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86-725: The Holden Kingswood is a full-size car that was developed and manufactured in Australia by Holden , from the beginning of the HK series in 1968 through to the conclusion of the WB series in 1985. Prior to 1968, the full-size Holden range of family cars comprised the Holden Standard , the Holden Special , and Holden Premier models. Initially, the HK range of models included the basic Holden Belmont (replacing

172-415: A Cadillac " and that the front suspension be engineered to make the car prone to understeer for "safety reasons". Advertising of the car promoted its "jet-smooth ride" over rough roads. Notwithstanding persistent criticism from many motoring journalists, this policy persisted with the subsequent HJ and HX facelift models. It was arguable whether Australian buyers favoured this engineering philosophy and it

258-463: A Kingswood but never wore Kingswood badges as a production car. HQ-HJ Monaro LS and HQ Monaro LS V8 shared luxury level coding with their respective Premier but also never wore Premier badges. HK-HJ Monaro GTS coupe, HJ Monaro GTS sedan, HT-HQ Monaro GTS V8 coupe and Monaro GTS327/350 coupe (HK-HQ) carried unique luxury level coding. HQ Monaro GTS sedan and HQ Monaro GTS350 sedan shared Kingswood luxury level coding with later examples actually displaying

344-449: A buyer selected every Sandman extra, the price would be more than 150 percent of the cost of the basic HZ model. By the end of 1979, the Sandman had largely lost its place in the contemporary Australian youth culture—order figures were down and many of the vehicles were now being sold with the stripes and tailgate logos deleted. The Sandman ute was phased out of production prior to the van,

430-618: A choice between 253 (4.2L) or 308 (5.0L) Holden V8 engine mated to a 4 Speed Manual Gearbox backed by a 10-Bolt Salisbury Differential with a 3.36:1 Ratio (and painted.. unusually, White, Along with the driveshaft), along with Pontiac-style Rallye weels. On the inside: Standard Black Belmont Door trims, Optional armrests, However, unusual to the Belmont, A full Sport Gauge Cluster, Steering Wheel, Carpet, Floor Shift, Center Console and Bucket Seats in Black Vinyl with Houndstooth or Flax inserts, The SS

516-542: A fluid cooler in the radiator. The Aluminium Powerglide, and Tempestorque was used from 1962 until it was replaced with the Turbo-Hydramatic series of transmission in 1973. The Aluminium Powerglide is still used today as a racing transmission of choice by many racers mainly for the fact that it only shifts once, and for its extreme durability. It is also possible to purchase all the parts needed to build an Aluminium Powerglide from scratch from most racing parts vendors. For

602-487: A forward gear, instead of having neutral between reverse and the forward ranges. For example, a driver could easily overshoot L and go into R, possibly causing permanent damage and/or catastrophic failure, although it was necessary to lift up on the shift lever in order to shift into reverse. From 1957 to 1961, Chevrolet also produced the Turboglide , an automatic transmission with concurrent fluid-driven turbines, whose design

688-450: A loss of performance across the range and the deletion of the 2.84-litre straight-six. In addition, a Kingswood panel van was introduced to the range of commercial vehicle offerings. The HX Sandman introduced a large 'Sandman' logo on the tailgate and stripes down the sides. During the course of the HX series, front bucket seats were adopted as standard equipment for Kingswood-badged vehicles. As with

774-608: A low-cost automatic transmission option primarily for the six-cylinder Chevrolet Nova and four-cylinder Chevrolet Vega until it was phased out after the 1973 model year, replaced by the Turbo Hydramatic 250 . They were also used in the DJ-5 'Dispatcher' Jeeps sold for light commercial use, and best known for their service with the US Postal Service . Its simple and robust design has led drag racing enthusiasts to work with it, giving

860-573: A major upgrade of the luxury Statesman models and a facelift of the HZ-series commercial models with new headlights, tail lights, grilles and the updated Holden "Blue" six-cylinder engine (4.2-litre V8 optional). The Kingswood was now available on utility only with the panel van joining the One Tonner, but the 5.0-litre V8 engine was no longer officially offered as an available performance option although some were built. There were no passenger car versions of

