Aussies invade London! Australia Day at the Ace Cafe (many Blub blubs)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ต.ค. 2024
- Join a clueless Pom as he desperately tries to work out what these strange Australian cars are, even though he owns one. MANY Holdens and HSVs, not enough Fords and even a few Aussie Chryslers! Filmed at @AceCafeLondonUK
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I'm amazed at how many Aussie cars were there! Didn't know there were so many in the UK
XB Coupe's were certainly sold in the UK, they were given trailer tail lights to comply with UK MOT regs. Ugly as buggery those tail lights, and worse they were a bolt on so looked like an afterthought
Finally I've found myself on TH-cam. That's me parking the Impulse Blue R8 at around the 35 seconds mark.
You Fking Beauty !
Now that Australia has no vehicle building industry at all, these cars that have gone overseas are more significant. I love the Charger!
Fun fact- watch Alexei Sayle's ullo john gotta new motor video to see a Charger in the background at the caryard behind the cortina!
Hey Charger! Lmao, still remember as a kid doing the peace sign whenever we saw a Charger. Drove one once when an old bloke at the pub who owned one had a few too many beers. I drove him home so he didn't get picked up by the jacks, the thing hammered.
@@winahhtaylahh1433 yep, shame on Australia for that. We've been sold out
The story about the side markers on some 1970s Aussie cars was that the Big Three at the time thought Australia might pick up some of the US car regulations like side markers and 5mph bumpers. That's why some of the Valiants, Holden Kingswoods/Premiers and Ford Falcons had them. They were slowly phased out during the late 70s once they realised that the Australian Government wasn't going that direction.
The side markers were also because due to the blinker design you couldn’t see them from the side. This is why we have wrap around blinkers in all cars today.
Also, the Chryslers of that series had the Mopar electronic lean burn system.When new ,the light would glow if you were accelerating too fast.It was an attempt at fighting the insane price of fuel at the time. I was running a workshop at the time and I had a few customers with the latest regals etc. which had it. Keeping the lean burn working was always a challenge.
I'm pretty sure there was actually a change to the ADRs in the early seventies that required indicators to be able to be viewed from the side. The small side repeaters were the most effective method of achieving this until face lifted models such as the HJ Holden and the XB Falcon arrived which had wrap-around indicators front and rear. It was also at this time when white front indicators were no longer allowed.
@@couttsy222 your correct, there were Australian Design Rules or ADR’s for the side indicator lights
@@couttsy222 .... and you could have white lenses but needed to have orange bulb
This is awesome to see! Brings a bit of a tear to the eye. I worked for GMH Elizabeth for quite many years. It's just so unreal seeing this in the UK.
Great video. I'm an Australian who owns a number of V8 Holdens. Unfortunately, GM gave us a POS Opel as a replacement.
For a Pom you didn't do a bad job with identification. You mentioned in the video before you weren't familiar with the models of each car. But you didn't do a bad job. Better than a lot I have seen elsewhere.
think of it this way, Betty was particularly special being an original AU.
sounds like a fun day out
Agree!
It's a Aussie Taxi..
Actually the original AUs had those horrible front grills
Great video my friend. I spoke to you briefly I was in the green machine! Keep up with the great videos 👍👍
Thanks. So glad you brought a bit of colour to proceedings!
In 1984, my mate in high school bought his first car - a Seventies vintage Charger. Green coupe with the 245 cid straight six and three-speed floor shift. He paid $500. It was three years after Chrysler wound up as an Australian manufacturer and the market had bottomed out. It would worth a lot more today.
I remember seeing two Torana Hatchbacks in Mt Druitt for $500 for the pair of them
@@hodaka1000
The 80's were a wonderful time to buy a used car..........but the new cars were crap!
$300 for any Valiant or $600 for an HG Premier with the lot.........try doing that now!
@@noelgibson5956
I found my 59 Holden Sedan Delivery in 1983, the fella wanted $400 for it but I talked him down to a more realistic $390
@@hodaka1000 those were the days.
Try $50 for an HT Holden a guy I knew told me he got it for and it was his car for two years and very reliable.
