This year, HSV released the fastest Australian-built production car ever in the form of its new GTS. But from where did the three-letter moniker evolve? And what did Holden's performance flagship look like in years gone by?

To answer these questions -- and perhaps many more -- we take a brief look back at three of the most influential letters the history of Australian muscle: G-T-S.

The first three series (HK, HG & HT) were offered exclusively in two-door guise with a choice of six- and eight-cylinder engines ranging from (85kW) 161 to (224kW) 350 cubic-inches in capacity. The Monaro GTS won twice at Bathurst in 1968 (HK 327ci) and 1969 (HT 350ci).

The models were even produced in South Africa for a time, where they were sold quite successfully as the Chevrolet SS.

TOUGH NEW STANDARDS
In 1971, an all-new Monaro was born in the form of the ubiquitous HQ-series. It was sold in base, LS (Luxury Sports) and GTS variants, though the GTS was no longer offered with a six-cylinder engine.

Following the success of the limited edition SS sedan, Holden expanded the Monaro range with sedan variants. The four-door version of the GTS – again based on the Kingswood family sedan – was offered alongside the coupe variant with a choice of V8 engines ranging from (138kW) 253ci to (206kW) 350ci.

The series was refreshed with the HJ-series in late 1974. The ‘squared-off’ frontal styling was paired to the HQ body with new tail-lights set in the rear quarter panels and a cleaner, more modern interior. Coupe variants retained the HQ tail lights in the bumper, rather than replicating the HJ sedan's sheet metal changes in the two-door's unique rear quarter panels. The HJ Monaro GTS arrived as the Arab Oil Embargo was in full swing, forcing Holden to drop the 350ci Chevrolet-sourced engine from the range.

As the 70s rolled on, the Monaro GTS range was updated twice more with the HX-series in 1976 and HZ-series in 1977 (which incidentally dropped the ‘Monaro’ moniker from its nameplate). Like the HJ-series, both later models were offered only with de-tuned (120kW) 253ci and (161kW) 308ci Holden V8 engines to comply with a tough new emissions standard, ADR27A.

The GTS nameplate was extinguished from Holden’s line-up altogether in December 1978.

REVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
In 1992 Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) revived the GTS nameplate on its VP-series Commodore-derived high-performance sedan. The GTS was the performance flagship of the HSV range and continues to top the portfolio to this very day.

The muscled-up Commodore was sold with a (185kW) 5.0-litre Holden engine (as well as a stroked 215kW 5.7-litre Harrop V8) through VP-R-S- and early VT-series derivatives until the long-serving ‘308’ was killed off in 1999 – the last Australian produced V8. It was replaced by the all-aluminium Chevrolet-sourced Generation III or GM LS1 (179kW) 5.7-litre V8.

AND THEN THERE WERE TWO
The unveiling of a VT-series Commodore-derived coupe codenamed ‘Matilda’ at the Sydney Motor Show in 1998 drew extraordinary levels of interest from both motoring media and the general public. Such was the hype, Holden christened the VZ-series Commodore ‘Monaro’ when it went on sale in 2001.

But the GTS badge was not present in the Holden brochure. That job was left to performance arm Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), applying the nameplate to its own versions of the Monaro coupe from 2001. The 300kW (and later 255kW) 5.7-litre V8 Coupe was ditched after high-cost and slow sales forced HSV’s hand, and in 2004 the GTS nameplate again vanished from the two-door line-up.

After strong initial sales, the Monaro and its HSV derivatives were withdrawn from sale in 2006.

SEDAN SUPREMACY
The Chevy LS1 powerplant continued to power the four-door HSV GTS through VTII-VX- and VY-series derivatives until it was superseded in 2005.

HSV versions were powered by the Callaway C4B engine – basically a higher-performance LS1 with revised cam and heads. The new VZ-series did not carry the GTS nameplate, the moniker not returning until the E Series 1 (VE) arrived in 2006 with an uprated (307kW) 6.0-litre Chevrolet-sourced V8 dubbed ‘L76’ (and later L98).

From the launch of the E Series 2 in 2009, the GTS introduced a (325kW) 6.2-litre LS3 V8, again sourced from Chevrolet. The engine powered both the E Series 2 and E Series 3 GTS until the arrival of the hard-charging supercharged LSA (430kW) 6.2-litre V8 (also pictured).

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