946-473: A new three-speed automatic transmission called Turbo-Hydramatic 400 (1965 introduction) began to be phased in. They were introduced in Buicks and Cadillacs the previous year. Usually, Powerglides were coupled with the small block V8s such as the 283 ci engine, and the third-generation inline six-cylinder engine and inline four-cylinder engines . By the late 1960s, demand for two-speed automatic transmissions

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1032-528: A range of two-tone body colours. Some HJ series Premier based vehicles were assembled by Mazda in Japan, which fitted with the company's rotary engine . The car, manufactured between 1975 and 1977 sold as the Mazda Roadpacer was quite heavy and the rotary engine of the time was severely underpowered. To compensate for the lack of performance, Mazda endowed the car with a myriad of electrical gadgets, thus making

1118-456: A relative term, full-size cars were marketed by the same brands offering compact cars, with entry-level cars for buyers seeking the roominess of a luxury car at a lower cost. Into the 1970s, the same vehicles could transport up to six occupants comfortably (or eight in a station wagon), at the expense of high fuel consumption. The sales of full-size vehicles in the United States declined after

1204-401: A speed determined by the throttle opening. By the mid-1950s, more than half of all new Chevrolets were sold with Powerglide. In 1962, GM started building Air Cooled Powerglides in aluminium , primarily for use in the new model Chevy II, which required a lightweight transmission for its compact body, and discontinued the cast iron Powerglides in 1963. A heavy duty version of Aluminium Powerglide

1290-480: Is a very old design, the Powerglide still has a strong following in drag racing due to its strength and simplicity. Powerglides are also popular in mud racing and monster truck racing. In the first few years after introduction, they became known as the "Slip-N-Slide Powerglide", due to the fluid coupling, as opposed to the mechanical coupling of a clutch-driven gearbox, and the "Positive-Pop transmission". This last

1376-487: Is known as E-segment or F-segment . The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fuel Economy Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year (dated July 1996) includes definitions for classes of automobiles. Based on the combined passenger and cargo volume, large cars (full-size cars) are defined as having an interior volume index of more than 120 cu ft (3.4 m ) for sedan models, or 160 cu ft (4.5 m ) for station wagons. From

1462-616: The Chevrolet El Camino . Between 1974 and 1978, the one-tonne cab-chassis utility was sold as the Chevrolet El Toro . The Kingswood passenger car and Kingswood panel van ceased production with the demise of the HZ series in 1980, the passenger range succeeded by the smaller Commodore released two years earlier. However, the Kingswood name survived via the utility that comprised part of

1548-649: The Opel Rekord , Commodore (similar to Holden's own VB Commodore ) and Senator . It would not be until 2001 that a Holden-sourced Chevrolet, the Lumina , was sold in South Africa. A first generation 1971 Holden Kingswood sedan is featured in the New Zealand television series, The Brokenwood Mysteries , as the vehicle driven by the series star, Neill Rea , in his role as Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd. Apparently,

1634-568: The suspension of the car, greatly improving the handling finesse, while at the same time not compromising ride quality. Modern Motor magazine described the HZ as "a great handler spoiled by the car" in a comparison against the BMW 528i , contrasted as "a great car spoiled by the handling". To illustrate, photos were taken of the Holden cornering hard but smoothly, while the BMW spun out of control. However BMW forced

1720-613: The "Chevrolet 350" from 1971 to 1974. They differed little from the locally assembled 308-cubic-inch (5.0 L) V8 Statesman apart from the larger US made engine, a new grille with the Chevrolet logo, badges and hub caps, and effectively replaced the Canadian-sourced Chevrolet Impalas last sold in 1969. Until the late 1960s, the Special, Kingswood (from HK), Premier, and Monaro were sold in South Africa as Holdens, before

1806-399: The 1.76 gear set. One notable exception was the export version of the transmission, which offered only the 1.82 ratio and was used by Holden in Australia behind their Australian built 6-cylinder and V8 engines. Holden vehicles fitted with Chevrolet V8 engines used the 1.76 ratio gear-set. The Powerglide continued to serve as Chevrolet's main automatic transmission through the 1960s, when

