Classic TV : Holden Torana RTS with Peter Brock

    Rich Fowler22 April, 2024

    peter Brock LX Torana

    "Radial Tuned Suspension" was the message in the classic 1977 TV Commercial featuring Peter Brock driving the Holden Torana LX.

    What better advocate could you have for explaining what Holden engineers did to transition vehicle dynamics from bias-ply tyres to steel-belted radials than Peter Brock?

    "Watch me straighten this corner!"- Peter Brock

    Neither the Holden Torana LX nor nine-time Bathurst winner, Peter Brock need an introduction, so we won't. Instead let's take a quick peek into the Radial Tuned Suspension story.

    If you've watched our video, you'll agree it sounds amazing, and it was for the time. But what Holden was really saying was: "we tuned the suspension to work with the tyres".

    That's a given in this day and age, and some car brands even go so far as to get tyre manufacturers to make special tyre treads and compounds to suit their latest car. But in the 1970s it was big news, coming at the same time that Holden moved away from bias-ply tyres to steel-belted radial tyres.

    Holden's decision to publicise this move under the Radial Tuned Suspension banner was a marketing masterstroke.

    And here's a little Easter egg lurking in the Radial Tuned Suspension story. One of the engineers behind RTS was a young German by the name of Peter Hanenberger.

    Hanenberger explained RTS at the time thusly: it is designed to “reduce vehicle roll when cornering, improve straight-ahead stability and improve vehicle handling and load carrying ability on all types of road surfaces.”

    Hanenberger returned to GM's Opel division in Germany soon after, but would come back to Australia early in the 2000s as its Managing Director - a position in which he could unleash Holden's true engineering genius and give us modern icons like the reborn Holden Monaro, the Crewman 4-door ute and the Cross8 Commodore offroader.

    Not all of Hananberger's visionary achievements reaped commercial gold, but his work on RTS was one of his biggest gifts to Australia.

    Lastly, can you name the stretch of road used in the video? It looks a lot like the Arthur's Seat climb on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula.

    Rich Fowler

    Writer

    "If it moves and makes a noise, count me in. That pretty much sums up my lifelong passion for motoring and motorsport history. Rich has worked in various roles in the digital and motoring media world, starting his career at Autosport and also working at Auto Action, Motor, and as the founder and publisher of Motorsport Retro. 

    Most recently, Rich successfully launched Collecting Cars in the Australian market, growing the brand from 0 to $150 million in sales in just 3 years."

    More inEntertainment

    Buying a Volkswagen from an old lady TV commercial

    Classic TV: Buying a Volkswagen from an Old Lady

    This iconic Volkswagen commercial from the Netherlands shows a man and his teenage son looking to buy the latter his first car, a Mk3 Golf, from a not-so-trustworthy Old Lady.

    Retro Rides Podcast Episode 4

    The Retro Rides Podcast Episode 4: Adelaide Motorsport Festival, Dick Johnson, and a Major Merc Sale

    On the latest instalment of The Retro Rides Podcast, Cam and Rich are taking a look at some big recent stories, including Triple Eight Race Engineering's shift from GM to Ford and the €51 million sale of a 1954 Mercedes-Benz in Germany.

    BMW E30 M3 Print Advertisement

    The history of BMW’s iconic ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ slogan

    There are few taglines in the automotive industry that work as well as BMW’s. When you think of what the brand and its most legendary cars stand for, ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’ perfectly encapsulates it.

    More inAussie

    Ford Falcon EA

    Retro Rides Presents Ford Falcon EA-ED: Why it Makes for a Great First-Time Classic Purchase

    Even if you’re not a typical blue-blood Ford fan, early 1990s Falcon make for a great first-time classic, provided you watch out for a few common pitfalls.

    Ford Falcon EB S-XR6

    Retro Rides Presents Ford Falcon EA-ED: Enter the S-XR6

    This is how Ford kept the fast car hits coming with the introduction of the S-XR6, a feisty six-pot that showed both Holden and Ford V8s a clean pair of heels.

    Ford Surferoo

    Unicorn: Ford Falcon Surferoo

    In the Summer of 1970, Holden panel vans lined the seafront and legions of young Aussie blokes clamoured to get their Chiko Roll-smeared-hands on Chrysler’s stove-hot Valiant Pacer. Not to be out done, Ford Australia’s memorable play for the burgeoning ‘youth market’ was a big-winged ute that became an instant hit with the kids and a star of the car show-circuit – the XW Falcon Surferoo.

    Get The Latest

    Sign up for the latest in retro rides, from stories of restoration to community happenings.

    By clicking Sign Up you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.