The Australians went their own way and they did it oh so well, I do like the Monaro and VXR8, especially the 8 with that supercharger sound....epic!
we didn't get the supercharger in Australia :(
@@shinjisan2015 What?!!! Thats shocking to me, from the little I know of Aussie car culture you would have loved it. I'm from the UK and the first time I heard the Maclaren SLR on Top Gear I wanted one, I didn't give a sh@t about the car I just wanted that sound!! 🤣
I must convince my good wife that a Vauxhall VXR8 GTS would make for a great family car 😋 big boot, large capacious interior and gets you to your school run/appointments early whilst burning many litres of petrol
You tell her about the investment potential.That's how my BIL got 5 of them:)
In the early-mid 70’s my uncle moved his family to England along with his Chrysler valiant station wagon.
He was selling house and land packages to the “10 pound poms”.
It was was the pimped out model with cloth seats and electric windows etc etc.
the thing must have looked massive on the English roads.
Dark green I think.
I’m pretty sure it never came home again, so keep an eye out for it.
Gday from Australia. Aussie cars have trickled over to dear old Blighty for many decades. I first learned this back in the 80's when watching a music video show called Rage when they played Alexei Sayle's "Ullo John Gotta New Motor" video. About a minute in and just after he says "whats that switch over there for" the camera pans back and lo and behold there is a orange Valiant Charger in the car yard for sale. It may in fact be one of the 2 Chargers at this little get together, Blub Blub.
Yes you are right. I viewed the video of the song by Alexies Sayles. There is a Vialiant Charger in the sales caryard.
It's amazing ,how much ,original ,Aussie built cars are going up in value ,even here in Australia.
I have those same hub caps on my trailer ,very common ,once upon a time.
Since Holden folded - fer sure.
I have a VE SV6 - 6 years ago it was worth $6500 - now it's worth almost 3 times that...
Now Betty felt a little at home again among her compatriots.
We lived in Australia for a time in the 80s and our family car was a 1971 Valiant Regal 'Hemi'... that thing was a weapon.
just curious why didn't you stay or did you just miss the UK too much I did a trip in 2015 around the UK and loved it right around a lot of places Scotland
and Ireland. Nice and green Somerset lake district Fort William the Highlands whats not to like
@@robertgrant1837 To be honest, there was no specific thing... I went traveling, seriously, in early 2000 and just kind of never went back... Out of the last 23 years I've only lived in the UK for 6... the rest of the time I've lived in Denmark/Sweden/Hong Kong/Spain and now Portugal... in Australia, I'd lived in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney and traveled all over... so I was kind of done with it, if that makes sense?
Absolutely fantastic video Ian 👍❤️ what beautiful sounding cars who needs a radio waw brilliant
MMAAATTTEEEE! 🤣 WOW didn't know you guys love the 8. My Mum from England left with the 10 pound pom's in the day. So from across the ponded.
Hi Hubnut. Just a couple of notes. The HQ ute was wearing the front panels and dual lights from the top Holden (Brougham or Statesman? Can't quite remember now.). Classy utes weren't marketed at this time. They had less bling and single headlights, so the classy front is a common modification. The 318 in the Charger surprised me, as these cars were noted for their very excellent Australian developed 245 and 265 sixes, and were raced with lots of carburettors on these motors. 70's Holdens were marketed as Chevrolets in South Africa, which may be the source of the Chevy trim bits. Cheers.
The HQ series was the debut of the Statesman name. The Brougham was the top model on the earlier HK, HT, and HG series.
Premier or Statesman.
I think it was Statesman for the HQ and Brougham for previous HG and earlier.
That a Premier front. The HQ Statesman had a split grille.
@@chrisrumble2665
Yes. With the GTS fenders.
I have a big love for Aussies cars they definitely did things there way and for the better
Australians are usually quite sociable Ian, it would have been interesting to hear how and why some of those cars are in England. 👍
Yes Steph should have been there
Most people I spoke to weren't Australian. 😉
@@HubNut The convicts can't get back into the UK?
@@HubNut we didn't speak 😉
@@peterfinucane8122 We are happy over here in the sun.
Funny that all the Chargers appear to be V8s, because the the 265 "Hemi" straight six with triple Webers was the one to have.
