Amazing Photos of the 1969 Holden Hurricane

Built in 1969 by GM’s Australian division Holden, the Hurricane was an advanced research concept vehicle designed “to study design trends, propulsion systems and other long range developments.” The Hurricane stood just 39-in tall and was powered by a mid-mounted, high-compression 5.0 liter Holden V8 engine, producing 259 hp. The Hurricane did not feature conventional doors; instead, a hydraulically powered canopy swung forwards over the front wheels and the seats rose up and tilted forward.

Other features included Pathfinder, which used magnetic signals built into the road to guide the driver. It also contained other advanced technology that would not become commonplace for decades such as: digital instrument displays; automatic temperature control air conditioning called Comfortron; an auto-seek radio function and a rear-view camera, which consisted of a wide angle camera in the rear bumper connected to a closed-circuit television (CCTV) screen in the center console.

Sadly, the Hurricane never made it past the concept stage, mainly due to the cost of production, and it is understood to have been retired into company storage to be forgotten for nearly two decades. It was then reportedly ‘rediscovered’ in the Holden training centre by Corey Egan in 1988. Restoration work began in 2006 following the original design laid out, and in 2011 the automotive world was reintroduced to the Hurricane at the Motorclassica car show in Melbourne. Since then, it is has taken residence at the National Motor Museum in Birdwood, where it remains on display as a tantalizing glimpse of what an Australian supercar of this era could have been.

Here below is a collection of amazing photos of the 1969 Holden Hurricane.