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1892-568: The 1908 Ford Model T . In 1923, General Motors introduced the Chevrolet Superior , becoming the first vehicle to adopt a common chassis (the A-body ) for several brands. Compared to the cars of the 21st century, these vehicles are small in length and width. From the 1920s to the 1950s, most manufacturers produced model lines in a single size, growing in size with each model redesign. While the length and wheelbase varied between model lines, width

1978-428: The 1968 model year, Chevrolet introduced a semi-automatic version of Powerglide marketed under the name Torque-Drive . This unit was basically Powerglide without the vacuum modulator, requiring the driver to manually shift gears between Low and High. The quadrant indicator on Torque-Drive cars was, Park-R-N-Hi-1st . The driver would start the car in "1st," then move the lever to "Hi" when desired. Torque-Drive

2064-647: The 1985 model year, General Motors replaced most of its full-size rear-wheel-drive model lines with smaller front-wheel drive sedans on the H and C platforms . Only station wagons, the Chevrolet Caprice , and the Cadillac Brougham remained. Initially developed to replace the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, the 1986 Ford Taurus was produced alongside it as the Ford mid-size model line. After largely abandoning

2150-555: The 250 and 308 cu in (5.0 L) V8, and the Caprice Classic , also with the 308. The inline-six was modified for better economy, but sales never climbed to their previous levels after the 1973 oil crisis . There was also a better equipped Kommando LS, with standard automatic transmission. The Constantia station wagon was a new model for 1976. In 1979 the Holden-sourced models were replaced by Chevrolet-badged versions of

2236-503: The A prefix on the chassis number appearing on the firewall and for vehicles built for sale inside Australia on the Safety Compliance Plate. The HQ series of 1971 was a completely new design, introducing larger capacity 173-cubic-inch (2.85 L) and 202-cubic-inch (3.3 L) six-cylinder engines, with the continued availability of 253-cubic-inch (4.2 L), 308-cubic-inch (5.0 L) Holden and 350-cubic-inch (5.7 L) Chevrolet V8 engines. HQ

2322-531: The Belmont name was deleted from commercials at the end of HQ in late 1974, the base model commercials were sold only with the "Holden" badge (the Belmont name continued on sedan and wagon variants until the end of the HX series). A two-door Holden Monaro coupé and extended-length luxury Holden Brougham were also introduced in mid 1968. For HK, HT, HG and HQ the Holden Monaro carried the ID plate luxury level coding for

2408-632: The Chevrolet Impala was returned for the 1994 model year. The 1989 Lexus LS400 luxury sedan was the first Japanese full-size car sold in North America. Following the 1996 model year, GM ended production of large rear-wheel drive sedans. By 2000, with the sole exception of the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car, full-size cars had abandoned rear-wheel drive and body-on-frame construction. Instead of model lineage,

2494-771: The EPA "large car" definition of over 120 interior cubic feet was widely used. Initially developed for the midsize Oldsmobile Aurora , the GM G-body chassis was expanded into the full-size segment for Cadillac in 2000 (for the Deville, later the DTS) and adapted by Buick (the Lucerne) in 2006. For the 2005 model year, Chrysler replaced the LH cars with the LX cars (returning to rear-wheel drive). The same year, Ford introduced

2580-672: The Five Hundred, its first front-wheel drive full-size car (the first American full-size car offered with all-wheel drive); in 2008, the Five Hundred was renamed the Taurus. After the 2011 model year, Ford ended production of the Panther platform, shifting to the Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS; in 2017, the latter was replaced by the Lincoln Continental . In 2011, General Motors ended production of

2666-549: The G-body for several chassis (with Cadillac later shifting its largest sedans to rear-wheel drive). In 2012, the Tesla Model S became the first fully electric full-size car sold in North America. For the 2013 model year, the Chevrolet Impala became the final American-market full-size sedan sold with a front bench seat . By the mid-2010s, full-size cars began seeing a steep decline in sales in North America, with SUVs replacing much of

Holden Kingswood - Misplaced Pages Continue

2752-734: The GTS coupe's Q code on the VIN plate but still retaining the HQ V8 Kingswood's 80469 model coding on the body plate. The Brougham was replaced in 1971 by the Statesman brand, based upon the station wagon chassis of the then new HQ series. For a complete listing of the HK–WB series Holden cars, see: list of Holden vehicles by series . A new Kingswood model was introduced at the start of the HX Holden series in mid 1976,

