Torana TT36

The last concept to appear from Holden in this incredibly creative period, the TT36 was meant to preview a rear-wheel drive compact sports sedan that could be sold as a Holden locally and via other GM brands globally.

It also presented the look and feel of the forthcoming Holden Commodore VE on a slightly miniaturised scale. But rather than using the locally-developed Zeta architecture under development for VE, it rode on GM’s Kappa underbody employed by the Solstice sports car.

It made a hell of an impact in Sydney, presented in a ‘Mangenta’ hot pink exterior and white interior.

Despite enthusiastic support from then GM product czar Bob Lutz, the project didn’t proceed, and nor did the twin-turbo version of the Alloytec V6 engine under the bonnet.

Ferlazzo: “It was originally an exploration of a cutdown VE based on the new Zeta architecture. It was intended to be a small, more compact rear-wheel drive sedan for Australia and the rest of the world; we always needed a partner, we could not get the volumes here to get these projects off the ground. We gured Chevy and others, maybe Opel, would love something like a 3 Series BMW rival.

“Around that time Denny Mooney arrived [from America to become Holden MD and chairman] fresh out of that period with the Solstice. He thought ‘this thing is about the same size as the Solstice and we know Bob Lutz wants to expand the Kappa portfolio, so it’s ideal.’

“We told him it wasn’t ideal but that it could be done. He wanted to explore that because it was front of mind for Lutz and he thought Lutz would appreciate that. Not to brown-nose, but this could be something Bob might want to do.

“So it was rehashed. We had a thing about maintaining the credibility of concept cars and that’s why TT36 is a four-seater, because Kappa had this massive spine down the middle.

“It’s a little simple and raw in its elements because it was done very quickly. In fact, the studio here was so busy we did it down at a small over ow studio we used to rent down at HSV.

“We hawked it around to all the GM divisions globally but we couldn’t get the volume up to justify a business case.”

Hughes: “So tables were turned here. My VE [exterior] got up in the end, so I was so heavily into VE that I wasn’t involved in this at all. Max was at a bit of a loose end, so they gave him the TT36 to do. But then about halfway through he got shipped to Korea and Ewan Kingsbury nished it.

“He’s at Toyota in Port Melbourne now. He is a major talent, an immense talent.”

And also…

The Chevrolet YGM1 mini-SUV revealed at the Tokyo motor show in October 1999 was one of Holden’s rst international design jobs.

Peter Hughes was the pointman and looks fondly back on the experience, which was rushed through in 12 weeks and culminated in a trip to Japan for the show unveil along with Andrew Smith.

“I had to scrape Andrew off a bar the night before,” he laughs. “We missed the launch. “We were young.

“Mike was probably at the stand taping his foot waiting for us.

“It was built at EDAG in Dingley. I remember being up for 36 hours straight nishing it off. Then I slept for two days straight after we got it in the crate and on the plane.”

The YGM1 did return to Australia as the original Suzuki-built Holden Cruze in 2002. Hughes was also seconded to Japan to work on the production version.

The motorcycle fanatic still remembers being ushered into the bowels of Suzuki’s Hamamatsu headquarters to see and sit on a prototype of the next-gen 1000cc GSX-R superbike.

“That was one of my funnest jobs ever,” says Hughes of the YGM1 and Cruze programs. “Good times, great times, crazy times.”