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108-680: The Holden Gemini is a compact car that was produced by Holden and sold in Australasia from 1975 to 1987. It was based on the Japanese Isuzu Gemini , one of the many models based on the GM T-car platform . The original Holden Gemini model, the TX series, was introduced in February 1975. It was available as a four-door sedan in S and SL specification levels, and as a two-door SL coupe . The TX Gemini

216-467: A "Y" pipe (this item is commonly used by modifiers for later models). From November 1976, this was changed to a single-outlet exhaust header. Wheel size is 13 in x 4.5 in; rear brakes are duo-servo units, similar in design to those used in the six-cylinder Torana . Early models use the MSE-type four-speed manual transmissions ; reverse is positioned to the left and back. November 1975 had the introduction of

324-609: A "compact car" target that was larger than what has become known as the "light car" or the kei car . One of the first compact cars that met those requirements was the Toyota Publica with an air-cooled two-cylinder opposed engine, the Datsun 110 series , and the Mitsubishi 500 . The Publica and the Mitsubishi 500 were essentially "kei cars" with engines larger than regulations permitted at

432-496: A 2850 six 'S' model with bench front seat and three-speed column manual shift and the 3300SL with bucket seats and four-speed manual or three-speed Trimatic floor shift. The New Zealand government, though, imposed a 60% sales tax (a post-first oil crisis measure) on cars with engines over 2.7 litres just as GM launched the LH in mid-'74, and only a few of each were built. The LH was then withdrawn temporarily and relaunched some months later with

540-559: A four-spoke steering wheel, and the A9R (Fashion Pack) suspension package. Externally, they were easily identified by the word "Sandpiper" and a bird decal on the side rear quarters of the coupe and on the rear doors of the sedans. Gemini TC production totalled 17,257 units. The TD series was introduced in April 1978, with the most major change over the TC being the introduction of "radial tuned suspension" and

648-410: A front stabilising bar. Door side-impact beams were introduced to improve safety, and SL coupes had a heated rear windscreen. In April 1977, a limited-edition "Sandpiper" model was also offered in both sedan and coupe bodies. They were identified by a black grille with stainless steel top edge, gold pin stripes, chequered cloth seat inserts and door trims, wood-grain dash sections, radio/cassette player,

756-560: A gradual halt in mid-1984, as Vauxhall had ended production of the roof and the tailgate used on these models. Sourcing the parts from General Motors' Brazilian operation was considered, but was too complicated for the short time the model had left. Sales of the sedan continued into early 1985. In May 1985, the RB series Gemini was released. Based on the front-wheel drive GM R platform, it did not sell as well as previous rear-wheel drive Geminis, with production totalling just 16,263 units. The RB Gemini

864-529: A group of Australian racers including the late Peter Brock . From 1977 through to 1982 Geminis raced in the Australian Touring Car Championship and the Bathurst 1000 and allied endurance motor racing. Occasionally the factory Holden Dealer Team would divert some of their efforts away from their Holden Torana and Holden Commodore racing efforts to race a Gemini, notably in 1982, but for

972-551: A hatchback rear access, and the prototype cars had LC Torana GTR XU-1 mechanical components. The GTR-X looks similar to iconic sports cars of the 1970s, such as the Maserati Khamsin and the Porsche 924 . It weighed 1,043 kg (2,299 lb) and has a top speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). The Torana GTR-X in production would have been the first Holden car to be factory fitted with four-wheel disc brakes. When Holden released

1080-471: A highly collectible Gemini model. Engine options originally stayed the same. In early 1981, the option of a 1.8-litre Isuzu diesel model was introduced, fitted with an M76 five-speed gearbox. This one was also a strong seller in Indonesia, where it was mostly used as a taxi. In Australia, all diesel Geminis were only available as SL/X five-speed manuals. Rhone green was a colour made available exclusively for

1188-512: A license plate number beginning with "5". In the past, the small size category has received tax benefits stipulated by the Japanese government regulations , such as those in the 1951 Road Vehicle Act . In 1955, the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry set forth a goal to all Japanese makers at that time to create what was called a "national car". The concept stipulated that

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1296-404: A longer wheelbase (100 inches against the 95.8 inches (2,430 mm) of four-cylinder models), a more aggressively styled and longer nose to accommodate the larger engines, and offered a choice of three-speed column shift or four-speed floor shift manual transmissions or the new locally GM-manufactured 'Trimatic' three-speed automatic transmission with column or floor shift. A bench front seat

1404-630: A new grill and a four headlight upgrade for the wagon, using some parts from other contemporary Opel models (General Motors Korea was sold to Saehan Motors in 1976 after management troubles). However, the Chevrolet version continued to sell alongside it until both models were discontinued in 1978. A smaller 1492-cc engine, imported directly from Opel Germany, was fitted to deliver better fuel economy than its Hyundai and Kia competitors, but sales did not recover with only 992 cars sold in two years. The 1.5-liter engine offered 66 PS (49 kW), enough for

1512-745: A new market segment and the U.S. automobile industry soon adopted the "compact" term. Several competitors to the Nash Rambler arose from the ranks of America's other independent automakers, although none enjoyed the long-term success of the Rambler. Other early compact cars included the Kaiser-Frazer Henry J (also re-badged as the Allstate ), the Willys Aero and the Hudson Jet . In 1954, 64,500 cars sold in

1620-515: A new, locally manufactured 1.9-litre Starfire engine (based on the 2.85-litre six) replacing the imported Opel unit. For a while at least, talk of further extending the Torana/Sunbird's production life beyond 1980 occurred, with a facelifted 'UD' model, of which prototype models of the sedan and hatchback were actually built - featuring frontal styling similar to the Opel Ascona B . However, due to

1728-467: A number of different ratios) replacing the weaker Opel units. This car also featured an underbody front chassis air dam, a rear bobtail spoiler, wider steel wheel rims, and front disc brakes as standard equipment. The Torana GTR XU-1 proved to be a strong performer on both the road and track due to its favourable power/weight ratio. It soon gained popularity in Australian motor sport and successfully replaced

1836-459: A promotional brochure about the GTR-X, they said, "Its long, sleek hood is accentuated by a low, wedge-shaped grille. The body line sweeps up at the rear to an elevated tail light assembly. Simplicity is the keynote. It is achieved by concealed headlights, sharp windshield rake, recessed parking and turning lights, and flush petrol filler access and door handles. Front and rear bumpers assume the contour of

1944-509: A top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph) for the sedan. The station wagon, which retained the 1700 engine, was now called the Saehan Caravan (새한 캬라반); 966 of these were sold from January 1976 until March 1979. An ambulance version arrived in April 1976. The 1700 and Camina replacement, the 1977 Saehan Gemini , was a rebadged Isuzu Gemini fitted with the Opel 1492 engine (the Australian version of

2052-446: A two-door body, 12-inch (305-mm) wheels, and a 56-bhp 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed gearbox. A Borg-Warner Model 35 three-speed automatic transmission was optional. Drum brakes were fitted front and rear, with power-assisted front disc brakes optional. In terms of styling, the only points of visual difference between Viva and Torana were in the grille and headlamps, the rear tail panel (no registration plate recess),

2160-513: The 1978 and 1979 Australian Touring Car Championships , respectively, and A9Xs shared by Peter Brock and Jim Richards won the 1978 and 1979 Bathurst 1000s. In a show of the A9X's superiority, Brock and Richards won the 1979 race by a record six laps, with Brock setting the touring-car lap record on the last lap of the race. Overall, a total of 65,977 LX Toranas were produced by Holden. An A9X recently sold at auction for $ 500,000. In mid 2021 one

2268-533: The Opel Rekord D and particularly in overall size and profile, the closely related FE series Vauxhall Victor . It was unique in that, following the addition of a four-cylinder option in May 1974, the same body style was available with a choice of inline-four, inline-six, or V8 engines, specifically, 1.9-litre Opel four, 2.85- and 3.3-litre Holden 'red' sixes , and 4.2- and 5.0-litre Holden V8s . Low-compression versions of

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2376-681: The Recession of 1958 , the only exception to the sales decline was American Motors with its compact, economy-oriented Ramblers that saw high demand among cautious consumers. By 1959, sales of small imported cars also increased to 14% of the U.S. passenger car market, as consumers turned to compact cars. By this time, smaller cars appealed to people with a college education and a higher income whose families were buying more than one car. Customers expected compact cars to provide improved fuel economy compared to full-sized cars while maintaining headroom, legroom, and plenty of trunk space. Between 1958 and 1960,

2484-516: The VB Commodore in 1978 was preceded by the arrival of the updated UC Torana/Sunbird twins, but with no sports versions or V8 engine options. The Torana was subsequently discontinued in 1979, followed by the four-cylinder Sunbird in 1980. Introduced in May 1967 to replace the HA series Vauxhall Viva in the Australian market, the first Torana model was a mildly facelifted HB series Vauxhall Viva. It featured

2592-542: The "Series 70" engine option (no longer available with the standard 56 bhp (42 kW; 57 PS) engine). In September 1968, the '69 Torana' was released, sometimes called the HB Series II. This featured locally made body panels, replacing the imported bodies of the original HB. The model lineup now included a four-door sedan—some media claimed this design was developed in Australia, with four-door bodies shipped back to

2700-466: The "small Ford" and produced the Ford Vedette . The first U.S.-produced postwar compact car was the 1950 Nash Rambler . It was built on a 100-inch (2,540 mm) wheelbase, which was nonetheless still a large car by contemporary European standards. The term "compact" was coined by a Nash executive as a euphemism for small cars with a wheelbase of 110 inches (2,794 mm) or less. It established

2808-540: The '90' option for the British Vauxhall Viva—was added. This engine had a higher compression ratio and higher-lift camshaft (adapted from the Brabham option engine) and a single CD Zenith-Stromberg carburettor, which boosted output to 69 bhp (51 kW; 70 PS). Power-assisted front disc brakes were standardised with this engine, whilst availability of the automatic transmission option shifted exclusively to

2916-791: The 1980s that American cars were being downsized to truly international dimensions. In the 1985 model year, compact cars classified by the EPA included Ford's Escort and Tempo as well as the Chevrolet Cavalier. For the 2019 model year, the best sellers were the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. In Japan, vehicles that are larger than kei cars , but with dimensions smaller than 4,700 mm (185.0 in) long, 1,700 mm (66.9 in) wide, 2,000 mm (78.7 in) high and with engines at or under 2,000 cc (120 cu in) are classified as "small size" cars. Small-size cars are identified by