The first one shown is the hemi six hence the "hemi 265" stickers on the rear quarters. We didn't get to see what was under the bonnet but I'd assume it was either genuine or a clone.
The RT is a private import. Almost all the factory import chargers were 770 318 cars. The yellow one in the video is a factory import.
Hi Ian! Or should that be G'day mate! 😄 Nice to see so many well loved Aussie cars at the other side of the world. Great to see some 70s ones making an appearance amongst all the V8 Commodores too, particularly the Chrysler by Chrysler, which is a rare sight even here! Enjoyable video as always 👍
That Chrysler by Chrysler is a real rarity. They hardly sold any back here either. Fun fact for you...the 351 equipped ZC and ZD fairlanes (like reversing green one) had a higher top speed than the equivalent GT Falcons because the longer body made them more aerodynamic.
I test drove a clean yellow one in '90 going for $3500. Very sorted car with the 360 v8. Bought a 351 XW Fairmont instead. Bonnet shaker and
Super Roo stripes, lovely but dangerous!
Then came '74 VK Valiant ute with 360 and 770 Charger interior....miss those beasts!
I remember in the day one of dads mates bought a new Chrysler by Chrysler. Traded a white 65 289 Galaxy for it. Both very nice wheels. Dad had a VG Regal 770 with the 318 at the time & l think that influenced him to go for the Chrysler.
Crap!! Fairlane had a 351 2V max and lack top end power. Still a nice car but not faster than a GT
@@ldnwholesale8552 You are, of course, quite wrong. I have the original road tests...or do you own a wind tunnel?
True I knew that silly fact too.
A great sight to see, Mr HubNut! I don't think I've seen so many V8 Holdens in one spot without anyone doing skids 😯. Your AU was a wonderful Australian diplomat and I agree that a P76 would've created the perfect sycronicity.
I imagine circle work in urban UK is frowned upon.
As the P76 was chronic for rust here in NZ I hate to think what they would do in the UK.
@@racerx660 -- as were all cars from that era. I remember an HT ute in 1974 (3 and a bit years old) that already had the floors rusted out. A few years later it actually broke in half due to rust. Nevertheless, I have fond memories of driving it 🙂
@@woodrow60 -- I think Deni is the only acceptable place for that!😀
Here in Canada, my Mom had a few Chrysler cars, and it seemed to me that they all had the fender mounted signals. They were handy for showing you where the fenders ended as well.
That interceptor is amazing, I am in love 😍😍😍
They have some serious presence about them, Australian cars. It's a shame it's all over down there now.
Time to watch some Ozploitation and check out some tasty motors 😊
We still have an Advanced Engineering Division in Melbourne ( Geelong ? ).
It is this that designed the Ranger and Everest. Ford US, awarded it to the Aussies, because of their respect over time, of the products we created, I think in particular, the Territory. We simply don't put them together here.
Young Aussie designers from the x2 institutes in Melbourne are around the world in lead positions. Opel. BMW - X1 SUV, by an Australian.
The Ford GT, V6, headed by an Australian from Hobart, overseen by an Englishman.
Mark Simcoe heads a GM design , division, that penned the last Monaro.
Also the son? of Jack Brabham created together, the Brabham BT 62 race car in Adelaide and are doing a road version - was at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Someone please correct me, if I'm wrong.
Additionally, a group of specialist Australian suspension engineers, actually are contracted to modify Hyundai and KIA products for sale here in Australia, for local road tuning and steering. Motoring journalists are unanimous that they are better cars to drive than those that aren't and those before hand.
Volvo could learn a lot, from them.
Great video Ian as always, some lovely Aussie musclenon display. Once had a passenger ride in a Holden at Elvington in the wet many years ago and it was a hair raising experiance!
"770" was the top trim level for the Chrysler....usually accompanied by a "Regal" badge.
Only on Valiant sedans and hardtops of the VF, VG and VH models. Charger's only used the 770 designation not Regal.
@@larryierace1484
That's why I said "usually". I used to own a VF V8 770 Regal hardtop.
