1969 Holden Hurricane Concept Car

[Moby Vic]

I bought a copy of Motor Trend Classic magazine today. It has a nice feature on the 1969 Holden Hurricane concept car, which was apparently Holden's first concept car. And it doesn't look anything like anything Holden ever actually built, as far as I know. It looks like a GT prototype race car.

The cover story is on a comparison between a '67 GT500 and '67 427 Corvette. There's also a comparison between a '57 Ford Ranchero and a '59 Chevy El Camino (the debut year for our version of utes). And a profile on "Miss Hurst Golden Shifter," Linda Vaughn, whom I've had the pleasure of meeting twice.

Anyway, if they sell it in Australia, it's worth a look.

[Nikked]

Yeah, i recently got restored.


Used to be able to drive it's self via a magnetic tape system that took commands from magnets buired at holdens proving grounds.

[castellan]

I think the hurricane is just a foundation of a Vauxhal experimental car that was rejigged for the Holden v8 and played around with by Holden and used to advertise the new Holden V8 performance coming in the HT Holden range.

[Poetic Justice]

Had a reverse camera too!

[Moby Vic]

Obviously I haven't read the article yet! (But it's a cool-looking car.)

[TC200six]

I heard it was used at a collage or something before it was recovered and restored. It sure looks like a '60s view of the space age.

[FOCUSonTHIS]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Yeah, i recently got restored.


Used to be able to drive it's self via a magnetic tape system that took commands from magnets buired at holdens proving grounds.

It has GPS in it which uses the traffic light sensors in the road to calculate where it is.


Also it is currently on display at Holden HQ in Port Melbourne with the rest of their concept cars and other special vehicles

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by FOCUSonTHIS

It has GPS in it which uses the traffic light sensors in the road to calculate where it is.

i think nikked is right... did they even have traffic light sensors in the 60s?

well, i dunno about the self drive, but it definitly used magnets in the road.



heres a nother holden built concept, i like it, looks brutish

[FOCUSonTHIS]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

i think nikked is right... did they even have traffic light sensors in the 60s?

well, i dunno about the self drive, but it definitly used magnets in the road.

This is from the review on car advice.


Among the most revolutionary features were the digital instrument displays, station-seeking radio, automatic temperature-control air conditioning, inertia-reel seatbelts, metallic paint, rear-view camera and the ‘Pathfinder’ system – an early form of in-car navigation.

Pathfinder used a system of magnets embedded at intersections to guide drivers on their desired path. A panel on the dash told the driver which way to turn by illuminating arrows and sounding a buzzer.

The rear-view camera used a closed circuit television (CCTV) system, incorporating a camera in the rear bumper and a small black and white TV in the centre console.

[Bossxr8]

Holden had to bury magnets in the road for it to work, had nothing to do with traffic lights.

It was a totally useless idea unless Holden intended to bury a magnet at every corner in Australia.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by FOCUSonTHIS

Pathfinder used a system of magnets embedded at intersections to guide drivers on their desired path. A panel on the dash told the driver which way to turn by illuminating arrows and sounding a buzzer.

.

That's it.

The magnets were read by the incoded tape.

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

It was a totally useless idea unless Holden intended to bury a magnet at every corner in Australia.

So...At least Holden had the guts to do something this amazing back then. Concept car is a concept car, usless wow technology. Given that Sat Nav was only first implemented in the mid 80's, back in to 70's this would have been mind blowing...

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Used to be able to drive it's self via a magnetic tape system that took commands from magnets buired at holdens proving grounds.

that was smart - it was a much better idea than cutting 30 centimetres out of my left arm so i could reach the gear stick comfortably

[pottery beige]

thread needs this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iezc1...84BDC0438A6F8C

crank that funky music..

[FOCUSonTHIS]

I am in the automotive industry. I give credit where credit is due and to see the innovations that Holden produce in their concept cars are 2nd to none, Ford's last concept vehicle? R7? I am not including FPV GT Black Edition.

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Holden had to bury magnets in the road for it to work, had nothing to do with traffic lights.

It was a totally useless idea unless Holden intended to bury a magnet at every corner in Australia.

It was a concept car, for a car of the future. For a concept car you can assume that whatever future infrastructure is needed will become a reality.

I still haven't read the article, but in an odd coincidence I saw a 2004 Holden Ute tonight! It had been converted to left-hand drive and it had a current Florida license plate (in the rear, which is all that's required here—it had an Australian plate up front).

[olds]

The centre screen in the 2nd pic in post 2 is the same as the one in my 2012 territory .They both don't work

[music189]

it blew me away at the Melbourne motor show in '69 ,twas awsome to a 9 year old back then google it and there are lots of stories about it just like the GTX torana

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by TC200six

I heard it was used at a collage or something before it was recovered and restored. It sure looks like a '60s view of the space age.

image
image

Do I see a passenger and driver tape deck? Dual zone audio, wonder how that would work.

[GTP534]

Originally Posted by music189

it blew me away at the Melbourne motor show in '69 ,twas awsome to a 9 year old back then google it and there are lots of stories about it just like the GTX torana

I was 13 and saw it at the Sydney Motor Show. Agree, it was awesome back than. Looks like they had Sunburst paint colour too! That and the Torana GTR-X really created excitement; Ford had very agressive advertising at that time too.

[aussie muscle]

If you want more details on hurricane and GTR-X there's a forum dedicated to this subject, including the elusive 3rd prototype gtr-x which is going to be rebuilt. http://www.gtr-x.net/

[Polyal]

Yeap...fords getting rid of the discovery centre and gmh invest in their history to reinforce their status in the local market..go figure

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Yeap...fords getting rid of the discovery centre and gmh invest in their history to reinforce their status in the local market..go figure

Ford are keeping all the stuff though, and Holden doesn't have a museum either.