World champ concept car

When the old FJ 'humpy' Holden was reimagined - with modern LS V8 Chev power - by a contemporary Holden designer in the early 2000s, this was the result.

Story: James Cockington

Holden, famous for its Hurricane and XU2 concept cars, revived the tradition when it built the one-off Efijy (that’s FJ in modern terminology) hot rod for the 2005 Sydney Motor Show.

The car was made by a small team of GM-H designers, led by Richard Ferlazzo, in their own time using spare components and bits donated by suppliers. The engine is a supercharged version of the 6.0-litre LS2 V8, putting out around 600hp.

The car was never intended for production, but the idea struck a nerve. Efijy did a successful tour of American motor shows and at an awards ceremony at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan, it was voted 2007 Concept Car of the Year ahead of 33 other contenders.

“I’ve already been blown away by the reaction to the car in the US but for the car to win an award like this is just mind-boggling,” said Ferlazzo at the time. In an example of life repeating itself, the Efijy design is inspired by the original concept car which came over from Detroit and became the Holden FX.