2838-547: The HQ series passenger vehicles until very late in 1971 when the HQ commercials were released. These HG commercials were upgraded to the newer specification HQ 173ci and 202ci 6cyl engines but retained the HG specification transmissions (cable kickdown 6cyl and V8 Trimatics and V8 M21 Saginaw) and V8 engines which are believed to have been stockpiled in sufficient quantity to cover expected requirements. These HG commercials can easily be identified by

2924-555: The HT series, however the transmission options for the V8 engines were many and varied. Initially, the 253 V8 only came with either three-speed column- or four-speed floor-mounted manual transmissions. The 307 V8 was only available with two-speed Powerglide automatic. This arrangement continued until the 307 stocks were exhausted, following which the 253 and 308 locally built V8 engines could then be ordered with any manual or automatic transmission across

3010-535: The Holden brand in South Africa, the Holden utility became known as the Chevrolet El Camino . Between 1974 and 1978, the one-tonne utility sold as the Chevrolet El Torro . Also in 1971, the Holden Monaro was made available locally as the Chevrolet SS . In late 1975, for the 1976 model year, updated models were introduced, again as a Kommando with the 250 cu in (4.1 L) straight-six, Constantia with

3096-763: The Kingswood panel van. Outside of Australia, the Holden range (including Kingswoods in various body styles) and its derivatives have been sold in New Zealand, parts of Asia, and parts of the South Pacific branded as Holden or Chevrolet. Following the late-1960s import cessation of the Canadian-sourced Chevrolet Impala and Chevelle in South Africa, the Holden Kingswood / Premier and Holden Brougham models were badge engineered as Chevrolet Kommando and Chevrolet Constantia , respectively. Holden-based style-side utilities in South Africa were known as

3182-456: The Kingswood, their place in the Holden range having been absorbed by the Commodore. Production of the entire WB-series finished in 1985 when Holden announced they were vacating local production of large luxury and commercial vehicles—due to economics—to concentrate on their medium car range, i.e. Camira and Commodore, and imported Isuzu commercial product. After the development of the HQ series and

3268-409: The Powerglide an effective service life of nearly five decades past its intended obsolescence. Two primary types or versions of the Powerglide were made. The "Cast Iron Powerglide" transmission introduced in 1950 featured a cast iron case; after 1963, the "Aluminium Powerglide" substituted aluminum versions of the case and several other parts. Early models were air cooled, and later 60's versions used

3354-533: The Standard), the Kingswood (replacing the Special), and the luxury-oriented Holden Premier , all of which were manufactured in a choice of sedan and station wagon bodies. Commercial variants were offered in three types: coupé utility , panel van , and later from 1971, a heavy-duty Holden One Tonner cab chassis . The utility (ute) version was originally marketed in both Belmont and Kingswood configurations. However, after

3440-636: The WB series range manufactured between 1980 and 1985, sold alongside the WB Statesman and the WB Holden utility, panel van and cab-chassis. The Kingswood sedan and wagon were released as part of the new HK series of Holdens in January 1968 (commercials: March 1968). This was an all-new body design, larger and heavier than the previous HR series . The HK series carried over the same local six-cylinder engines, but introduced

3526-452: The car is intended to represent the least glamorous transportation that D.S.S. Shepherd could possibly obtain. Passengers in Shepherd's car are subjected to his favourite country songs (both well-known and obscure), always played on the car's cassette player. The same array of country songs make up the soundtrack for the series. The Australian sitcom Kingswood Country derived its name from

Holden Kingswood - Misplaced Pages Continue

3612-536: The car the lead character, Ted Bullpit, drove (though it was replaced with a Holden Commodore later in its run). Full-size car Full-size car —also known as large car —is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars . It is the largest size class for cars. In the United Kingdom, this class is referred to as the executive car , while in Europe, it

3698-427: The delays to the facelifted HJ which saw the revised HQ released in 1973, Holden intended to replace the second generations cars with a heavily revised WA series. Several design sketches in various forms have surfaced since the early-1990s, including a liftback body style. The 1973 fuel crisis along with a worsening financial situation, partly caused by the decision to build the HQ in right-hand drive only, thus limiting

