Chronicles: 1972 Year In Review

With the introduction of the XA Falcon in 1972, many bemoaned the passing of a legend that was the XY GTHO...

The Alfasud was launched in 1972, setting a new benchmark in its ability to rust...

The Civic marked Honda's entry to mainstream car manufacture, a success story that endures to this day...

The 4 door Monaro would not appear for another year, but to test its acceptance the all new Belmont based SS model would be released...

Is it any wonder the TV drama Matlock Police remained incredibly popular when the boys in blue were getting about in a Holden HT Monaro...

The brilliant new RX2, a 1.1 litre rocket...

The Australian Labor Party's catchy gingle "It's Time", interestingly the first time a gingle had been used in a political campaign, brought a touch of US politics to Australia, and swept Gough Whitlam to power...

Abigail was to set all young mens pulses racing in Channel 0's raunchy new soap "Number 96"...

The World held its collective breath when PLO terrorists took Israeli athletes hostage at the 1972 Munich Olympics...

1972 was the year two car manufacturers were to make a play at joining the worlds largest, yet only one would succeed. The product that would propel Alfa Romeo toward these dizzy heights was the new ‘affordable’ Alfasud. Manufactured in Alfa’s new factory in South Italy, (hence the name Alfasud - "Alfa South"), Alfa Romeo invested in new technologies in an attempt to take the more mainstream car manufacturers head on, utilising technologies such as front-wheel-drive and MacPherson strut suspension.

But undoubtedly the highlight was the new boxer engine (horizontally-opposed/flat engine). Although only a single cam rather than the twin cam designs of other Alfa's, it had superior smoothness and its responsiveness earned it the reputation of being the sweetest engine available in the class for more than a decade. But voracious rust and build quality problems would quickly tarnish the cars reputation, and many consider the little Alfasud more a lemon than a leader.

Meanwhile, Honda was to introduce their impressive but perhaps more traditionally constructed Civic. The post World War II motorcycle manufacturer had first ventured into the automobile industry with the creation of the S500 sports car, however to break into the lucrative international markets Honda needed to produce a vehicle perceived as 'economical', having the appeal of the venerable Mini, while offering new levels of ride and comfort. With fully independent suspension, a light alloy engine, good performance and a reasonable price tag the Civic became an instant success in Europe and the US, and Honda was now perceived as a serious car manufacturer and competitor.

1972 would also see Holden test the waters for a 4 door Monaro. Although it would not be released until the following year, the new “SS” would be based on the entry level Belmont, but would receive sports car enhancements such as sports wheels, a GTS grille, side vents, blackouts, black boot panel and unusual bonnet stripes from the headlights to the front scuttle panel. The SS was an immediate hit, and the green light given for the production of the 4 door Monaro.

For 1972, Mazda would introduce the revolutionary RX2. Conventional in almost every regard, it was under the bonnet that set the RX2 apart from its competitors. The new 12A rotary engine boasted a healthy 97kw of power from its modest 1.1 litre capacity, although unfortunately the small capacity did not translate into the expected miserly fuel economy. However in an era mostly devoid of turbo chargers and the like, the RX2 offered fantastic bang-for-your-buck and created an aura that lingers to this day.

On the social front, 1972 is best remembered for the Australian Labor Party's incredibly successful "It's Time" campaign, that saw Gough Whitlam sweept to power, although we remember it as the year Ford released the XA Falcon. Far more modern in appearance, the new style lacked some of the rawness that gave the outgoing XY such an agressive and menacing appeal. On the sub-continent, Pakistan was to withdraw from the Commonwealth while Ceylon formally became the "Republic of Sri Lanka".

And shortly before the last GI's were to leave Vietnam, five burglars were arrested at the Watergate building in Washington. Thus began the infamous "Watergate Affair", which ultimately led to the impeachment of then president Richard Nixon.

Other notable events of 1972 include the Chilian Coup, the Yom Kippur war in the Middle East, the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey, the outbreak of civil war in Lebanon, violence in Africa (perpetrated by men such as Idi Amin), the invasion of Afghanistan by the USSR, the Shah fleeing from Iran and a near nuclear disaster at Three Mile Island in the USA.

Is it any wonder then that Australians needed a distraction? Thankfully the 0/10 Network was to provide just such a distraction when it ran the ground breaking soapie "Number 96". While Australian's collective black & white TV screens steamed up with the antics on the show, the controversy caused by the sex and nude scenes seems laughable by today's standards.

Australia's first taste of terrorism was to be experienced when two successive bomb blasts destroyed Yugoslav travel agencies in Sydney. Obviously this event stuck in the minds of the screen writers for "Number 96", as it would be a bomb blast employed to eradicate 4 cast members a few years later to try to rekindle the ratings.

Meanwhile, the government announced that all Australian TV stations would have to convert to colour by the beginning of March 1975. It also scrapped the use of Fahrenheit as our temperature measure, replacing it with the Celcius system. As Tasmanian's farewelled Lake Pedder (used as part of the new hydro-electric scheme), they cheered their sporting heros on to win Gold at the Munich Olympics in swimming and yachting, while the stand out star of the games was the USA's Mark Spitz who bagged an incredible 7 gold medals at the pool. Tragically, the Munich games are most remembered for the actions of the PLO in taking the Israeli athletes hostage.

On the musical front, 1972 is best remembered as the year of "Sunbury". Inspired by Woodstock, the Sunbury Rock Festival was held over 3 days of the Australia Day long weekend . Of all music festivals, this one is the best known in Australia and is regarded as the archetypal Aussie rock festival. It made a profit (which was rare for its time) and for the next few years became an annual event.

It was held over 3 days in a residential “satellite” suburb of Melbourne. The musicians performing were some of the biggest names of the day including the much anticipated return of Max Merritt. But it was the performance of Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs that epitomized the Sunbury rock festival. The band was a triumph on stage, resulting in a Top 5 album Aztecs Live! at Sunbury. Fans at the event rallied with the cry of “Suck more piss!” – a catch cry that became indelibly associated with the event.

Conditions at the festival were fairly primitive with toilet facilities being hopelessly inadequate. On the flip side beer was available in huge quantities and the crowd was noted for rowdy, alcohol-fuelled character. Guitarist Phil Manning when interviewed by The Age in 2003 gave this blunt assessment of the Sunbury phenomenon: “It was a time when the hippie thing was declining and the drunken afternoons of too much beer, sun and basic rock developed. The music went from being experimental to being just moronic entertainment for yobbos”.

1972 Ampol Radio Commercials

Formula One Championship: Emerson Fittipaldi (Brazil) / Lotus-Ford

1972 Bathurst Winner: Peter Brock / Torana XU-1

NRL Grand Final: Manly-Warringah (19) def. Eastern Suburbs (14)

VFL/AFL Grand Final: Carlton (28.9.177) def. Richmond (22.18.150)

Melbourne Cup: Piping Lane (J. Letts)

Wimbledon Women: Billie Jean King d. E. Goolagong (6-3 6-3)

Wimbledon Men: Stan Smith d. I. Nastase (4-6 6-3 6-3 4-6 7-5)

The Movies: