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Chrysler Valiant CM
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1978 - 1981 |
Country: |
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Engine: |
Hemi 6 |
Capacity: |
245 4 liter & 265 4.3 liter |
Power: |
152kW Hemi 265 |
Transmission: |
3/4 spd. man / 3 spd.
auto |
Top Speed: |
109 mph / 175 km/h (V8) |
Number
Built: |
n/a |
Collectability: |
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The last re-styling and packaging of the 1971 VH design
was to be seen in the CM Series Valiant – unfortunately
this would also be the last of the prestigious lineage
of Valiant’s that had graced our shores since
1962’s introduction of the “R” series.
Chrysler had always been the weaker of the “Big
Three”, and the first to succumb to the might
of Japanese mimickers.
Our loss was their gain – and
with the CM Series the Valiant would pass into lore
as one of the most robust, solid performing and elegantly
beautiful cars to ever grace Australian highways.
Why the once mighty failed has been the subject of many
bar conversations for decades since – too many
models, not enough models, a lack of direction, and
the decision to build even bigger cars just when the
petrol crisis of the early 1970’s loomed, all
are mere conjecture.
The truth was far simpler; the
Australian market could not sustain 3 manufacturers
with the highly regulated local content quotas being
imposed by short sighted Governments, particularly
with Japanese imports flooding the market. Button figured
it out years later, but in 1978 it would be the CM
that would remain the Valiant swansong – and
what a shame that was…
The problems of selling a big car in the late 1970’s
were obvious to all, particularly given the price of
petrol – add to that the fact that the Valiant
remained a make-over of the ’71 VH Valiant and
the scene was set for the departure of the once great
Valiant.
Most obvious to all potential purchasers was
the Valiant’s continued lack of front flow-through
ventilation, something Japanese cars had featured from
the early ‘60’s, and the HQ Holden and
XA Falcon featured in the early 1970’s.
Even Chrysler knew the problems facing their Valiant range,
with sales of their Mitsubishi sourced “Chrysler
Sigma” mid-sizer putting the sales figures of
the Valiant to shame. Many believed that Chrysler only
continued manufacture to bolster their local content,
and since the tooling was mostly done for the previous
CL model little was needed in terms of further investment.
This was pretty much the truth, with the main changes taking
place under the bonnet of the CM. The wonderful Electronic
Lean Burn System (ELB) had been adapted to the ‘Hemi’ six cylinder engines. The
Hemi had been fitted with some rather obtrusive “lung
apparatus” to ensure compliance with the ADR
27A regulations, however with the fitment of ELB this
could all be jettisoned. The end result was that the
Hemi was now easier to start, more responsive, smoother
and more refined and, most importantly, more economical
than its forebears – Chrysler even claimed it
to be 25% more fuel efficient.
The Valiant line-up was
even further rationalised, now available in only three
models. No Charger, no Panel-Van and no Ute; most knew
the end was nigh for the Valiant. Worse still, the
facelift did not include any new sheet metal, and was
restricted to merely a new grille, repackaged tail
lights and a variation on previous body mouldings and
badges. All CM Valiant’s
came with the suspension changes introduced with the
CL Valiant’s, but the standard equipment list
certainly grew.
The Base Model Standard With 245 Hemi
The base model Valiant was now referred
to as the “Medium Line” model – it
coming standard with the 245 4 liter Hemi engine fitted
with ELB technology, along with quartz halogen headlights,
push button radio, 152mm styled road wheels, a remote
controlled exterior mirror and heated rear window.
The Regal model came with a 265 4.3 liter Hemi ELB
engine, with ignition delay lights, retractor rear
seat belts and trip odometer, floor console with centre
armrest, a “Fuel Pacer” and bumper overriders.
Top of the line was the Chrysler Regal SE, featuring
classic style cast alloy road wheels and four speaker
stereo radio-cassette player.