3784-483: The demise of Canadian-sourced Chevrolet Impala and Chevelle , which led to the introduction of the Chevrolet Kommando and Chevrolet Constantia , which were based on the HT, HG, and later HQ Kingswood and Premier respectively, using either Holden's 202 cu in (3.3 L) straight-six, 308 cu in (5.0 L) V8, or later the 230 and 250 cu in (3.8 and 4.1 L) Chevrolet sixes. There

3870-416: The downsized Commodore . The final HZ Sandman, featured a choice of V8 engines only, along with a four-headlight grille and under bumper front spoiler. According to a GMH Price List dated 25 January 1979, a basic HZ Holden panel van was priced at A$ 6,076, with the Sandman option package an additional A$ 1,700. The further optional components also included 5.0-litre V8 engine and a limited slip differential. If

3956-528: The early 1970s fuel crisis. In response to the 1978 implementation of CAFE , American manufacturers implemented downsizing to improve fuel economy, with full-size vehicles as the first model lines to see major change. While General Motors and Ford would reduce the exterior footprint of their full-size lines to that of their intermediates, AMC withdrew its Ambassador and Matador full-size lines (to concentrate on production of mid-size vehicles). To save production costs, Chrysler repackaged its intermediates using

4042-636: The engine, the Belmont also saw the omission of front disc brakes, now a standard fitment on all Kingswood models. A couple of special-build variants emerged later in production, initially with the Kingswood Deluxe sedan in July 1975 and later the Kingswood Vacationer II sedan and wagon in November 1975. Added features for these cars included automatic transmission, radial tyres, floor carpeting, radio, and

4128-448: The erstwhile full-size names, moving on to exiting the segment in 1981. During the 1980s, manufacturers further reduced the exterior footprint of several model lines from the full-size segment into the mid-size class to comply with more stringent CAFE standards. With the 1982 model year, Chrysler exited the full-size segment entirely, with the mid-size Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury serving as its largest sedan lines. Following

4214-578: The exterior. It gained notoriety during the latter half of the 1970s as a mobile venue for sexual intercourse . Vans earned nicknames as shaggin' wagons and sinbins . In 1971 CKD HQ production started in Thailand. HQ's were also CKD manufactured in Indonesia and the Philippines for many years. There was also a program for Mazda in Japan to produce the HQ from CKD kits, which is believed not to have gone beyond

4300-539: The first V8 into the Holden range, the fully imported 307-cubic-inch (5.0 L) Chevrolet small-block engine . The Monaro and the Brougham were introduced mid-year of 1968, thereby broadening GM's range of locally built full-size cars in Australia. The HT series launched in May 1969 and with it the introduction of a new locally manufactured Holden 253-cubic-inch (4.1 L) and 308-cubic-inch (5.0 L) V8 engines. The 253

4386-600: The first time since the late 1970s. For the 1992 model year, Chrysler introduced a new front-wheel drive full-size car line, replacing the Eagle Premier/Dodge Monaco with the Chrysler LH cars (Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision, Chrysler Concorde/New Yorker/LHS). The same year, the Buick Roadmaster was introduced, becoming the first rear-wheel drive GM model line adopted outside of Chevrolet and Cadillac since 1985;

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4472-431: The following years this led to a large decline in export vehicle revenue needed to fund the HQ-HZ series replacement. Despite this, HQ became Holden's most popular car, selling 485,650 units, a total yet to be surpassed in a Holden. It was however, sold over a longer timeframe than previous models. At the time, Holden's then Chief Engineer, an American named George Roberts, insisted that the HQ Holdens should "ride like

4558-431: The full-size sedan category in the United States were the Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Impala, and Chrysler 300. The large car segment has been declining in the United States accounting for 3.6% of new vehicle sales in 2021, down from 6.6% in 2016. The models in this category included the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Nissan Maxima, and Toyota Avalon. They have been discontinued after the 2023 or 2024 model years. The trend in