3024-554: The 2.85-litre and the 3.3-litre. A 'Deluxe Pack' was an option that allowed the UC Torana SL to compete with Ford's TE Cortina Ghia, which comprised laminated windscreen, tinted side and rear windows, intermittent wipers, radio/cassette player, cloth trim, sports instrumentation, and bumper overriders. While the V8 was discontinued in the UC, a factory sanctioned dealer option of a turbo was offered. This

3132-515: The A9X a dream debut by winning the 1977 Hang Ten 400 at Sandown . However, after he put his Torana on pole position, the A9X ultimately lost its debut Bathurst race in 1977 to the Ford Falcons of Allan Moffat and Colin Bond . The A9X package was soon refined and proved dominant during the following two seasons of touring-car racing in Australia. Drivers Peter Brock and Bob Morris were victorious in

3240-625: The British Vauxhall Viva HB series of 1966–1970. Whilst the 1969–1973 (LC and LJ series) cars included more popular, longer-wheelbase six-cylinder versions, and with the 1974–1977 (LH and LX series) cars adding eight-cylinder versions to the mix, a range of four-cylinder versions continued for the entire production life of the Torana (with later four-cylinder versions being marketed as the Holden Sunbird from November 1976). In South Korea,

3348-607: The Geminis, selling over 70,000 units. Initially only available as a sedan, in February 1980, the panel van and station wagon were added to the line-up, while the coupé version was no longer available. The luxury SL/E version was also removed from the line-up, replaced instead with an SL/X variant. In 1981, the TE was introduced to New Zealand, replacing the British-sourced Vauxhall Chevette range. A limited-edition "Gypsy" van

Holden Gemini - Misplaced Pages Continue

3456-488: The Hardie-Ferodo 500 (Bathurst) endurance race that some consider to be the jewel in the crown of Australian motorsport. The LC Torana GTR XU-1 was equipped with a 160 hp (119 kW), 186-cu in (3-litre) six-cylinder engine, fitted with three Zenith-Stromberg CD-150 carburettors, cast-iron headers, a performance cylinder head and camshaft, and the heavy-duty Australian-designed four-speed manual gearboxes (available in

3564-527: The Honda City, Toyota Yaris, Toyota Corolla Altis 1.6, and the Changan Alsvin. Holden Torana The Holden Torana is a mid-sized car that was manufactured by Holden from 1967 to 1980. The name apparently comes from a word meaning "to fly" in an unconfirmed Aboriginal Australian language. The original HB series Torana was released in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle closely based on

3672-635: The Isuzu Gemini which was sold as the Holden Gemini ). In 1974, the six-cylinder LJ Torana was replaced by the new mid-sized body six- and eight-cylinder LH Torana series. To fill the gap before the March 1975 release of the four-cylinder GM world T-car Holden Gemini , the short-wheelbase four-cylinder (1.3- and 1.8-litre) LJ models were given a basic facelift incorporating a body-colour plastic-moulded front grille assembly and revamped rear light lenses. This car

3780-558: The L34 motor being fitted to the A9X, so in effect winning with that car, as well. According to Holden Dealer Team boss Harry Firth, Holden chose to have the V8 engine in the SL/R 5000 developed by Repco on their dyno which led to massive oil surge problems on the race track and had a number of teams, including the HDT, suffer numerous engine failures in both testing and races in 1974. Firth believed that using

3888-475: The L34 was the bolt-on wheel arch extensions, designed to accommodate the larger racing rims and tyres. The L34 option, which was first seen in 1975, proved to be fast and successful, yet fragile, in Australian touring car racing. It was eventually superseded by the evolutionary A9X option made available in the LX Torana series in 1977. The A9X was delivered with a standard 5.0, but used the L34 motor in races which

3996-706: The LJ Torana was produced locally as the Chevrolet 1700 (시보레 1700, 1972–1978) and Saehan Camina (새한 카미나, 1976–1978). Changing tack in Australian motor sport, Holden released the LC Torana GTR XU-1 in 1970, with performance-enhanced drivetrain and handling. From this time through to the release of the Holden Commodore, the Torana remained Holden's most successful sports/performance vehicle, with many victories garnered in rallying and circuit racing. The introduction of

4104-567: The LX Torana. During 1977, the LX series also had the development of another limited-build high-performance option aimed at winning in Australian Touring Car racing, and in particular at the annual Bathurst 1000 touring car race. This 'A9X Option' was available on the 5.0-litre V8-powered SLR 5000 sedan and SS hatchback models. The A9X visually resembled the L34-optioned LH model, but with

4212-497: The MSG-type four-speed; reverse on this transmission was to the right and back position. The TX SL sedan was voted Wheels Car of the Year for 1975, and was the most popular four-cylinder car on the Australian market. The TC Gemini was sold between March 1977 and April 1978. This model received a minor facelift from the TX, appearance was enhanced by a bolder vertical front grille , and at

4320-587: The Opel 1.9-litre I4 and floor-shift manual or automatic (SL only) gearboxes. Six-cylinder Toranas would never again be built in New Zealand and were only very rare imports after this. GM New Zealand also built a local version of the Australian Plus 4 'sports' special edition, but the changes were only cosmetic - bright paint colours, special wheel trims, black stripes and all-black interior trim. The mildly facelifted LX series arrived in February 1976. Cosmetically,