For the sports minded
Chrysler aficionados, there was a GLX edition of the
base Valiant fitted with the larger 265 4.3 liter Hemi
mated to a four-on-the-floor manual transmission, complemented
by 178mm 7” “Hot Wire” cast alloy
wheels, a tachometer, front grille paint treatment,
tinted side glass, roof console with map light, rear
seat armrest, floor console, body stripes and other
embellishments. But for all its glitz and glamour the
GLX was a mere shadow the once great Pacers and Chargers,
and sold poorly.
To try and re-invigorate interest in
the Valiant, the marketing department of Chrysler choose
to emphasise the fuel efficiency of the car, trying
to lure back those that had turned their backs on traditional
big six Aussie sedans in favour of the Japanese 4 cylinder
also-rans. In tests conducted with both motoring journalists
and independent observers, the Chrysler CM turned in
some pretty impressive fuel consumption figures, averaging
around 9.3 liters per 100 kilometres in a mixture of
city and country driving.
Helping to substantiate these
figures, Sydney adventurer and long standing Valiant
stalwart Phil Gander drove a CM from Sydney to Melbourne
on a single tank of petrol – quite an accomplishment!
All things considered, and forgiving the lack of flow-through
ventilation, the CM was indeed a mighty car, however
in reality it was too late to stop the inevitable.
Chrysler Return To Profitability
One
year after the release of the CM Chrysler Australia
was to return to profitability – but it was not
due to the release of the CM, but rather the popularity
of the Mitsubishi sourced Sigma. Mitsubishi would take
over the Chrysler operation in 1980 – then continuing
the manufacture of the CM Series.
The heady days of
the Valiant occupying 3rd place in the sales charts
were now long gone, it continuing its slide all the
way down to 20th position. But Mitsubishi knew they
would not be investing in any re-model of the big car,
and for the immediate time anyway, and given that the
tooling costs for the Valiant had long been written
off, the CM would remain a handy little earner.
The
base price in 1981 was $7921, less than many Japanese
4 cylinder cars of the day. But time was something
the Valiant no longer could enjoy, the only question
was when production would end. The answer came on August
28th, 1981. For nearly 2 decades and from only 4 basic
body shapes the Valiant had been a regular part of
the Australian motoring landscape, but it was now to
be relegated to the history books – and of course
Unique Cars and Parts. When the numbers were counted,
the CM was clearly the least popular of all Valiant’s,
managing to only sell 16,005 cars in its three year
production run.
The last Valiant was manufactured on
the Tonsley Park assembly line on the 28th August 1981,
not by Chrysler Australia but by Mitsubishi Motors
Australia limited. The last was a white automatic CM
Series, build number 565,338. The honours of driving
the last valiant off the line were given to former
chief executive David Brown, who had been managed Chrysler
Australia during the halcyon days between 1960 and
1972.
From the production line, the car was delivered
to the Purnell Brothers dealership in Bankstown, New
South Wales, they being a long time Chrysler dealership
and selling a record breaking 20,000 Valiant’s
along the way. The 2nd last car to roll off the line
was given away as part of a “free lottery” between
Mitsubishi Australia staff.
Between 1962 and 1981 some
347,510 Valiant sedans, 110,794 wagons, 55,572 utilities,
31,857 Charger coupes, 17,646 hardtops and 1959 panel
vans had been manufactured. More than 300,000 Hemi
engines were produced at the Lonsdale facility, and
Valiant’s were exported
to 35 overseas markets including the UK, South Africa,
New Zealand, Pakistan, the West Indies and, ironically,
Japan. Along the way, the Valiant picked up two gongs
from Wheels prestigious “Car of the Year” awards,
first in 1967 with the VE model, then in 1971 with
the Charger.
Like many other manufacturers, there were
models that never made it to production. A CM-2 was
made ready by designers hoping the Valiant would continue
on in production, and work had even started on a major
restyle as the CN model. They didn’t make it. |