History of the Valiant 1962-1969 - Part 1

In January 1962, the Valiant not only looked hot, it was a hot performer. What it demonstrated was how insular the local industry had become under the long-term dominance of the Holden. The Valiant's chief rivals were the EK Holden and the XK Falcon. The Holden claimed 75 brake horsepower and the Falcon 90. The Valiant offered 145, almost double that of the Holden in a car that did not weigh much more. We can all do those sums! In fact the Valiant was closer in performance to the elegant and upmarket Mercedes-Benz 220SE, with both capable of zero to 100 km/h in less than 13 seconds.

Chrysler Australia positioned its newcomer higher than the Falcon, which in turn was more expensive than the Holden. This helped prospective buyers to view it as a superior kind of car, which frankly it was.

The 3.7-litre slant six drove through either a three-on-the-floor manual or a radical pushbutton automatic.
The R Series, with its dummy spare wheel cover on the boot, was actually the 1961 Plymouth Valiant converted to right-hand drive and fitted with 14-inch wheels for our rough roads. It was locally assembled but nearly all the components were imported from the US. The R had one of the shortest production runs in history -- just two months. While the S retained the same major panels, it looked more conservative -- no dummy spare cover, a less assertive grille, more traditional tail lights. And the manual gearchange migrated to the steering column. Maybe the Chrysler Oz execs reckoned the R had been just a little too in-your-face for Mr and Mrs Jones down the road.

In May 1963 we got the AP5, which in its own way is just as much of a classic as its illustrious predecessors. We also got wagons and up-spec Regal variants. Engine power was unchanged while both Holden and Ford still lagged behind. Even the much touted 179 only gave the EH 115 horsepower, although performance was about the same as the heavier AP5.

The next huge step came with the stylish split-grille AP6, but not at its debut in March 1965. Sadly, the pushbuttons for the auto had given way to convention. The breakthrough came in August when the Valiant V8 was launched. Australia was becoming like America and car enthusiasts loved it!

At first the V8 was a unique model but with the VE it was optional on all Valiants. The VE (introduced in October 1967) had put on a bit more weight but any performance shortfall could be avoided by specifying the new optional 160 horsepower engine, or the V8. There was a new flagship VIP model with ritzy trim and the V8, but unlike the Ford Fairlane, it came on the standard Valiant wheelbase. Prices ranged from $2490 for a base model manual to $3650 for the VIP. Although the VE was less boldly styled than any of its predecessors it went on to become one of the most popular Valiants ever made.