UPDATED 26/02/2026 12:00pm: The family has confirmed the Holden Torana GTR XU-1 has been recovered safely.
“It was up there with the greatest feelings of elation I’ve had in my life,” Mr Scrivener wrote in a social media post, thanking the community for sharing the story and for those who volunteered to help. The original story continues unchanged below.
Images of a green 1972 Holden Torana GTR XU-1 have been circulating online after the vehicle was stolen in broad daylight this week from Hawthorn, an inner eastern suburb of Melbourne.
According to 9News, the Torana was inherited by tattoo artist Peter Scrivener following his father’s death eight years ago, and holds special memories for the family.
Last week, Mr Scrivener’s mother was diagnosed with inoperable cancer, revealing her final wish is to take one last drive in the beloved Holden.
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“She just wants to hear it and smell it and be in it – and just sit there and talk about when she was in it with my dad. That’s all she really wants,” he told 9News.
Melbourne’s car community has been quick to share details of the vehicle in the hope of returning it to the family quickly.
The classic Australian muscle car was believed to have been spotted in Lower Templestowe some time after the theft, through the club permit number plates 97622H had been removed.
At the time it was taken, the Torana had Tanuki Tattoo stickers on the rear quarter glass and a baby seat in the back.
The thief was seen on CCTV wearing a white T-shirt, khaki shorts, a black baseball cap with a white motif, and a black gym bag. It appears the man may be in his 40s, with a tattoo on his left bicep, and possibly with a shaved head.
The Bathurst-winning model was developed to beat V8-powered Fords on track, with the 3.3-litre inline-six producing an estimated 142kW and 272Nm.
Mr Scrivener has offered a $5000 for the safe return of his family’s beloved Holden Torana, with any witnesses or sightings encouraged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