No Valiant hardtops or sedans in the video so need to confuse the rest of the world. Most Americans or Europeans wouldn't have a clue what a VE or later Valiant is. Pity there wasn't any VF or VG hardtops there that really would have got the poms excited. I wonder if there are any over there.
@@larryierace1484
Really? I'm pretty sure they'd know what a Dodge Dart from the era looks like.
Wow, that Holden HZ in White, stunning. 👍👍👍🇬🇧🏴
Thank you!
@@sreid72 It was the star of the show as far as I am concerned.
I think there was an episode of The Sweeney or maybe The Professionals where one of those Aussie Chryslers was referred of as a "Yank motor"
And there was a glimpse of a VH Charger in Alexie Sayles "Ullo John, Gotta New Motor" video
The bog standard white Holden ute is my favourite. Or maybe the green Fairlane. Or maybe the Chrysler by Chrysler. Oh I don't know.
I'm guessing the P76s dissolved on the ship on their way to the UK... :P
i love to go to British bike days here in Australia ( i own a G15 matchless) but to see an Aussie car show in Blighty, now thats something else!!
It is really sad that no Falcons were there. Sometimes they were more Australian than Holden.
The turbo Barra was far more efficient than the V8's and far, far more economical. There was however, V8 cylinder deactivation on auto V8's for a while.
The last FG-X and FG II, both Xr6 and Xr8 and the FPV's are simply fantastic and look awesome.
Both the 6 and V8 last limited Sprints had overboost function for 10 seconds - up to 400 kws.
Were told by Ford US to look like global Ford and hence the Mondeo front end look and a Jaguar rear end and the door system comes from Jaguar.
There surely must be a P76 somewhere in the UK
Glorified vacuum cleaner
The best Holden has a Japanese engine.
@@Jimmy-1919 straight six is a glorious sou d
@@lachlanbrown409 nothing beats a supercharged ls
there was an AU there
Love this. My favourite show is still the micro-car rally, but this is up there with the best of them! Glub-lub...
And not one cork hat in sight Lol. When my wife was 19 in the late 80s she had a 1969 Monaro it was a real beauty.
The steward had what looks suspiciously like an Akubra.
Talking of Chrysler... there is a railway bridge by Paisley/Linwood that you can still see the sign/advert "Talbot, home of the Avenger & Sunbeam"..... doesn't say much for the painting/maint of the bridge though!.
Just needs 6 teenagers hanging out the windows of a 6 cylinder VS Commodore with 20 inch chromies on the front and stock 15 inch chasers on the back pulling out of the carpark with a lame single pegger and you would almost feel like you were back in Australia.
You forgot the requirements for mullet haircuts Mate.
@@benspencer9523 and chrome plated double overhead foxtails...and Norman.
Because everybody knows when you're being monsterd by a 10 foot Hells Angel......
VN and VT also accepted
Love the mad max repro, only watched it again last night for the millionth time 😂 it always amazed me how Mel Gibson in one scene drove that massive gas guzzler through the night without stopping to refuel 😂😂👍
That thing ran on grit, determination and pure spite, I think.
And fuel, sometimes.....lol
BTW pity there were no Torana SLR 5000's there. A 5 litre V8 in our HC Viva equivalent. What's not to like? (actually, the handling- I used to own one).
Fantastic, the Valiant Charger model to have in my opinion was the Hemi Six. They were very fast for the day producing up to 300 hp in the top performing model. Hope you get to drive a Valiant one day. A car that dissappered.
Yep, gotta agree. I loved the E49 when I was young.
There was a guy in Windsor NSW had a sleeper Charger. A plain paint job, rough body and apart from the tubbed rear wheels nothing to show that he had a fuel injected supercharged E49 under the bonnet.
A friend who hooned a Valiant 340 said it was far quicker than his and would wheelspin at 70mph in top gear.
Valiants were always the best handling Aussie cars even before all that 'Radial tuned Suspension' crap.
as a kid, I recall a neighbor had an E38 in his garage for years. Rarely started. It was quick.
Could be a Aussie classic car meet in Adelaide. Love seeing local cars over there
Yep, I think the Clayton factory?, in Melbourne over it's time, before Nissan upgraded it, almost made - put together - from CKD kits, nearly anything you can think of.
