Holden celebrated the tenth birthday of one of the world’s most striking and famous concept cars – the Holden EFIJY.
Designed and built at the renowned GM Australia Design studio in Port Melbourne, EFIJY first debuted at the 2005 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, and blends stunning, hot rod inspired design with out-and-out performance, courtesy of a 6.0-litre LS2 V8 powertrain.
Championed by Holden Design Director, Richard Ferlazzo, EFIJY pays homage to the legendary FJ Holden, from which it takes its name – an effigy of the FJ – whilst putting GM Australia’s design talent on the world stage, leading to a range of future and ongoing concept car projects, including;
- Holden Coupe 60
- GMC Denali XT
- Chevrolet Adra
- Chevrolet Niva
- Buick Avenir
- Chevrolet Bolt
Reminiscing about EFIJY’s 2005 reveal, Mr. Ferlazzo said presenting the EFIJY to the eagerly awaiting media was an unforgettable experience and the pinnacle for any designer.
“Revealing EFIJY in Sydney was a dream come true for me and the fact that it is still in demand and generating interest ten years on is testament to its timeless appeal,” said Mr. Ferlazzo.
“EFIJY is a very sincere expression of design and perfectly demonstrates the world class capabilities of our talented design team, who were able to blend our exciting future with our enviable heritage.
“EFIJY wasn’t the first Holden concept car to grace the global stage; we’ve been wowing people for decades, starting back in 1969 with the futuristic Holden Hurricane and Torana GTR-X, and it’s something we will continue to do.
“As recently as January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, GM revealed two concepts created by our GM Australia Design studio; the Chevrolet Bolt and the Buick Avenir. The Buick took two awards at this prestigious show, including ‘Best Concept Vehicle’.
“Creating exciting global concept cars for GM remains a core part of our business going forward.”
The reaction to EFIJY from media and car fans in 2005 and in the ten years since has been overwhelmingly positive. EFIJY has appealed to everybody, from designers to car enthusiasts, right across the world with many fortunate enough to see the car first hand.
After debuting in Sydney 2005, EFIJY toured its way around Australia, before heading overseas. In 2006 the US magazine HOT ROD named EFIJY ‘Hot Rod of the Year’* and at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 2007 it collected the award for North American Concept Car of the Year. From Detroit, it visited Toronto and California before flying back to Australia via Dubai. Interestingly, it isn’t just automotive shows EFIJY has starred in.
In 2015 the National Gallery of Victoria selected EFIJY to be their showpiece for the art exhibition, Shifting Gear, giving the car pride of place at the front of the NGV’s progressive Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square. Speaking about the exhibition, Mr. Ferlazzo said to have some of Australia’s most iconic cars on display at an art gallery demonstrated the broad appeal and love car design had in Australia.
“The NGV’s Shifting Gear exhibition blended car design and art beautifully and paid tribute to the wealth of talent we have in automotive design in Australia,” said Mr. Ferlazzo.
“To see EFIJY positioned at the front of the gallery indicated its ongoing importance, appeal and connection with Australian car and art fans alike.
“The exhibition also displayed Hurricane (1969), Torana GTR-X (1970), Monaro GTS (1968) and Avenir (2015), showing off our strong design history and promising design future.”
The Holden EFIJY concept car is currently on show at Holden’s Port Melbourne headquarters.