There are few symbols more emblematic of Australian industry and knowhow than the Holden. The record sale of a rare Holden Torana for $800,000 last Saturday was a reminder of what the Holden brand means to Australians and to Greek migrants, many of whom found work in the carmaker’s factories and whose first car in Australia would often have been a Holden.
The car that went on auction was a rare four-door Holden Torana A9X Hatch, one of only 33 that were built. This one, built in 1977 had just 475km on the clock and the tussle between an online and telephone bidder lasted over a quarter an hour said a spokesperson for auctioneers Lloyd Auctions.
The figure was significantly higher than the previous record price for a Holden Torana A9X that Lloyd Auctions sold for $500,000 in 2018.
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“We are not surprised at this result because this is the holy grail of Holden motor collector cars in the country and since the closure of Holden, they have only become all the more popular,” said Mr. Lee Hames, Chief Operations Officer for Lloyds Auctions.
Over the past year, rare and significant Holdens have increased in value.
“The very last Holden off the production line sold for $750,000, a Harvey A9X Torana sold for $910,000 and a special one of four Holden Maloo Ute sold for $1,100,000 in January. Now this one of only 33 Torana A9Xs has broken records for over three quarters of a million dollars,” the spokesperson said.
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