1960 COLLECTION
Turtle Tide and GTS
Dolphin Tide and GTS
Orca Ocean and GTS
Mako GTS
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POSEIDON AUTOMOTIVE — THE 1970s RANGE (Performance versions mostly shown )
The 1970s are the decade Poseidon stops being a local manufacturer and becomes a real operating network: expanded model coverage, industrialised materials thinking, and the first true split between road prestige and competition intent.
The Range Photo (left → right)
- 1972 Tiger Shark LCI
- 1975 Orca GTS LCI
- 1975 Tiger Shark GTS
- 1975 Dolphin GTS
- 1970 Hammerhead Bay (commercial/military-derived expansion)
- 1979 Manta (centre — new flagship grand touring convertible)
- Dolphin Fluke (Ute) (commercial expansion / utility offshoot)
- 1975 Orca CS (competition intent)
- 1975 Orca Ocean (luxury spec)
- 1976 Turtle GTS
- Turtle Bay
Why the 1970s matter
1970 — Offshore expansion begins
Poseidon establishes its first offshore manufacturing step with the Gasmea factory, widening global operations and distribution beyond Australia’s east coast base.
1972 — The performance ladder becomes sharper
The CS (Competition Special) arrives as the true race-special layer above the road performance line, setting up the “CS + series tag” logic that later defines GPR-A/TCR-era cars.
1973 — Performance branches formalised
Trident Power Units (TPU) and Shark Motorsport (SM) are formally established as permanent performance think-tank divisions—locking in the long-term motorsport pipeline (engine + chassis/homologation).
1975 — The “huge year”
1975 is the inflection point where Poseidon modernises the product and scales the range:
- ADS launches (Tiger Shark Gen 2 / first retail Tiger Shark): plastics-led modernisation (plastic bumpers, handles, mirrors; cleaner flush sides; plastics-forward cabin)
- Advanced Plastics & Composites Division established under Shark Motorsport (materials advantage becomes permanent capability)
- Range expansion accelerates: Orca lineup grows (Ocean/GTS/CS(while CS was a one off in the1970s for the Orca )), Dolphin expands upward into GTS, and commercial coverage strengthens through Hammerhead + Dolphin Fluke utility growth
1976 — ADS expands into engine/material technology
ADS begins migrating beyond cosmetics into powertrain/material choices, setting the runway for the later manifold/material evolution.
1979 — Manta arrives
The Manta enters as the luxury “golf club” grand touring convertible—Poseidon’s prestige flagship that later becomes the natural home for road-adapted top-tier engine technology.
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1970 Hammerhead Bay — “Beam Road” Climb
Proof of concept, proof of platform.
Captured here is the 1970 Hammerhead Bay climbing the tallest Beam Road with ease — a simple moment that says everything about what the Hammerhead line was built for: torque-first drivability, durability under load, and unbothered traction when the terrain stops being reasonable.
Even as Poseidon’s 1970s range expanded into new commercial territory, the Hammerhead remained the backbone of the commercial and service mission — the platform that doesn’t need drama to prove itself.
Hammerhead Bay (1970): climb it, haul it, survive it.
the Ramp with easy
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Poseidon Touring Car Motorsport — Group A to TCR
Nameplate: Tiger Shark
Motorsport designation: Tiger Shark CS Group A (GPRA series tag)
This is Poseidon’s first true touring-car war. The Tiger Shark becomes the spearhead and Group A becomes the proving ground — the period where Poseidon’s competition discipline hardens into tradition.
Road vs Race (Group A)
- Tiger Shark CS — the competition special that anchors the program to the public range
- Tiger Shark CS Group A — the full race specification built to win under touring-car rules
The TCR Era (2020 → 2026)
Nameplate: Turtle
Motorsport designation: Turtle CS TCR
The Turtle becomes Poseidon’s modern benchmark touring car — the signature nameplate of the TCR era.
The TCR Era (2020 → 2026)
Nameplate: Turtle
Motorsport designation: Turtle CS TCR
The Turtle becomes Poseidon’s modern benchmark touring car — the signature nameplate of the TCR era.
Core rule: All Turtle TCR cars are FWD.
Across the 2020s, the Turtle TCR evolves through a three-step race development cycle — not by changing philosophy, but by refining the race package year-on-year.
Three evolutions (2020 → 2026)
- 2020 Spec: baseline modern Turtle TCR package
- Mid-cycle Evo: refinement phase driven by competition feedback
- 2026 Spec: mature end-state of the cycle — maximised pace and consistency within the same FWD framework
Road vs Race (TCR)
- Turtle Diver — customer-facing sports model
- Turtle CS TCR — purpose-built touring-car racer
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