page_title: Holden Torana
section_title: UC
hierarchical_section_title: Holden Torana / Third generation / UC
caption_attribution_description: English: Holden UC Torana SL Hatchback
context_page_description: The Holden Torana is a mid-sized car that was manufactured by Holden from 1967 to 1980. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly". The original HB series Torana was released in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle closely based on the British Vauxhall Viva HB series of 1966 - 1970.
  Whilst the 1969-73 cars included more popular, longer-wheelbase six-cylinder versions, and with the 1974-77 cars adding eight-cylinder versions to the mix, a range of four-cylinder versions continued for the entire production life of the Torana.
  In South Korea, the LJ Torana was produced locally as the Chevrolet 1700 and Saehan Camina.
  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 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.
context_section_description: 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, 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 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 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 models. SL/E trim was also available in New Zealand. 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 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 Sunbird 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 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 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 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, 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.
caption: Holden Torana (UC) SL hatchback
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "", "Image Make": "SONY", "Image Model": "DSC-W50", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image DateTime": "2006:04:30 10:55:14", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "Image ExifOffset": "2248", "Image PrintIM": "[80, 114, 105, 110, 116, 73, 77, 0, 48, 51, 48, 48, 0, 0, 2, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0]", "Image Padding": "[]", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/500", "EXIF FNumber": "14/5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "80", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2006:04:30 10:55:14", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2006:04:30 10:55:14", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF CompressedBitsPerPixel": "8", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "3", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF LightSource": "Unknown", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, auto mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "63/10", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "2816", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2112", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF Contrast": "Normal", "EXIF Saturation": "Normal", "EXIF Sharpness": "Normal", "EXIF Padding": "[]", "EXIF OffsetSchema": "4140"}