On a grey, wet and dim day in 1974, a previously unheralded Kiwi team came to the attention of Australian race fans. *What’s a whio? It’s a species of duck native to New Zealand.

There are not many historic Group C Toranas as significant as this one. Equally, though, there are not many historic Group C Toranas as obscure as this one.

Even some older AMC readers will have trouble recalling this particular Torana L34. After all, it made only two race appearances in Australia, both of them at Bathurst. And then it left the country, never to return.

Its Bathurst record is pretty good: third in 1974; eighth the following year. A 100 per cent top 10 finishing record is not bad for a privateer team from New Zealand running one of the most notoriously unreliable Holden models ever to take on the race.

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This article appeared in Australia MUSCLE CAR Magazine Issue 82
Tags:  1974bathurstholdenjim richardsrestorationtorana