4428-624: The Starfire engine did remain available for another two years in the VH-series Holden Commodore, and continued to be fitted to the VK-series in New Zealand. Just over 55,000 UC series Toranas and Sunbirds were produced. The Torana GTR-X was designed during the era of the LC series, and was seriously considered for production in the early 1970s. The GTR-X had a wedge-shaped fibreglass body featuring

Holden Gemini - Misplaced Pages Continue

4536-558: The TF SL/X, with the flush head lamps, plastic bumpers, and tail lights very similar to that on a VH Commodore. However, the base model of the TG continued the TF theme, with many examples now confused for TF models. Base-model vehicles had vinyl seats, no clock or cigarette lighter , and no console around the shifter. The engine continued to be the 66 PS (49 kW) 1.6-litre as per previous versions, with

4644-407: The U.S. were imports or small American cars, out of a total market of five million cars. Market research indicated that five percent of those surveyed said they would consider a small car, suggesting a potential market size of 275,000 cars. By 1955, the Nash Rambler that began as a convertible model became a success and was now available in station wagon , hardtop , and sedan body styles. During

4752-532: The UC Torana sedan and hatchback. The UC Sunbird expanded into three trim levels: base (manual only), SL, and SL/E. It did very well in New Zealand, where it was assembled, particularly in fleets, where it competed with the Ford Cortina and a variety of Japanese D-segment models. The UCs had square headlamps and a smoother front end. LX and early UC Sunbirds were fitted with a 1.9-litre Opel engine. Later UC models had

4860-671: The UK to be constructed and sold as the Viva saloon. However, the Vauxpedia website, after extensive research with Vauxhall, maintains that the four-door was designed in England, to compete with Ford's four-door Escort, and both Holden and Vauxhall made their own body panels for their respective Torana and Viva versions. A collapsible steering column was now fitted, together with a new recessed instrument cluster, new indicator switch, and new steering wheel borrowed from

4968-489: The V8 Monaro GTS 350 as Holden's frontline track race car in 1970, winning many touring car and rally events, but for the famed Bathurst 500-mile (800 km) race which Ford won in 1970 and 1971 with its XW Phase Two and XY Phase Three Falcon GT-HOs, respectively. Holden built a total of 74,627 LC Toranas. In February 1972, the facelifted LJ Torana was introduced with the six-cylinder models now visually associated with

5076-519: The XU-1 was equipped with the 202-ci engine and larger CD-175 Zenith-Stromberg triple carburettors, as well as a new close-ratio four-speed Australian-made transmission (which was not available as an option on the standard GTR). Also available on the 'Bathurst Special' was an even closer-ratio gearbox and the taller (reduced from 3.36:1 to 3.08:1) rear axle final drive ratio from the standard GTR which increased top speed to 135 mph (217 km/h). This gave

5184-473: The addition of a rear-facing bonnet scoop designed to increase airflow into the engine bay (carburettor) to produce maximum power in motor racing applications. The A9X package varied from the old L34 in road form in that whilst the engine was not modified, the A9X nevertheless had some special mechanical features such as rear disc brakes, heavy-duty axles, and a heavy-duty '10 bolt' differential. After being rushed into Group C touring car racing, Peter Brock gave

5292-807: The beginning of a downsizing of all vehicles so that cars such as the AMC Concord and the Ford Fairmont that replaced the compacts were re-classified as mid-size, while cars inheriting the size of the Ford Pinto and Chevrolet Vega (such as the Ford Escort and Chevrolet Cavalier ) became classified as compact cars. Even after the reclassification, mid-size American cars were still far larger than mid-size cars from other countries and were more similar in size to cars classified as "large cars" in Europe. It would not be until

5400-426: The car itself being outdated when compared to the new Japanese opposition (notably the Chrysler Sigma , Datsun Bluebird , and Mazda 626 ), Holden decided on an easier route by simply introducing the Starfire engine into the VC-series of Commodore sedans and wagons. Ultimately, the title of four-cylinder mid-sized Holden was taken over in 1982 by the Camira, Holden's version of GM's front-wheel drive 'J-Car'. However,

5508-405: The clay-modelling stage, probably in most part due to the impending introduction of the GM V-Car, the Commodore. After release of the VB Commodore in November 1978, it soon became clear to GM-H that the Torana was too similar in size when compared to the more modern Holden Commodore. As a result, the UC Torana was soon dropped from the Holden range in 1979. The UC Sunbird continued through 1980 with

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5616-400: The combined passenger and cargo volume, compact cars are defined as having an interior volume index of 100–109 cu ft (2.8–3.1 m ). The beginnings of U.S. production of compact cars were the late 1940s prototypes of economy cars, including the Chevrolet Cadet and the Ford Light Car. Neither car reached production in the U.S., however Ford SAF in France bought the plans of

5724-425: The contemporary full-sized Holden HK-series. These local components replaced the previously imported Vauxhall items. A consequence of using these local components was the loss of the stalk-operated headlight dip switch and horn. The dip switch ended up on the floor, as was the case for full-sized Holdens. Dual-circuit brakes were now standard on all models, though power-assisted front disc brakes were still optional with

5832-435: The deletion of the Viva's dashboard air vents, the wheel trims, and the badging—otherwise it was very much a straightforward exercise in badge engineering. Holden's HB Torana sedan was retailed in three model specifications: Torana, Torana S, and Torana SL ... these models effectively mirrored the concurrent larger HR Holden sedans with their three-tiered specification of Standard, Special, and Premier. A 'sports' option package