4644-406: The full-size segment for compact cars and minivans, Chrysler gained reentry into the full-size segment in 1988 with the Eagle Premier (also produced as the Dodge Monaco ). Developed by AMC before its acquisition by Chrysler, the Premier was a version of the front-wheel drive Renault 25 adapted for North America. The Saab 9000 took a special position at the end of the 1980s, as for a long time it

4730-423: The full-size segment. At the end of the decade, demand for sedans (of all sizes) shifted towards vehicles of other layouts, reducing or shuttering production of sedans entirely. In 2018, Ford announced the sales of all Ford-branded passenger cars (except for the Mustang ) would end in North America by 2022. General Motors announced the closure of several manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada, with

4816-424: The introduction of the Ford Flathead V8 in the 1930s until the 1980s, most North American full-size cars were powered by V8 engines . However, V6 engines and straight-six engines have also been available on American full-size cars, especially until the 1950s, and have become increasingly common since the downsizing of full-sized cars in the 1980s. The lineage of mass-produced full-size American cars begins with

4902-433: The large car market segment in United States is toward the SUV. Powerglide The 1950 through 1952 Powerglide transmissions did not automatically shift between low and high (direct drive) which made for very sluggish take-offs and many drivers started in "Low" and shifted to "Drive" at about 30–40 mph (48–64 km/h). The 1953 and later units when in "Drive" started in low and automatically up shifted to high at

4988-408: The last of which was manufactured around October 1979. The last Holden to wear the Kingswood badge was one of the variants of the WB series utility released in 1980. Although the WA and WB projects at Holden were meant to have resulted in all-new full-size cars, the 1973 fuel crisis and cost-cutting meant the scope of changes became more limited each time. Eventually, the WB project was condensed into

5074-413: The magazine to admit that it had instructed its test driver to throw the BMW into the corner at much higher speed and in a deliberately unstable attitude. In this series, the lower-end Belmont was deleted and the Kingswood became the base model for sedans and wagons, with a new model the slightly more upmarket Kingswood SL introduced. Commercial vehicles—the ute, panel van and cab chassis—were not affected by

5160-417: The new car plant at Trentham Upper Hutt further up the Hutt Valley from Wellington . Other Holden models like Monaro were imported completely built up (CBU) from Australia. From the 1960s Australian-made models were exported to Southeast Asia, and also to the Caribbean —the Kingswood was assembled in Trinidad and Tobago . Some of these HQ-series models—assembled in Australia—were sold in New Zealand as

5246-474: The new three-speed automatic transmission option called Tri-Matic . The first of these locally made transmissions actually found their way into the last of the HT series cars. These transmissions were later criticised for unreliability and became colloquially known by dispondants, as the Traumatic . Only the HG Monaro GTS350 retained the Powerglide transmission if an automatic preference was optioned. HG commercial variants continued to be built and sold alongside

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5332-423: The performance even worse. The HX series release of 1976 saw only minor updates to the exterior, notably the grille and badgework, although base specification utilities and panel vans retained the HJ grill (except Sandman which got HX Kingswood frontal treatment). When the HX was released, government emissions controls had been tightened and Holden needed to make significant changes to their engines. This resulted in

5418-426: The pilot stage. Released in 1974, the HJ series received some major frontal appearance styling changes, taking away some of the "softness" of the HQ cars. HJ saw the Belmont name disappear off utilities and panel vans to be replaced with an "unbadged" specification. HJ also saw the demise of separate models for V8 powered variants, for example in HQ a V8 Kingswood sedan had model code 0469 and its six-cylinder version

5504-426: The plant prefix code, month and date of production (expressed numerically) and a shift code (D = Day, N = Night). From 1967 on, the ID number contained the transmission type or plant prefix, Date (coded below) and a shift code. The constants in decoding the trans ID number are the date the transmission was produced. The transmission identification number or source serial number (chassis VIN) is usually located close to

5590-413: The previous series, a couple of special-build HX Kingswood variants emerged later in production, initially with the Kingswood 50th Anniversary sedan in November 1976 and also a repeat appearance of the Kingswood Deluxe sedan. The 1977 HZ series received minor updates to the exterior, and saw the introduction of what Holden termed "Radial Tuned Suspension" (RTS) on all models. RTS made significant changes to

