The LX Torana arrived in 1976 with a new hatchback body that quickly became one of the most recognizable Australian performance-car shapes of the decade. In SS form, the hatch could be ordered with Holden’s L31 5.0-litre V8, creating the specification that would soon provide the basis for the competition-oriented A9X. This car is the earlier L31 SS rather than an A9X, and that distinction is part of its appeal: an original-specification road car from the brief period immediately before the Torana’s racing derivatives came to dominate its reputation.

According to the selling dealer, this Cotillion White example was sold new by Preston Motors in Victoria and has covered just 67,233 km. It retains its matching-numbers 308-ci (5.0-litre) V8, factory Trimatic three-speed automatic transmission and factory air-conditioning. The seller also reports that the original herringbone interior, dashboard, door cards, GMH Dolby radio, boot mat and boards remain with the car, together with its log books. Particularly interesting is the claimed dealer-applied rust protection, for which the original invoice survives.

The photographs show a remarkably restrained survivor compared with the modified Toranas that now dominate the market: factory-style 13-inch wheels, narrow tyres, standard bodywork and a largely untouched cabin rather than flares, spoilers or oversized wheels. That originality is arguably the strongest reason to consider this car. At this level, the matching-numbers claim, mileage, original trim and supporting documentation deserve careful verification, but if confirmed, they make it a very different proposition from a restored or recreated SS. Find it for sale at A$179,990 (about $126,100) here in Carss Park, NSW, Australia.