5940-409: The diesel, but other colours in the range could be ordered. Production of the diesel commenced in March 1981. The facelifted TF series Gemini was released in March 1982. It was offered in four-door sedan, three-door wagon, and two-door van variants. All models gained new grille treatments, and the SL/X variant received flush headlamps. The interior received major revisions with a new dashboard (creating

6048-438: The doors. The SL/E was replaced by the SL/X in early 1979. It had a slightly lower equipment level, but a more competitive price. Also, a limited-edition "Gypsy" package was optional on panel vans, which included extra instrumentation and identifying decals. Heated rear windscreens were now standard on all but base model sedans, panel vans, and wagons. Nylon plaid cloth inserts were available on SLs and wagons, and air conditioning

6156-424: The exception of the wagon, from CKD kits supplied directly by Holden Australia between September 1972 and 1976. Unlike the Torana, the 1700 was also available as a five-door station wagon. Powered by a 1698-cc four-cylinder engine used in the Opel Reckord B which GM Korea was also building and selling at the same time. The 1700 sold poorly on the Korean market with only 8105 units produced. The main deterrent to sales

6264-425: The first ultra-performance Torana, the GTR XU-1, was developed by Holden along with Harry Firth of the Holden Dealer Team for competition in popular Series Production touring car racing within Australia, as well as in off-road rallying and unique rallycross events. However, the highlight purpose of the Torana GTR XU-1 was to keep the Holden brand competitive against the larger and more powerful Ford Falcon GT-HO in

6372-405: The five-speed manual transmission as standard. Externally, appearance was further enhanced to include stainless steel headlight and grille surrounds, thick stainless steel door window-frame mouldings, and GM-H designed alloy wheels similar to Sunbird SL/E. Coupes and sedans had colour-coded side mirrors similar to those of Sunbird SL/E and HZ Sandman , door-trims were extended to cover the top of

6480-483: The fours and sixes were also available for export markets. Exports to the Philippines also occurred, where it was sold as the "Holden 1900". The 5.0-litre engine was reserved for the sporting LH Torana SL/R 5000 sedan. A special build derivative of the SL/R 5000 was the Bathurst-intended 'L34 Option', of which only 263 were built, with a higher-compression engine with stouter components for more power and durability in competition use. The most notable external feature of

6588-416: The grille (with vertical bars) and distinctive chrome wheel covers. It was marketed as a four-door sedan and as a three-door hatchback, unlike the short-lived four-cylinder LX Torana. The introduction of Sunbird also coincided with the first attempt by Holden to add a handling package to its range of cars. The introduction of 'radial-tuned suspension' (RTS) began with the LX Sunbird sedan and hatchback and then

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6696-468: The impression of more space in the vehicle) and a relocated steering column that put the steering wheel in line with the driver, rather than angled towards the centre of the car. The styling is often compared to the then-current VH Commodore range, but in fact the styling was introduced on the Isuzu Gemini in 1981 and carried across to the Australian model. The TG series was released in March 1983. The SL and SL/X versions of TG had an appearance exactly like

6804-458: The larger Holden HQ series. Many mechanical components were carried over from the LC-series, with some changes to the choice of engines. The four-cylinder Torana retained its Vauxhall designed 1200OHV and 1600OHC engines, but was now also available with a 1300cc OHV unit. The base two-door car was now simply called the Torana 1200, while the 1300 engine equipped the Torana Deluxe model in either two-door or four-door form. The optional 1600 OHC engine

6912-412: The locally produced 1,892-cc Starfire Four engine that was also installed into the Australian-produced versions of the Toyota Corona and in four-cylinder versions of the Holden Commodore. This sluggish motor was simply a crudely cut-down version of the long-running Holden six-cylinder engine. The hatchbacks were deleted in 1979, leaving only the sedans for the 1980 model year. The last Australian Sunbird

7020-400: The major U.S. car manufacturers made a push toward compact cars, resulting in the introduction of the Studebaker Lark , Chevrolet Corvair , Ford Falcon , and Plymouth Valiant . These models also gave rise to compact vans built on the compact car platforms, such as the Studebaker Zip Van, Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier , Ford Econoline , and Dodge A100 . During the 1960s, compacts were

7128-403: The most obvious changes were to replace the LH's rectangular headlights with round headlights, side window surrounds were changed from body colour to black, and the front Holden badge was enlarged. A two-door hatchback body was introduced as an alternative to the four-door sedan, although the 1,897-cc Opel unit was not offered in the new body style. Soon after its introduction, in July 1976 the LX

7236-440: The most part Geminis were race by privately funded teams. Initially they fared poorly in a 2000cc class but a 1600cc class was re-created in 1978 increasing their popularity. Despite the transition from Group C regulations to Group A in 1985 a few cars continued racing until 1986. 1980 saw the creation of the Gemini Racing Series in Queensland which continues to this day and is now the longest running one-make series in Australia and

7344-416: The new emissions rules, power from the Opel-sourced engine was down from 76 to 72 kW (102 to 96 hp). From this point, all four-cylinder models were marketed as Sunbirds and the six- or eight-cylinder models as Toranas. The original LX series Sunbird was a single-trim range, with four-speed manual and three-speed automatic transmissions. There were minor trim differences compared to the Torana, notably

