Holden’s SLR5000, known as L34 in its Bathurst-winning race spec, was the V8 successor to the nimble Torana XU-1, and debuted by Peter Brock as he won the final two races of his first touring car championship title in 1974.

But it was Colin Bond who was the star of Harry Firth’s Holden Dealer Team in the five-race manufacturer’s championship. HDT pipped the Falcon contingent of Moffat, Goss and Carter with a final victory at Phillip Island.

This classic cinema film represents Aussie motoring racing – seventies style. In a much different scenario to today’s high-tech Supercars, we revisit the days of long hair, flared jeans and leisurely pit stops. The V8 Torana came into its own in 1975. Brock had joined the privateer ranks after deciding to move on from HDT and fronted up to Bathurst heading up the Gown-Hindaugh team, with Brian Sampson as co-driver. The race was to be a Bond/Torana and Moffat/Falcon showdown, while Brock slotted into third, running at a pace to get the car home. Sure enough, Bond and Moffat struck problems and Brock led home a Torana clean sweep with SLRs and XU-1s taking all nine outright class-finishing positions.

Sydney’s Bob Morris was Peter Brock’s most persistent Torana rival in the late seventies, with both taking out touring car titles. Brock came to Bathurst in 1976 having delivered a crushing victory in his Team Brock Torana at the Sandown 400, but Moffat claimed pole with the Bond/Harvey and Morris/Fitzpatrick Toranas third and fourth on the grid. Another Torana was piloted by legends Jack Brabham and Stirling Moss – their chances ended by a start line accident.

Morris won a fluctuating race in dramatic circumstances when co-driver Fitzpatrick brought home an ailing car ahead of Bond and Brock. Again, Torana V8s had dominated Bathurst with the L34 claiming the top seven finishing places.