The GTR XU1 was a race-model used by the Australian based, Holden Cars. Harry Firth, Holden’s team director, and a team of engineers tweaked the standard LJ Torano, resulting in a car that remains the most successfull touring and rally car to come out of Australia! This car, like every important sports car, was developed around touring and rallycross. The race program began in 1969 with Peter Brock as the primary driver. Three years later, the road-going version was offerred in 1972.

Three stromberg 150CD carbs combined with a race-cam, combustion chamber modifications, lighter flywheel and a larger exhaust maximized the potential for the Inline-6 engine. During the seventies, the American trend was to use V8 powerplants. Such a trend was nearly followed, with the GTR XU2 sporting a GM V8. The plans to produce the XU2 proved too costly, about double the XU1, thus the XU2 was cancelled.

Produced from 1972 until 1974, around 1600 examples of the road going GTS were made.