5676-500: The previously highly profitable left-hand drive exports, meant that the project was eventually abandoned. GM instead utilised the then forthcoming 1977 Opel Rekord , which was significantly re-engineered and released as the Commodore in 1978 with Holden's own powertrains. Early Holdens were manufactured in New Zealand at the General Motors New Zealand plant in Petone until 1967, and Kingswoods plus other Holden luxury levels were later assembled from complete knock down (CKD) kits at

5762-417: The production of the Chevrolet Impala and Buick LaCrosse ending in 2020. As of 2022, full-size cars from Asian manufacturers include the Lexus LS , Genesis G80 / G90 , Nissan Maxima , and Toyota Avalon . Another car from an Asian manufacturer, the eighth-generation Hyundai Sonata , is classified by the EPA as full-size despite being marketed as a mid-size model. In 2018, the three highest-selling cars in

5848-420: The range, excepting the Holden Brougham which was always specified as a 308 automatic. A new locally manufactured three-speed automatic transmission, the Tri-Matic , was introduced late in the life of the HT range, except on HT Brougham which retained the two-speed automatic Powerglide transmission. The HG series of July 1970 was a minor refinement of the existing formula, adopted as the marketing platform for

5934-436: The rationalisation, with the practice of "unbadged" commercial vehicles continuing. During the course of the HZ series, equipment levels were upgraded in 1978 effectively to match improvements in the opposition Ford Falcon range, but the life of the Kingswood looked set to end following Holden's release of the VB Commodore range of sedans and wagons in November 1978. After 1980, Kingswood passenger cars were cancelled—replaced by

6020-443: The transmission code. This number will contain a division identification number, the model year, and the assembly plant and production sequence (last 6 digits) of the vehicle identification number (VIN) stamped onto the transmission. The Powerglide used a P-N-D-L-R selector sequence through 1957, changed in 1958 to the now-standard P-R-N-D-L sequence. The earlier sequence had been criticized on safety grounds for placing reverse after

6106-421: The transmission wasn't very durable, since it depended on the driver's ability to shift between gears in a way that wouldn't damage the unit. After 1971, Chevrolet canceled Torque-Drive and continued to offer Powerglide until 1974, when all engines could be ordered with the three-speed Turbo Hydramatic . General Motors transmissions have markings to identify; Prior to 1967, transmission ID numbers contained

6192-451: The utility or panel van designed to incorporate many of the features of the Monaro , such as sports instrumentation, sports steering wheel and bucket seats , and "rally" road wheels with a choice of two six-cylinder and two V8 engines. Other available options included automatic transmission , power steering , and air-conditioning . Sandmans were visually identified by stick-on vinyl decals on

6278-414: Was 0369. In HJ all Kingswoods were a single model—WN69—regardless of engine. Engine displacement was now expressed in metric terms, and the 3.3-litre (202 cu in) six-cylinder engine became the standard power unit for all Kingswood variants and higher luxury levels. The 2.84-litre (173 cu in) six remained the standard engine for the entry-level Belmont and "unbadged" commercials. As with

6364-568: Was a relatively constant dimension, as the American federal government required the addition of clearance lights on a width past 80 inches. In 1960, following the introduction of compact cars (such as the Chevrolet Corvair , Ford Falcon and Plymouth Valiant ), the "full-size car" designation came into wider use. In the 1960s, the term was applied to the traditional car lines of lower-price brands, including Chevrolet, Ford, and Plymouth. As

6450-472: Was a short period when HT and HG variants were sold with both Holden and Chevrolet badging, the Holden versions shared nose styling with Australian cars. Some surviving examples of both brands, especially Monaro coupes (HT badged Holden Monaro; HG Chevrolet SS) have been 'reimported' to Australia by classic car enthusiasts. Some were exported to a few Southeast Asian markets (Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore) and marketed in their respective markets. The Constantia name

6536-456: Was available on all HT models except Brougham, and the 308 was available only in Brougham. The 307-cubic-inch (5.0 L) Chevrolet V8 engine had remained an option for all HT series models except Brougham until stocks were depleted and it was replaced with the 308. The advertising campaign for this model was 'Never Late, in a Three-Oh-Eight'. The range of three six-cylinder engines carried over to

