The VH Valiant
Look back to automotive news of
1971 and you would be forgiven for thinking everything was HQ - and why not, the Generals new model was a watershed in local design. By the middle of June all attention was focused on the
HQ Holden - everyone knew was coming - and even on the Falcon that was due to hit the showrooms the following February was getting plenty of media coverage. But there was arguably another model just as important, and arguably as bigger departure from its predecessors as the Holden and Ford.
That car was of course the
VH Valiant. It's styling was the biggest surprise - completely new and totally Australian. It was a massive departure from previous Valiants which had been little more than American Valiants with different badges, grilles and tail lights. But there were important new developments among the specifications, engines and equipment too. Three inches were added to the wheelbase, but the overall length commendably increased only four-tenths of an inch.
The front track was four-tenths of an inch wider and the rear track up by 2.4 inches - making the Valiant the only "big-three" car with the rear track wider than the front. This development teams with new 5.5-inch wide rims - 6.5 on Pacer and Regal 770 (up half an inch) for better ride and stability. There was an all-new 265 CID six that developed 203 bhp at 4800 rpm and a massive 262 lb/ft of torque at 2000 rpm, making it more powerful than Holden's 253 V8 and way ahead of Ford's 250 Two-barrel. It required a new block casting to take the bore from 3.76 to 3.91 in. and used pistons from the 318 V8 engine.
Disc
brakes were standard on all but the cheapest, small-engined Ranger. On Regal and Regal 770 the discs were power assisted. Inside there was a steering lock, reversible keys, exceptionally good seat belts and the handbrake was mounted on the floor beside the right-hand side of the driver's seat. The heaters controls were moved over to the right-hand side of the steering column. The basic model line-up was:
- Ranger 215/245
- Ranger XL,
- Regal
- Regal 770
- Pacer 265.
The Valiant Ranger
Prices were up $90 over the VG. The Ranger XL was a brand new model for
1971, and featured slotted trim, slightly better equipment and prestige-wise it sat between the Ranger and the Regal to put Chrysler into more direct competition with Ford and Holden. The base car, the Ranger 215 (140 bhp) at $2888, was the equivalent of the Holden Kingswood. You could option the 245 160 bhp engine (and the then mandatory disc brakes) for an extra $90 - a wise investment.
The Valiant Ranger XL
Next in the Valiant VH lineup was the Ranger XL, which was always going to be the most important of the new models. At $3158 it costs $180 more than the Ranger 245, and went into direct competition with the Falcon Futura in a slot just below the Holden Premier. The Ranger XL was powered by a 245 CID six with disc
brakes as a standard (but no power assistance) and all the equipment and trim that was standard on the old
VG Regal (carpets, split front bench with fold-down armrest, better instrumentation, boot light, night and day mirror and other dress-up gear). The new 265 was is optional for an extra $70.
The Valiant Regal
The VH Regal was $3678, which was $265 over the Ranger XL 245 automatic (auto was standard in the Regal). It was fitted with some extra kit that took it close to the old Regal 770 standard. And the new Regal 770 went another step again - there was a new wood grain instrument panel, and some better handling and performance equipment including a front anti-sway bar, R O H 6.5-inch specially-styled wheels taken from the Pacer with 185 x 14 radials standard, two quartz halogen driving lights mounted in the grille and the 265 engine as standard (the 318 V8 was still optional).
The Valiant Pacer
The Pacer added to its street cred with fully calibrated gauges and sports steering wheel. The gear change, however, still lacked reverse gear lock out - a common criticism of the Valiants. At $3878 the Pacer was a solid performance package that offered far more individuality than most other makes. It was fitted with the mandatory body stripes and screaming new colors, but under the look-at-me style the car was a big improvement on the old car. It was $85 dearer than the VG Pacer, but for the money you got a new, high-performance version of the 265 engine that put out 218 bhp at 4800 rpm 120 more than VG's undisclosed figure (and 273 lb/ft of torque at 3000 rpm 128 lb/ft more than the VG). Quarter times were in the high fifteens with a top end of more than 120 mph. Wide 61/2 in. road wheels were standard.
The Pacer Comfort Pack
Unfortunately there was no four-speed gearbox - the VH retailed the close ratio three-speed driving a high-performance 3.23 diff. A $95 "comfort pack" equipped the car with carpets, reclining buckets, three-spoke sports steering wheel and dressed-up instrumentation. The 6.5-in. sports wheels and 185 radials were standard. The seats in all but the basic Ranger were good, and the driving position was considered, by most, to be superior to the VG. Rear legroom too was increased - the foot space was up two inches better and the seat was wide and better designed, but headroom was still compromised - strange on a car of its size.
Road testers claimed the
brake feel was good, and the clutch was smooth in all but the Pacer's, which was heavy and tiring. There was a new lever handbrake, the first of its type on an Australian Big Three car. It was much easier to reach and operate than the old pull-out type. The trim, paintwork and finish was considered by motoring journalists to be far better than previous Valiants. It had a quality look and feel.
