Holden Hurrican Concept Car

Because of all these features, the hand-picked team that created the Holden Hurricane worked in strict secrecy. 'There are some genuinely remarkable ideas and technology in the Hurricane' said the chief studio engineer that led the modern day recreation. 'This was a car that was genuinely ahead of its time.'

A radical concept car built by Vauxhall's Australian sister company Holden has been revived 42 years after it first starred at a motor show - where it debuted many of the high-tech features we now take for granted on today's models several decades before they actually made production.

The Holden Hurricane was powered by a 4.2-litre V8 engine that launched the Holden V8 engine programme. Shortly after the show car's debut, the new V8 hit showrooms in regular passenger saloons.

Even the doors of the Holden Hurricane are remarkable - because there aren't any. Instead, a hydraulic canopy lifts up and forward, with 'astronaut-type' powered seats elevating up and pivoting forward for super-easy (and space age-style) access.

The restoration started in 2006 and has been described as a real labour of love by Holden engineers who carried out all the work in their spare time.

The car wasn't even in a serviceable condition - it had been used in a trade school where apprentices had, over many years, practiced their welding skills on the first-ever Holden concept car!

Thousands of man hours were thus required to bring the Holden back to life. This has been done using as many of the original parts as possible: those that were too far gone to be salvaged have been recreated using modern techniques but to a 1969 specification.