6622-501: Was dwindling as buyers were demanding three-speed units (Ford, Chrysler and American Motors had already switched entirely to three-speed automatics by this time). In 1969, the three-speed Turbo Hydramatic 350 (THM350) was introduced as a light-duty companion to the Turbo-Hydramatic 400, and made available on virtually all Chevrolet cars and trucks with six-cylinder or small and medium-sized V8 engines, as well as intermediate sized cars of other GM divisions. The Powerglide lingered on as

6708-518: Was in reference to the grand Groot Constantia wine estate, with its world-famous gabled Cape-Dutch homestead featuring as the model's emblem, while Kommando referred to the Boer Commando squads during the Anglo-Boer War . The South African version of the HQ was coded AQ, and was very similar to the Chevrolet 350 sold by Chevrolet/Vauxhall dealers in New Zealand. In 1971, following the dropping of

6794-457: Was initially limited to 1800 units, but extended by 1300 due to unprecedented sales demand. In late 1972, Holden released a special edition version of the HQ Kingswood sedan and wagon, named Kingswood Vacationer. This value package of options proved popular and made return appearances on various Holden models during the next twenty years or so. Holden, in 1974 introduced the Sandman, a version of

6880-556: Was not until the 1977 HZ facelift that radical changes were made to the suspension to improve handling . In Mid 1972, Holden released a limited edition version of the HQ Belmont sedan , named 'SS' Adopted from Chevrolet Super Sport Models in the United States and other markets, Option code 'XV2' Included the choice of three very 70's Colours: Infra Red (Dark Orange), Lettuce Alone (Light Green) or Ultraviolet (Purplish - Grey Metallic), Vinyl Stripe and 'SS' Decal kit supplied by 3M Australia,

6966-483: Was offered for passenger cars equipped with the 409 cubic inch V8 engine , and Chevrolet light trucks using a 1.76:1 reduction planetary gear set, instead of the usual 1.82:1. With a 3.31 axle, Car and Driver magazine noted a full-throttle up shift speed of 76 mph (122 km/h) to direct with the 409-4bbl 340 hp (250 kW) engine in a contemporary road test. Most of the V8/Powerglide transmissions came with

7052-620: Was only offered on low-horsepower engines for Camaro and Nova . It was available on the Nova four-cylinder engine, and on the Turbo-Thrift Sixes for Camaro as well as Nova. Despite its low introductory price of US$ 68.65 ($ 601 in 2023 dollars ), most buyers apparently considered the Torque-Drive a nuisance to shift, and for a hundred dollars more they could get fully automatic Powerglide, making Torque-Drive installations very rare. Apparently,

7138-488: Was optional in the rear-engined, air-cooled, horizontally opposed six-cylinder Corvair compact, available for all years of its production (1960–69). Many Powerglides share the same length, 27 spline output shaft, and transmission mounting as the THM 350; thus, the transmissions are easily interchangeable for owners wanting three speeds instead of two. Other Powerglides came with an incompatible 16 spline output shaft. Although it

7224-436: Was similar to that of Buick's Flight Pitch Dynaflow, subsequently called Triple Turbine (full technical description) . The Turboglide, only offered with V8 engines, was more expensive (by about $ 50) than the Powerglide and did not have wide acceptance, in part due to failures in 1957-58 models, which were addressed by a significantly upgraded version for 1959. Corvair Powerglide , using the basic design principles of Powerglide

7310-482: Was the most radically engineered Holden since the introduction of the original 48-215 model of 23 years prior. It featured a perimeter frame and semi- monocoque (unibody) construction, and was the first full-size Holden to have coil spring rear suspension. As a cost-saving measure, HQ was only engineered for right-hand drive , hence it was not feasible to sell the car in left-hand drive markets. Thus Holden exports declined from 41,181 in 1973 to just 7,440 in 1975. Over

7396-425: Was the only imported car to be classified as a "large car" by the EPA. From the 1980s to the 1990s, the market share of full-size cars began to decline; along with the increased use of mid-size cars, vans, and SUVs grew in use as family vehicles. Between 1960 and 1994, the market share of full-size cars declined from 65 to only 8.3 percent. From 1990 until 1992, both GM and Ford redesigned its full-size car lines for

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