Saabs, Mercedes Benz, Peugeot, Citroen, Renault, VW etc.
@@adrianmclean9195 Volvos
the Holdens were also sold in the Middle east as Chev Luminas. the first Charger shown is probably a 265cu in six.
All R/T Valiant Chargers are 265's. That one is the baseline R/T which is the 218 hp 2 barrel 265. Same motor as the VH Pacer.
africa got Hz statesman's rebadge as Chevy's
Probably the most valuable car there was the first yellow charger, 265 Hemi RT, which you all but ignored. That was famous as the worlds most powrful 6 at the time, and easily kept the V8's at bay.
A Chrysler by Chrysler was used as a getaway car in an episode of The Sweeney. It was blue from memory.
Still waiting for a CL/CM Valiant/Regal/Charger to appear in the UK.
You did briefly come across a CM Valiant wagon arriving at a car show in Sydney.
Chrysler UK stopped the Valiant project in 76', so nothing past VJ/CJ in the UK.
@@andrewbrown7196 I never knew those were sold there. I knew the VC from 66 -67 was marketed there with limited success.
I meant as a private import. I dream of driving a CL or CM sedan in the UK to see the reaction on folks.
Have a shot every time Ian says blub blub 😆
It's such a stupid expression. Very tiresome.
@@paul1153
YT: South Park bikers.....😁
@@paul1153 What sort of wanker would even say that? its embarrassing.. LOSE IT
@@sykcnt8012 What are you? His mother?
That Mad Max Interceptor is the duck's guts.
He built it with a piece from here and a piece from there...
I'd rather an xb or xc coupe stock,they are a nice car they don't need to be customized,but if it was built from a wreck that's ok too.
The Blue Reversing Monaro one of the best sounding cars I have ever heard. Under the Tunnel on the A40 under Hanger Lane (not far from there) it was so loud it almost put cracks in the walls
That Charger looks like the one My friend's cousin bought new off the floor in the early 70s. I can still smell it today. 100% muscle car smell.
I think an Aussie Chrysler turned up in a British TV show of the 1970's. Something like The Persuaders
That Charger brings back so many wonderful memories.
Yeah those Chargers are rare as rocking horse S**t these days, even in Aus. you only really ever see 'em at car shows. Can't remember the last time I saw one on the road. They were really popular back in the day with several versions available over a few years, but, I dunno why more of them weren't kept by collectors.
It would have looked more strayan had the sun come out! 🤠👍🌏🇦🇺🌞
The SV6 Ute has the 3.6 Alloytec engine , I have the SV6 sedan with the same engine , quite a bit more powerful than the 3.8 Ecotec Buick based unit .
Great video and exciting to see then all lined up.
I've never been a fan of the AU Falcon, but was great seeing it included in the line up
I was in UK in mid 2017. Saw a couple of Vauxhall Monaros, One on Guernsey. But quite a few Falcons. AU BA FG of all levels.
There is an AU XR6 ute in England,, I sold some panels to the owner.
Chrysler Aust sold VE VF VH upmarket models in the UK. Never many though I have seen them on Brit TV shows often
No Nomads or six cylinder Marinas! Kimberley? Tasmin? A fantastic event all the same!
An Australian Wolesley 24/80 turned up at the Farina Sixty show and won best in show I think.
Presentations near the end of this vid on the Farina Sixty show:
th-cam.com/video/0ulgNIFVc7g/w-d-xo.html
almost enough Australia there to bring sum sun shine to the event, surprised to see the love for Aussie cars cheerio chaps,
I was a bit meh about the interceptor recreation until it was started. Wow - I want it!!
I don't think the mods and rockers had battles at the Ace! That was the seaside resorts around the south and east coast.
Great upload, I used to work down the road from here at Little Wolf American auto spares and a customer would pop in the shop he had an Australian Chrysler Charger 4 door in metallic green he called the Guzzlin Goozbury complete with 360ci engine,done up tastefully 70s style it looked and sounded great,I even had a spin in it Awesome,that was nearly 40 years ago.
