Here’s a great look at one of Holden’s proudest achievements, the 1969 Hurricane concept vehicle, featuring both period and contemporary footage. Check it out.
The Hurricane, designed and built in 1969 by the Holden division of General Motors, was one of the most advanced dream cars of the ’60s, and possibly the most fabulous automobile ever constructed Down Under. Not just a studio concept but a fully functional test vehicle with the model designation RD 001, the dramatically styled Hurricane was packed with far-out features, including a hydraulic canopy in lieu of conventional doors and a closed-circuit TV system to provide rearward vision. Power was supplied by Holden’s own 253 CID V8 mounted in mid-chassis and coupled to a prototype GM manual transaxle.
When a five-year, in-house restoration of the Hurricane was completed in 2011, to mark the event this short film was produced, which includes some rare and excellent footage of the vehicle in action back in 1969. There’s also a moment with Richard Ferlazzo, current chief designer at GM Holden and the creator of another memorable Holden concept, the 2005 Efijy. Video below.
God I wish you used white type on black instead of gray!
A little bolder & larger wouldn’t hurt the readability either!
The mobile version is black on white. Also, you can change the zoom settings in your browser to make the print any size you like.
I saw that car in the late 60s and it never appealed. And it was then pretty rough too. The restored car looks a LOT better in finish and I think has the original wheels too again, unlike the ugly CentreLine clones that were on it for quite a while. The resto though has late 70s steering column and wheel unlike original with the GTS wheel.
The GTR X done at the same time was far closer to production, why it was not done I forget now. But it was very well finished. It used the then 186 XU1 mechanicals in a Vette style fibreglass body. Pretty and fairly practical little car. It is too on those You Tube clips.
The Effi Jay was an interesting concept, nicely done and probably had a small market. Though the Oz industry has no place for small market cars now. Only Boredom imported trash, not the home grown.
Nice! Except for the rear wheelwells, or lack of them, it’s a great style, more like what the new Corvette should have looked like instead of the Nike slashed cartoon that it is now. Interesting layout on the steering column, never saw one that raised up with the canopy like that, would make getting in and out easier for sure. Restorations always seem to be better finished than concept cars, I guess the concept is just that, a concept to build on, and a restoration goes back and corrects all the flaws in the concept. The design looks fresh, even as old as it is. Much different from the usual bellybutton cars we see coming out now.