1972 LJ Torana GTR XU1 - 24C Colin Bond HDT Race Car ... (SOLD)

Currently on display at the National Motor Racing Museum in Bathurst and now for sale is the 1972 Holden Dealer Team LJ GTR XU-1 Torana known as 24C. A documented authenticated race car, 24C was built by Harry Firth AOM, raced by Colin Bond in the 1972 Bathurst Hardie Ferodo 500 and even won on the mountain in the hands of Peter Brock at the Bathurst Easter Production Touring car race in 1973. With Brock's 28C Torana out of commission due to a crash, 24C became the frontline fighter late in 1972 and back up unit for 1973 and continued to race into 1974 netting two wins and a second place before the arrival of the SL/R 5000 L34. The car's last competition outing for the HDT was at Surfers Paradise's ATCC round where it finished third behind Brock's SL/R 5000 and Bob Morris' XU-1. This was in the hands of Dick Johnson.

As was normal in the day, the XU-1 was returned to street spec in 1975 and sold as an XU-1 "roadie" by Holden dealer Brewster and Maddern from Kyabram in regional Victoria. The car then changed hands 6 times in the next 10 years bouncing from Victoria to Western Australia and during this time the car was repainted in Black. The next owner in Albany, WA painted the car Mustard Yellow before being sold to an owner in the Northern Territory who kept the Torana for the next 18 years. Purchased by Daryl Caine in 2006 painted in Glacier White (see photo in gallery), the Adelaide based owner recognised while flicking through the extensive document file supplied with the Torana that the paperwork showed the car wearing the same LGN-347 number plates as photos he had seen of a HDT race Torana. Caine had stumbled on a very important piece of Australian motorsport history.

After plenty of due diligence with ex-HDT crew chief Ian Tate and consultation with Harry Firth it was discovered that not only was this the 24C race car but the Torana still contained components from its final racing days under Group C rules including the rear brake shoes it last raced with! Caine, a retired mechanic then undertook a mechanical rebuild to Group C spec and reinstated the car's 1972 HDT racing livery with a combination of stencils, decals and spray painting. Following Caine's untimely death, the car was displayed proudly at the 60th anniversary celebration at Holden's Elizabeth plant and via a long term residency at the National Motoring Museum at Birdwood in the Adelaide Hills.

The current owner of 24C has once again used the services of Ian Tate to return the car to the 1973 Group C specs. This included a full engine and gearbox rebuild which includes the correct 58mm triple Webers and manifold that HDT ran in 1973. With the modifications allowed by CAMS under Group C rules, HDT was able to extract in the vicinity of 240bhp from the LJ XU-1 creating a well balanced lively giant killing race car. And certainly, one of the most iconic and most respected race cars built by Holden.

24C is a super important slice of Holden Dealer Team history. It is a car that was built by Harry Firth, raced by Bond and Brock, then returned to a street car, resurfaced and returned to its former glory as one of 3 or 4 of the most important HDT race cars in existence today.

This is the crown jewel for any HDT or Holden collection. A magnificent trophy of a time gone by but never forgotten.

Located in the Bathurst Motor Museum, NSW for your inspection strictly by appointment. (Ref: 6464)

We will gladly arrange a video inspection of the car using WhatsApp, and of course there is no issue with door to door transport anywhere in Australia or New Zealand.

Call Mike on 0414 278 604 or Nick on 0499 577 997 and let us assist you with your inquiries. Also please note if you have a quality Muscle or Classic car you wish to list or have valued please give us a call at AMCS, we will be happy to assist you.