7452-430: The nimble XU-1 the power boost it needed to seriously challenge the powerful Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III , which had won the 1971 Hardie-Ferodo 500 production-car endurance race held annually at Bathurst . In the somewhat wet 1972 Hardie-Ferodo 500 , the lightweight HDT Torana GTR XU-1 was able to finally claim victory against the heavyweight GT-HO, driven solo for 500 miles (800 km) by Peter Brock . This would be

7560-516: The option of a five-speed manual transmission. The differential was replaced with a small Salisbury unit as used in the UC Torana ; it used tapered Timken wheel bearings as found on all larger Holdens since mid-1971. In April 1979, the rear brakes were changed to Commodore leading-trailing rear drum assemblies. Exterior appearance was changed with the introduction of a new grille, rectangular headlights (round on base models), wheels were now 13 in × 5 in (33 cm × 13 cm), and

7668-415: The optional 54 PS (40 kW) 1.8 diesel also available. In 1983, a performance model, named the ZZ/Z (triple zed), was added. The ZZ/Z was always silver, with a body kit consisting of a front bar, wind splitters on top of the guards, a bobtail boot spoiler, alloy wheels, and blue and black ZZ/Z decals. The ZZ/Z was often thought to come with the twin-cam engine that was used in the Isuzu Gemini ZZ/R of

7776-679: The passenger and cargo compartments were introduced in the late 1970s. In the early 1970s, the domestic automakers introduced even smaller subcompact cars that included the AMC Gremlin , Chevrolet Vega , and Ford Pinto . In 1973, the Energy Crisis started, which made small fuel-efficient cars more desirable, and the North American driver began exchanging their large cars for the smaller, imported compacts that cost less to fill up and were inexpensive to maintain. The 1977 model year marked

7884-476: The performance level significantly with its uniquely specified '2600S' six-cylinder engine. As for general features, a three-person front bench seat became available as an option for four-door S and SL six-cylinder models. Later in production (July 1971), the 161-ci engine was replaced with a larger 173-ci version (badged as the '2850') which also made it into the last of the LC GTR cars as the '2850S'. In August 1970,

7992-630: The popular Volkswagen Beetle . Compact cars were also the basis for a new small car segment that became known as the pony car , named after the Ford Mustang , which was built on the Falcon chassis. At that time, there was a distinct difference in size between compact and full-size models. Early definitions of vehicle size class were based on wheelbase, with models under 111 inches as compact, 111 to 118 inches intermediate, and over 118 inches as full size, at least until EPA classes based on interior volume of

8100-618: The rear number plate was relocated in place of the rear garnish panel. A panel van and three-door wagon were also added to the range, bodywork pressings being from the British Vauxhall Chevette / Bedford Chevanne range. Also new was the SL/E version, which used many interior options from the TC "Sandpiper" series, such as the radio/cassette, four-spoke steering wheel, timber dash inserts, velour seat trim, loop-pile carpet, and timber ( hardboard ) door-trim inserts. The SL/E also received

8208-401: The rear, a silver garnish panel (as opposed to the TX's black). A new Smiths-brand heater, defogger , and ventilation system was used, and the two small vents at each end of the dash were removed on this model, except on vehicles fitted with air conditioning. A "Fashion Pack" interior was now available on both sedan and coupe models; this option was also upgraded to add steel-belted radials and

8316-473: The recessed door handles now required by Australian Design Rules [ADRs]; further to this, all LC four-cylinder cars carried over HB body panels forward of the 'A' pillar. The LC-series was available in two-door and four-door versions of base (four-cylinder only), S, or SL specification, as well as a two-door sports model called the GTR. The new Torana GTR effectively replaced the previous series' Brabham Torana, but raised

8424-572: The same V8 engine he had developed for the stillborn V8 GTR XU-1 would have solved this problem, as the HDT had already cured the oil problems, but Holden ignored his warnings. Prototype wagon and hatchback versions of the LH Torana were built, but never reached production. Overall, a total of 70,184 LH Toranas were built. A few special models of the LH were built, the somewhat sporting Plus 4 and G-Pak models. The Plus 4 arrived in September 1974 and

8532-561: The same era, but the ZZ/Z was strictly a cosmetic version and came with the standard running gear of other models. A five-speed manual gearbox was standard, with somewhat altered gearing; an automatic transmission was not available. The Gemini was built in Holden's Acacia Ridge plant, which closed in October 1984 after all Gemini production had come to a halt. However, wagon and panel-van production came to

8640-696: The second oldest globally after the British Mini series. In Australia, the 1982–1984 Holden Gemini was assessed in the "Used Car Safety Ratings" 2006 as providing "significantly worse than average" protection for its occupants in the event of a crash. Compact car In Japan, small size passenger vehicle is a registration category that sits between kei cars and regular cars, based on overall size and engine displacement limits. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fuel Economy Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year (dated July 1996) includes definitions for classes of automobiles. Based on

8748-508: The similar 130OHV and 1760OHV four-cylinder Vauxhall Viva HC range was also sold there. The 2850S model, with bucket seats and four-speed floor shift or console shift Trimatic three-speed automatic, was also shipped to New Zealand in CKD kit form for local assembly from 1973, becoming the first Kiwi-built Torana. In South Korea the LJ Torana was built and sold by GM Korea as the Chevrolet 1700 , with