The HQ Holden Release
The biggest news on the automotive front for 1971 was the release of the all-new
HQ Holden, the new model bringing about major changes and improvements to all Holden variants. Modem Motor magazine editors said that an 8800 kilometre test of the HQ Kingswood had shown that the new model "raised the average family man's car to above average status".
In many other quarters, the HQ Holden was hailed as the most significant Holden since the original 48-215. As well as introducing new versions of the previous Holden sedans, wagons and coupes, the range included a new long wheelbase luxury model called Statesman (the Brougham designation being dropped).
The HQ's six-cylinder engines were carried over from the HG, but with a longer stroke to increase the capacity. Two versions of the local V8 were offered with the imported Chevrolet '350' available in the
Monaro. The HQ was the first Holden built with a semi-chassis frame (to improve rigidity and reduce noise and vibration) and it introduced other new features including flow-through ventilation and four-wheel coil springing.
During the three years the HQ series stayed in production, various 'Specials', such as the Vacationer option package, were announced. The sporty Holden SS V8 sedan featured a four-speed manual gearbox and many Monaro details - few realised its Belmont origins. The Statesman, which replaced the
Brougham, was built on the extended wagon wheelbase and was 26 cm longer than the other sedans. It was available in Custom and De Ville versions. The HQ range also included utilities, panel vans and Holden's first cab/chassis truck.
The HQ design placed a considerable emphasis on safety, and during its life nearly half a million HQs were sold. That made it easily the biggest selling single Holden model range, although the sales were made over a longer period than previous models. If your up for it, why not put yourself into the drivers seat and let Rob Luck, Bobo Faulkner and the V8 engine of the 1971 Holden Monaro take you for a ride down memory lane.
Ford's XY Falcon Battles It Out
1971 would not bode well for Ford, given the fanfare that accompanied the release of the HQ Holden, and Chrysler too were to launch their all new
VH Valiant. That left the
XY Falcon to battle it out, by now a somewhat aging design - it being the final expression of a theme introduced 5 years earlier with the
XR Falcon. Few back then would have realised just how highly prized the XY would eventually become.
The XY did however enjoy better than expected sales given the stiff competition, some buyers obviously not all too impressed with the more modern designs on offer from
GMH or Chrysler. It also helped that the fleet buyers loved the XY, it by now having established a stellar reputation for reliability and durability. Taxi operators too started their trend towards using the solid, familiar Ford. With the US Falcon's being dropped, that left Ford Australia to design their very first all-Aussie car, the
XA Falcon, however we would have to wait until the 24th February, 1972 to see the outcome.
Big News In Car Safety
The big news on the automotive safety front for 1971 came from Chrysler, who introduced a brake-slip control system, (an early version of antilock brakes). 1971 would also see
BMW intorduce their wonderful
CS coupes - arguably the best of all
BMW classics. Ignoring the under-powered 2000CS of the early days, other CS coupes had the best six-cylinder engines in the world - powerful, smooth and refined. All CS coupes offered the remarkable build quality and driver comforts, plus exceptional
handling for a 4-passenger car.
In other motoring news, Leyland Australia announced plans to build a large family car, later to be designated the "
P76"; Dunlop released its first slick racing tyre; British Leyland showed off its electric mini-car prototype, and Radial
tyres were tipped to replace all other forms in the coming years. Perhaps the most expensive
automobile to be driven that year was by the team aboard the Apollo 15 spaceship. The $378 million dollar "buggy" featured four wheel steering, but gave little concession to creature comforts.
The introduction of legislation to make the wearing of seat belts compulsory in Western Australia was first considered by Cabinet at a meeting on 1 July 1971. Victoria had already passed similar legislation six months earlier and found that its death toll fell by 20 percent. The WA Police Minister advised Cabinet that only one of the 72 people killed on WA roads in the same period had been wearing a seat belt. Of the 1656 injured, a staggering 92.6% were not wearing belts.
The Minister considered it an urgent matter in the interests of humanity, and for reasons of economy and pressure on hospital accommodation and services. On 13 July 1971, the West Australian Cabinet approved the drafting of legislation to amend the Traffic Act to make the wearing of belts compulsory. New South Wales also introduced similar legislation that year. Naturally the
Seat Belt Safety Campaigns were soon to follow - and soon the unfamiliar would become familiar, the wearing of seat-belts almost second nature. By 1973, legislation had been passed in all Australian States and Territories for compulsory wearing of fitted seat belts in motor vehicles and the wearing of protective helmets by motor cycle riders and their pillion passengers.
Also see: 1971 Australian Car Advertising | 1971 USA Car Spotters Guide | 1971 British and European Car Spotters Guide | 1971 Japanese Car Spotters Guide 
