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Australian Car Spotters Guide - 1962 |
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Also see: Bolwell Car Reviews |
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The Bolwell Mk IV can be considered the first serious commercial model to be
released, following the previous
"hobby" versions. The Mk IV was manufactured in component
form and sold as a kit, meaning the purchaser had to
either assemble the car themselves, or pay someone to
do it. This slight draw-back did, however, come with a few advantages, not the least
of which was that the purchaser was then able to choose their favorite engine,
gearbox, and other components they wanted in their vehicle. Although the car
was designed for a Ford Cortina 1600cc 4 cylinder engine, other alternatives
were available including the Peugeot 4 cylinder, Ford Falcon and Holden grey
six cylinder engines. |
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Also see: Chrysler Valiant Car Reviews and R Series Valiant Specifications |
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Understanding the R series Valiant requires taking
a look back in time so that the car can be put into
perspective. In the early 1960’s the Australian
motoring landscape was filled predominantly with Holden’s
and British cars, although the all new Ford Falcon
XK was certainly making some inroads. Chrysler would
decide to enter the foray in January 1962 with their
unquestionably superior R Series. The stage was set
for a showdown, the idiom “The Big Three” quickly
entering the vocabulary of most baby boomers. |
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Also see: Ford Cortina Car Reviews and Cortina Consul Specifications |
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In the late 1950’s it was apparent that the aging Anglia 105E would no longer be able to maintain it’s market share, and an all new car would be needed to help Ford compete against the likes of the Vauxhall Victor and Hillman Minx. The car was code-named “The Archbishop”, the brief to build a car that would take Ford to the number #1 position in the sales charts in the small car segment. And to do that, the engineers knew that they would have to keep the costs down, while ensuring the new car was a lively performer (particularly given the competition now included the BMC Mini. It is testament to the ingenuity in the Cortina’s original design that some 15% of the body weight was saved over the outgoing Anglia, and it used 20% fewer body parts. And of course the usual means of keeping costs down, using the parts-bin from other cars, was also used.
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Also see: Ford Falcon XK to XC Car Reviews and XL Falcon Specifications |
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The XL was introduced with some new styling changes, most
notably to the grille, altering from a concave to a convex
shape with recessed headlights and bumper mounted indicators. The tail lamps were revised and the rear roof line was
changed to reflect Ford's "Thunderbird" style theme, which in turn created a wider rear pillar and larger rear window. But the most serious changes were made under the skin, with significant
mechanical upgrades - a new gearbox, clutch, starter,
air and oil filters - and an attempt to sort out the weak
front suspension (this attempt was hardly successful). |
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Also see: Holden 48/215 to HR Car Reviews and EJ Holden Specifications |
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Produced between 1961 and 1963,
the "EJ" was
the first of a bold new shape for the Holden. Gone were
the fins of the previous EK model, and a new flat boot
and lower roofline was created to keep pace with the
more modern looking Ford Falcons. The EJ was designed
from the Opel Kapitan, but incorporated some American
influence, particularly in regard to consideration of
aerodynamics.
The trusty "grey" motor was
carried over from the previous model, albeit with a
few refinements. The EJ was the first model to introduce the new luxury
"Premier" model, with innovations such as full leather
interiors (dropped after two years), bucket seats and
a console with controls for the two speed fan heater. The Premier also featured metallic paint, a push button
AM radio and arm rests on all four doors (sedan) and
came standard with the Hydramatic 3 speed automatic
transmission.
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