Australian Car Spotters Guide - 1972

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1972 Chevrolet DeVille
South Africa

Chevrolet DeVille

  Also see: Chevrolet Car Reviews and Holden HQ Specifications
 
The HQ Statesman was exported to South Africa, with only minor "badge engineering" which included Caddy wheel covers and rear-view mirrors, and of course the Chevrolet badges. The first generation (designated "AQ" instead of "HQ") sold quite well initially, but after the '73 oil crisis it quickly lost popularity.
1972 Chrysler VH Valiant Ranger
Australia

Chrysler Valiant VH Ranger

  Also see: Chrysler Valiant Car Reviews and VH Valiant Specifications
 
The Ranger XL was designed to fill the gap between the low end Valiant’s and the more up-market models. Apart from featuring the XL badge work, there were individual wheel trim rings under the hubcaps and mouldings framing the door windows. White side-wall tires and chrome frames around the tail lights completed the package nicely. Inside the XL featured a more plush trim, retractable front seat belts, courtesy light switch gear to all doors and an illuminated boot. Engine choices consisted of the 245 or 265 Hemi engines, and power assisted front disc brakes were available as an option. The VH wagon was some 152mm longer again than the sedan iterations, making it the mammoth of the range, and the road.
1972 Ford Falcon XA Sedan
Australia

Ford Falcon XA

  Also see: Ford Falcon XK to XC Car Reviews and Falcon XA Specifications
 
The XA model was the first completely designed and built in Australia. By the time it was released, the US version had been discontinued some 18 months earlier, and the designers had the opportunity of designing a more 'Australianised' car. The result was a swoopy, coke bottle design, sleek but featuring a bigger, more roomy body and available with a wider choice of engines and a longer list of options.

1972 Ford ZF Fairlane
Australia

ZF Fairlane

  Also see: Ford Fairlane Car Reviews and ZF Fairlane Specifications
 
The ZF marked a complete new re-styling of the Fairlane, now wholly Australian designed and produced. It was easy to see that the design was influenced by the new XA Falcon, retaining, as the previous cars had done, the basic central structure including the doors, and bulking out either end. The bold grille and unique tail lamps helped, but there was a feeling that it did not differentiate itself enough from its smaller Ford contemporary. The four headlights were placed in a horizontal pattern once more, inside a full width grille.
1972 LJ Torana 4 Door Sedan
Australia

LJ Torana

  Also see: Holden Torana Car Reviews and LJ Torana Specifications
 
The LJ Torana of February 1972 was a facelift of the LC, and offered more refinement with better handling, suspension revisions and greatly improved noise supression. Most obvious was the fact that the LJ had borrowed heavily from the HQ parts bin, items shared between the two cars including the steering column and wheel, adjustable head restraints and impact absorbing sun visors. The handsome wrap around tail lights introduced with the LC were now seperated into 3 distinct assemblies. The dashboard would receive considerable revision, although the instruments themselves were carried over from the LC.
1972 LJ GTR Torana
Australia

LJ GTR Torana

  Also see: Holden Torana Car Reviews and LJ Torana Specifications
 
The ultimate Torana's from the LJ series were obviously the 1972/1973 Bathurst Spec XU-1's. But the more "standard" LJ GTR's were still an outstanding car, and offered performance the match of most other performance cars at the time. In many respects the LJ GTR, with its stock 202, was every bit the equal for the LC GTR XU-1, with its warm 186S - if you put the two cars head to head, there was very little in it. But that's not exactly comparing apples with apples - when you compared the LJ against the LC GTR, with its warm 161, there was no question that the new iteration was quicker point to point, and did so with less effort.
1972 LJ GTR XU-1 Torana
Australia

LJ GTR XU-1 Torana

  Also see: Holden Torana Car Reviews and LJ Torana Specifications
 
The LC Torana GTR XU-1 had set the scene for becoming a formidable foe to the legendary Falcon GTHO's that had dominated The Great Race, however they still had the wood on the little Torana upstart. Don Holland managed a credible Class C victory in the 1970 Hardie-Ferodo, coming third outright. But during the 1971 event, and despite some tweaking performed by the "Silver Fox", it was the year of the GT Falcon. In fact, thirteen GTHO Phase 3’s lined up for the 1971 Hardie-Ferodo, led by the works' cars of Allan Moffat and John French. Once again Moffat gained pole position, with a best lap practice of 2:38.9, 10 seconds faster than 1970, which did not encourage the Torana GTR XU-1 and Charger crews, who then had to hope on a series of mechanical failures from the big Ford’s to stand a chance.
1972 Holden HQ Kingswood Sedan and Wagon
Australia

Holden HQ

 

Also see: Holden HK to WB Car Reviews and Holden HQ Specifications

 
Many newspapers ran entire supplements on the HQ. Modern Motor magazine included a free long-playing record detailing the new range! New features at the time included flow-through ventilation, front sub-frame, coil-suspension all round on the non-commercial vehicles, four-link rear end on passenger models, newer safety equipment and standards, such as slim windscreen pillars; designed to meet projected safety legislation which didn't eventuate. Several "specials" and model variations were put out to continue the interest in the HQ range, such as; "Vacationer", the "SS", "GTS", "LS", even a 1973 special silver Premier for the 25th anniversary of the Holden car.

1972 Holden HQ Kingswood Sedan and Wagon
Australia

Holden HQ Monaro 2 Door

 

Also see: Holden HK to WB Car Reviews and Holden HQ Specifications

 
With the HQ series, Holden's design, engineering and manufacturing team delivered the definitive Australian car - new from the ground up and embracing the best of US and European trends. The HQ's forward-reaching front, flowing rear lines and pronounced 'tumblehome' behind each wheel gave it a compact, ground-hugging look, even though it was bigger than previous models. The separate recessed grille reflected European trends while the bulging muscle lines above each wheel arch, the rounded tail and bumper-mounted rear lights were straight Pontiac GTO muscle car. After it was blacked-out for the Monaro GTS, the HQ's standard silver grille became a 'road-devouring' intake. The Monaro's pillarless coupe roofline and its wrap-over rear window were eye-catching.
1972 Holden HQ Kingswood Sedan and Wagon
Australia

Holden HQ Monaro 4 Door

 

Also see: Holden HK to WB Car Reviews and Holden HQ Specifications

 
With the HQ series, Holden's design, engineering and manufacturing team delivered the definitive Australian car - new from the ground up and embracing the best of US and European trends. The HQ's forward-reaching front, flowing rear lines and pronounced 'tumblehome' behind each wheel gave it a compact, ground-hugging look, even though it was bigger than previous models. The separate recessed grille reflected European trends while the bulging muscle lines above each wheel arch, the rounded tail and bumper-mounted rear lights were straight Pontiac GTO muscle car. After it was blacked-out for the Monaro GTS, the HQ's standard silver grille became a 'road-devouring' intake. The Monaro's pillarless coupe roofline and its wrap-over rear window were eye-catching.
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