8856-538: The smallest class of North American cars, but they had evolved into only slightly smaller versions of the 6-cylinder or V8-powered six-passenger sedan. They were much larger than compacts (and sometimes even mid-sizers) by European manufacturers, which were typically five-passenger four-cylinder engine cars. Nevertheless, advertising and road tests for the Ford Maverick and the Rambler American made comparisons with

8964-560: The standard 56 bhp (42 kW; 57 PS) engine. The Brabham Torana became an independent model in its own right—(option XS5) based upon the Torana S two-door sedan—complete with bold specific 'Brabham Torana' badging front and rear and on the flanks, and new black accent body decoration. Its interior specification included a sports steering wheel (from the contemporary Holden HK Monaro GTS) and uniquely comprehensive dash instrumentation with tachometer and three supplementary gauges. The HB Torana continued until late 1969. Total production

9072-574: The start of the 'Peter Perfect'/Torana legend, and the first of five Bathurst wins for the Torana in its colourful 10-year racing career at Bathurst. The Holden Dealer Team also developed a 300 bhp (224 kW; 304 PS), 308ci V8-powered version of the GTR XU-1, often erroneously referred to as the GTR XU-2. The V8 Torana did race in Sports Sedan racing in the hands of Brock and Colin Bond , and

9180-807: The time, while the Datsun was an all-new vehicle. These vehicles were followed by the Hino Contessa in 1961, the Isuzu Bellett , Daihatsu Compagno and Mazda Familia in 1963, the Mitsubishi Colt in 1965, and the Nissan Sunny , Subaru 1000 , and Toyota Corolla in 1966. Honda introduced its first four-door sedan in 1969, called the Honda 1300 . In North America, these cars were classified as subcompact cars . By 1970, Nissan released its first front-wheel-drive car which

9288-399: The vehicle be able to maintain a maximum speed over 100 km/h (62 mph), weigh below 400 kg (882 lbs), fuel consumption at 30 km/L (85 mpg ‑imp ; 71 mpg ‑US ) or more, at an average speed of 60 km/h (37 mph) on a level road, and not require maintenance or significant service for at least 100,000 km (62,000 mi). This established

9396-463: Was 16,318 with imported panels and 20,243 with the locally manufactured bodies. The next generation of Holden Torana, the LC-series, appeared in October 1969 and was made available with a range of a four-cylinder or six-cylinder engines. The inline six had a capacity of 138 cu in (badged as the '2250'); a 161 cu in engine (badged as the '2600') was optional. The six-cylinder cars had

9504-469: Was added; this engine was also sourced from Vauxhall in the UK. The 1600 OHC engine option also included a strengthened gearbox. Body styles were based upon the previous HB-series, but the new six-cylinder cars were of a significantly different external appearance. All LC Toranas shared a new body shape rear of the 'B' pillar, but shared windscreen and front doors carried over from the HB-series (modified with

9612-410: Was an attempt to move a few more of the slow-selling four-cylinder models. The G-Pak, first seen in February 1975, received the 3.3-litre inline-six. Both came with a four-speed manual, sporting instrumentation, and disc brakes in front. New Zealand assembly got off to a troubled start. General Motors New Zealand , which still had a wide four-cylinder Vauxhall Viva / Magnum line on sale, had planned

9720-508: Was at first sold side by side with the first generation hatch-only Holden Astra —a rebadged Nissan Pulsar (N12)—which was introduced in 1984; ultimately, the Astra effectively replaced the Gemini when its second generation, offered as both hatch and sedan, was launched in 1987. The RB Gemini was notable for its 80-day, 200,000 km (120,000 mi) endurance run from a commercial in 1985, tested by

9828-510: Was available as an optional accessory. The TE series Gemini was introduced in October 1979. It featured significant exterior changes with new front and rear styling, comparable with the Isuzu Gemini and Holden Commodore models of the same era. By this time, the Opel Kadett had been changed to front wheel drive and no longer resembled the original Kadett C. The TE was the most popular of all

9936-439: Was available for some column shift models. The LC Torana scored Wheels magazine's Car of the Year award for 1969. The four-cylinder engine was initially of 1,159 cc, and offered either 56 or 69 hp (42 or 51 kW). The more powerful Brabham Torana engine was not carried over to the LC-series and the model itself was also discontinued. In July 1971, a bigger overhead cam 1.6-litre engine with 80 hp (60 kW)

10044-422: Was boosted to 79 bhp (59 kW; 80 PS). The Brabham option (available only with manual transmission on Torana S or Torana SL) also included wider wheel rims and red-wall tyres, power-assisted front disc brakes, black body accents, and subtle 'Brabham' identification badges attached to the leading edges of the front fenders and to the rear boot lid. In early 1968, a "Series 70" engine option—equivalent to

10152-482: Was built at Holden's factory at Acacia Ridge, Queensland , and contained a high percentage of Australian content. All TX models share the same 1.6-litre SOHC Isuzu engine (coded the G161Z ). The engine is chain-driven and incorporates a cross-flow design, alloy head. A two-barrel "Nikki" Stromberg carburettor was used on Australian models. Early TX models use a cast-iron, free-flow exhaust manifold , with two outlets into

