble HB,
and the addition of Australian content - most importantly
the 6 cylinder engine. In fact, only a handful of underbody
parts were carried over from the HB. The existing HB Torana was put on the rack, and acquired an additional 10 inches (254mm) in overall length, most of which was ahead of the front doors.
A close inspection of the angles used by the
designers gave a reasonably good insight into what the
yet un-released
HQ Holden would look like.
From every angle
the LC looked fantastic, the rear-end treatment of particular
note for its longer wrap-around tail lights and fuel-filler
cap conveniently located between the tail lights.
To many it seemed the perfect alternative to the large family sedan, particularly given the
HK Holdens had grown somewhat in size. When compared to the ever popular
EH Holden, the HK was shown up to be overweight and rather lethargic.
The
1963 EH Holden handled well and encouraged drivers to hurl it into bends - the HK on the other hand had lots of extra sheet metal that did little for the occupants, as most of it went into place ahead of the front doors. Coke-bottle hip styling, a long bonnet, short boot and lots of curvature may have looked the part, but it served no practical purpose, except to somewhat reduce rearward visability.
Jump out of the HK and into the LC Torana six, and the driving experience was a revelation. The lighter, more nimble Torana was better balanced, just as quiet, more economical and equally as comfortable. Its rack and pinion steering offered a precision and directness undreamt of on previous Holden sixes.
There were eight models available in the LC lineup, including
both two and four-door models.
In its cheapest form, the LC six was a two-door model equipped with drum brakes all round and a three-speed "on the tree" column shift, as was fitted to the Belmont/Kingswood/Premier and base Monaro. That may not have sounded all that inspiring, but what is important to remember is that the Torana's integrity was not being compromised by fitting light-weight parts. Sure, the main reason was that it was cheaper to raid the existing parts bin, but the result was the Torana had stonger componentary than was actually needed.
A 138ci version of the 161
Red Engine was used, the reduction in capacity being achieved by de-sleeving. The Bore and Stroke were 3.125 inches by 3.0, so that it was barely an oversquare unit. GMH never referred to the base LC engine as a 138, instead making an early adoption of metric measurement and dubbing the engine the 2250. The 138 developed 95 bhp @ 4600 rpm, and 120 lb. ft @ 1600 rpm - similar figures to the
EH Holden. Next came the 161 2600 engine, as was fitted as standard equipment to the
HT Holden sedans. Power output was up to 114 bhp @ 4400 rpm, and torque up to 157 lb. ft at 2000 rpm. Carburetion was via a lowly single throat Bendix-Stromberg.
As all Torana models were fitted with bucket seats, it made sense to option the Opel floor mounted four speed manual. Those that did found their new steed could cover the standing quarter in less than 19 seconds, running on to a little over 90 mph. If you could afford the extra money, then the GTR represented great value. At just $2778 the two-door only GTR gave you the larger (re-worked) 161 engine and Opel box as standard, along with front disc brakes, heavy duty suspension (firmer springs, shock absorbers and an front
anti-roll bar), full instrumentation, striking stylistic details which included louvres on the front
fenders, handsome two-piece wheel covers and bold paint
colors.
The LC torana took out the prestigous Wheels "Car Of The Year Award" in 1969. The advent of the
GTR and GTR XU-1 models saw Australian police
use these as pursuit vehicles, building a reputation that helped the LC Torana become
the best selling light car in Australia both in
1970 and
1971. The manual tansmission for the GTR was
borrowed from the GTS Monaro, as was the Monaro wood
rimmed steering wheel. The Torana had quickly matured into an enthusiasts dream, and represented a much more affordable one at that, with the GTHO costing a little over the $4K mark, and even the
Valiant Pacer costing $2800.
The 6 cylinder LC models are keenly sought after
today, as obviously are the GTR and XU-1 models. It
is important for would be restorers to ensure they start
with a 6 cylinder vehicle as the wheelbase, as mentioned
above, was lengthened.