HDT L34 Torana

Genuine, Holden Dealer Team works racer.

Rare opportunity to buy a piece of Australian motoring history.
Known history from day one.
Only one HDT L34 Rally car built, which is a relief...
Paperwork confirming HDT build and CAMS logbook papers from HDT.
Unusually rare (For a race car) matching numbers too.
$POA.
 

Genuine HDT L34, raced by Colin Bond and John Harvey. Long term owner is keen to see it go to a good home to finish the restoration (Mechanical mods removed), all of which can be done by Ecurie Investments. 
Buying cars like this can make people nervous. This car has ALL the documents needed to ensure your money is not going into a poor choice.

The car has Holden buildsheets proving it was delievered new to HDT. 

Confirmation from VIC Roads it was first Registered by the HDT.

CAMS logbook application papers signed by Harry Firth.

The car is riddled with HDT body modifications and is a fascinating vehicle to comb through.

The L34 option was Holden’s answer to the problems they were having with their SLR 5000 racing program. Named after its engine option, you got more than just a hot 308 when you ordered it, along came those bolt on flares that define the group C era and much needed revised suspension, to put all that power to the road. Only 268 L34’s were built, with many getting destroyed or butchered when they were overlooked as "keepers". It is estimated that only 150 remain intact.

The L34 presented here has had an amazing life. Built on the 17/7/1974, the car was specially ordered for none other than the Marlboro Holden Dealer Team (HDT) by founder Harry Firth. It was the third L34 Torana ordered by the HDT and was earmarked to be Australian Rally (ARC) and Touring Car (ATCC) champ Colin Bond’s rally car for the 1975 ARC. The car was log booked by the HDT on the 23/5/1975, as a category 3, Group C car.

Competitive life of a HDT L34 racer:

1975

• 1^st Rallied on May 24-25^th Akademos Rally, Bairnsdale (South Gippsland Vic.), 4^th Bond/ Shepheard.
  
  
• “Ampol Bega Snowy” Rally 14-16^th June, 1^st Bond/Shepheard.
  
  
• “Lutwyche Village Warana” September 20-21^st DNF, retired due to gearbox jamming.

• Total Oil Southern Cross International Rally” October 8^th-11^th DNS due to L34 not FIA compliant. Page 84 Sept 1975 Racing Car News (RCN) for more info.

• "Holden Dealers International” Gippsland 1^st Bond/Shepheard RCN P 91, Sept 1976

• 1977

• Was rallied by John Harvey in the third round of the Vic state series. With Ian Heraud as Navigator. They DNF'd (Pulled out due to getting bogged) but were quickest outright on one stage. Event was 9/ 7/ 77.  

1978

• Sold by Harry Fith to Barry Nixon Smith and used in the QLD rally series in 1978 and perhaps 1979. Did only 4 or 5 events.  
• Sold to Pete Cullen/ Holden Dealer in Liverpool around 1980. According to Barry, it had about 6000 to 8000 K’s on the odometer and was in very good condition.

• Sold to a Tasmanian Motorsport team who campaigned it in further local rallies.
    1991

• Sold to the present owner, who removed and stored the original motor and gearbox, before campaigning it in the 1992 (Inaugural), 93, 94 (Co- driven by the HDT’s David “Skippy” Parsons) 96 and 1998 Targa Tasmania’s. A competitive highlight late in its career was the L34 winning the 1997 GT Class in a V8 Super Car support round at Symmons Plains, which was broadcast nationally.

The L34 was retired in 2000 and it is a credit of the people who raced the famous Torana, that after 25 years of competition with multiple hard fought victories, it never had a “Big One”, only receiving the minor marks that are expected from this high level of Motorsport. The car has been restored by Gary Rogers Motorsport and presents today as a surprisingly straight L34 Torana, with pristine Glacier White paint. An under body assessment of the car shows that the owner and Rogers had the foresight to not remove the cars history, with evidence of work carried out by the HDT and no doubt that it served as a works racer. The car comes with a photographic documentary of its life and has an unbroken chain of owners. The cars original motor and gearbox have been re-fitted. Another bonus is that the HDT only had one L34 rally car, so there are no counter claims by other cars, to its amazing race history.

The car has been partially restored. It still needs the tricky period HDT Modifications done to areas such as the diff. This has the "Taken the fun out of it", for the current owner and he is now keen to sell it to a party that has the apassion to get the L34 to exactly as Harry Firth and Coling Bond had her in 1975. Ecurie Investments loves this stuff!!! We have already sourced a correct L34 Diff (Comes with car) and will happily do the final 10% to get her period correct. Or just buy and drive as is!!

A genuine HDT L34 racer, driven by Harry Firth and the 1974 HDT team members, then raced by Colin Bond, John Harvey and Skippy Parsons, with multiple period TV appearances, race victories and an irrefutable history and providence, all for the price of a standard road going L34?! This is a once off opportunity to purchase such a significant piece of Australia’s Motorsport history at a very realistic price. 

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