10260-582: Was built in September 1980. The Sunbird was replaced initially by a four-cylinder version of the Holden Commodore , before the arrival of its natural, albeit smaller, successor, the Holden Camira , from 1982. At one point, design consideration was given to a five-door hatchback version of the UC Torana, which had a similar side profile to the Rover SD1 and rode an extended wheelbase. The idea never got past

10368-591: Was called the UC SL/T. These were mainly ordered through Suttons in NSW, but one is known to have been ordered through Zupps in Queensland. These were produced in a mini production run of five cars and only 33 were built. Only one is known to exist today that was ordered through Zupps. The Holden Sunbird was also updated to UC specifications and continued to sell well as a 1.9-litre four-cylinder car, sharing its body architecture with

10476-688: Was developed by Repco for the LH SL/R 5000 H.O. L34. The A9X version of the Torana had a larger 10-bolt Salisbury differential with disc brakes and had the option of the Borg Warner Super T10 four-speed. Hardly any cars were delivered with Super T10 option, so in effect the immortalized A9X was a pretty stock car with a better differential and suspension. The LH Torana in L34 form won the Bathurst 1000 touring car race with Peter Brock and Brian Sampson in 1975 and with Bob Morris and John Fitzpatrick in 1976, with

10584-417: Was expected to fetch over $ 1,000,000 at auction. The introduction of the UC Torana in March 1978 occasioned the demise of V8 power and the cessation of the sporting SL/R variant in the Torana range of cars. The UC series featured a significantly modernised frontal appearance and a completely new interior dash layout. Torana was now rationalised to a choice of two equipment levels and two six-cylinder engines,

10692-471: Was extensively road tested by HDT boss Harry Firth and young team engineer/driver Larry Perkins , but the car never made it past the prototype stage. This was due to the ' supercar scare ' of 1972, which involved vast political pressure being placed upon Holden, Ford, and Chrysler to abandon their proposed specially built 'Bathurst Supercars', such as the V8 GTR XU-1. This was the result of a media frenzy that

10800-635: Was later in the year to be increased in capacity, badged as the 1760 OHC. Otherwise, the 2250 and 2850 engines carried over into the revised six-cylinder Torana models, and the 3300 engine (known as the 202 in the HQ range) was adopted as the engine for the LJ Torana GTR sedan. Gearbox choices remained the same across the range. A race-bred version of the 3300 engine was also fitted to the LJ Torana GTR XU-1, producing 190 bhp (142 kW; 193 PS). By now

10908-399: Was made available in February 1980 and was offered with a tachometer and console gauges. Individual plaid cloth seats were available (a different plaid from other earlier Geminis). The Gypsy featured blacked-out grille treatment and door window surrounds, square headlights, full chrome bumpers, and full-length headlining and carpet (regular vans had vinyl flooring as standard). Gypsys are now

11016-492: Was offered only in four-door sedan form, with SL/X and SL/E trim levels, as well as a fleet -only SL equipped with a 1.6 litre engine. Previous Gemini models had been built in the Holden facility at Acacia Ridge, but following that plant's closure in 1984, the totally new RB series began production in the Holden plant at Elizabeth, South Australia . The RB Gemini was discontinued in 1987 (production had ended sometime during 1986) due to poorer sales than its predecessor. The Gemini

11124-598: Was originally developed by Prince Motor Company which had merged with Nissan in 1966. This was introduced in 1970 as the Nissan Cherry . In 1972, the Honda Civic appeared with the CVCC engine that was able to meet California emission standards without the use of a catalytic converter . In Pakistan, the concept of compact cars is significant. The most common cars tend to be Kei cars . Popular compact cars in recent times are

11232-539: Was released in February 1974 on the Australian market only, in both two- and four-door forms, as the TA Torana. It was only produced for 11 months with a total production run of 11,304 units. March 1974 had the first completely new Torana body, with the arrival of the larger mid-sized LH series, produced in four-door sedan style only. Despite the larger external size, the car was relatively cramped by mid-1970s standards. It resembled other GM products of its generation, notably

11340-467: Was released in October 1967, called the 'Brabham' Torana, named in honour of the well-respected Australian race-car driver, Sir Jack Brabham , who at the time was the reigning F1 World Champion and Australian of the Year for 1966. The Brabham Torana's engine featured twin CD Zenith-Stromberg carburettors fitted with individual sports air cleaners. Together with a low-restriction exhaust system, power

11448-451: Was reporting against these soon-to-be released "bullets on wheels" available to the general public. In effect, all three manufacturers (Holden, Ford and Chrysler ) bowed to this pressure, and Holden postponed its introduction of a V8 Torana for two years until the release of the larger LH series Torana in 1974. A total of 81,813 LJ Toranas were built by Holden in Australia, with some exported to New Zealand, but only in six-cylinder form, as

11556-491: Was subjected to performance-reducing engine modifications to comply with new ADR27A emission regulations. Power outputs (from now on specified in kilowatts , as part of Australia's metrication programme ) changed as: When the LX Torana was introduced, it featured a choice of four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines. In November 1976 the four-cylinder Torana was revised and relaunched as the Holden LX Sunbird. Reflecting

11664-469: Was the high government taxes imposed by the government in relation to this class of vehicle - the automobile taxation system of South Korea greatly favours engines of less than 1.5 litres displacement. The car was also perceived to suffer from high fuel consumption, while the suspension was seen as unsuitable for Korean roads. Due to poor Chevrolet 1700 sales, the car was revised as the Camina in 1976, receiving

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