The 50th anniversary of the iconic Holden Torana will be celebrated at Maitland Park this weekend at the biennial Toranafest.
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The popular Hunter Valley Torana Club event, which is in its third decade, will incorporate cars from all over Australia across the weekend.
More than 170 of Australia’s best Toranas will take part in a super cruise from Club Maitland City, Rutherford to Heddon Greta Drive-in on Saturday. The cars will leave Club Maitland City at 2pm head to the drive-in and will depart the drive-in at 4pm.
The Toranafest event itself will take place on Sunday from 9am. Entry is free and there will be market stalls, auctions, Toranafest merchandise, and autograph sessions with motor racing identities including Colin Bond, Don Holland, Bev Brock, Kevin Bartlett and Wayne Bell.
The event also includes a meet and greet on Friday and a gala dinner on Saturday, both of which are sold-out.
More than 380 vehicles have already been entered in Sunday’s event, eclipsing the previous record of 350, with at least $20 million worth of collectables on show.
The Holden Torana was produced from 1967 to 1980 and was made famous through motorsport, being driven by the legendary Peter Brock and Maitland’s own Allan Grice.
Hunter Valley Torana Club president Pete Morris said the car had a real following in Australia with a strong community of fans around the country.
“It was just a car that the youth of the day could identify with,” he said.
“The guys can go back to their youth.”
This year’s event also coincides with Holden ceasing Australian manufacture of its cars in October.
Toranafest supports Ronald McDonald House, Carrie’s Place in Maitland and Dog Rescue Newcastle.
In lieu of a gold coin donation, attendees are asked to bring a can of dog food to donate to Dog Rescue Newcastle.
The festival will also incorporate wooden Torana replicas made by Maitland Men’s Shed, which has also created trophies, in the form of giant spark plugs, for the event.
Mr Morris said the Torana club wanted the event to be a real part of the Maitland community and planned to organise a biennial pilgrimage to the city for the festival.
Toranafest started at Newcastle Foreshore, before it moved to Maitland in 2015.
More information is available at www.toranafest.com.au.