Thanks for a super upload,wishing yourself,family,friends and fellow viewers health and happiness.
Some nice buses there Ian, I can see why you went. If I could afford the petrol, I'd grab one myself! Maybe even a Leyland P76 :)
And shout out to the Mad Max guy. I would feel silly daily driving a DeLorean. But I would daily drive that Mad Max car and not care what anybody thought. *It's fantastic* !
Isn't the indicator repeater actually a fuel efficiency light? Didn't some Valiants have a light that faced the driver that lit up red when you could perhaps be a bit lighter on the pedal?
The silver ss Ute is exactly what I have herein my garage I can’t believe the valiant cars there
Good one hub nut
Chrysler Valiant Charger. Weird because Charger was a Dodge and Valiant was a Plymouth in the USA.
With the small share of the small Australian market, Chrysler Australia by the mid fifties had dumped the Plymouth and De Soto badged cars and dealers. Reserved the Dodge brand for heavy trucks and assembly of completely knocked down kits of full size US cars sold as the Dodge Phoenix. Canada sourced kits Still much more expensive than the locally made Valiants.
The Dodge trucks would be weird to you also being Chrysler running gear in International Harvester trucks with a Dodge grille and badges.
Also the pre Charger performance car starting in 1969 was the Valiant Pacer. Well before the 1975 AMC Pacer..
Even AMC cars here were not called AMC but all called and badged as Ramblers. Even the few Javelins and AMX cars assembled here.
Rambler to avoid establishing the new AMC name that was too close to AMI that assembled Ramblers here amongst many other brands. Toyota liked how they assembled Toyotas so much that they bought the company so no more Ramblers and other makes from the Port Melbourne assembly plant. All to keep the import tax levels low with local inputs.
That’s absolutely fantastic. Thanks for sharing this!
Special indeed. I always wanted to drive around the UK in an Aussie panel van. Now it's rare to see one on the road at all.
Shout out to the person with the "DAT 45S" number plate. That made me chuckle.
That AU XR8 ute you featured should have come along to keep Betty company !!
I miss my 73 VJ 265 (4.3 L) 4dr Valiant Pacer, came with a 8 & 3/4" diff. Plus yes I had to laugh when they imported the latest Holden Monaro's calling them Vauxhall's to make it look like the UK came up with them. 🤣
I love that onomatopoeia phrase "Blub blubs". I've never heard anyone call them that but in hindsite, how did I never think of it?
I will never hear a V8 without calling it that 😊
I prefer burble
Not in Australia mate, You mite lose some teeth. Its so gay
Bloody great to see the poms liked our Aussie designs in Holden's and variants and Ford too from aussie only designs, I worked for Holden from 2001 to 2010 and delivered a HSV car every week and rest Berlina Calais and SS sedans and Ute's, in 2004 we sold 75% of cars with v8 engines , so that tells you the V8 car was in demand still are , it was a very fast car in any version 260kmh easy , piss easy, miss those days at Holden and when Holden announced the end ,, it was a stab in the heart to all types of people from all walks of life , we loved our 6 cylinder premier, Kingswood and belmont then came v6 in VN commodores and hold on to ya hat ,, it funking went harder than the V8 engines , man they were lighting fast taking off too 0 to 120kmh and seem less auto trans ,, then the model was debated and had a bell put in throttle body to slow them down , dangerous car in wrong hands and 1000,s of VNs were written off people killed or injured almost every time cos speed was factor
Hey Ian, from Sydney, Australia, the 1973 opalescent grey Chrysler by Chrysler, is when Chrysler owned the Rootes Group and wanted a replacement for clients who prior bought the 3 litre Humber Super Snipe & Humber Imperial. A longer wheelbase car based on the Valiant had been attempted in 1969 with the 4 inch longer Valiant VIP with a cut and shut body and rear door cut with the inches crudely added for the VF & 1970 VG Valiants, which were really just RHD versions of Dodge Darts from the USA. The opalescent grey car there at that meeting, a CH model a genuine long wheelbase car not cut & stretched giving it the same 115" wheelbase as the new 1971 GMH Statesman's. This one in your video is a genuine Rootes/Chrysler UK car from new, as it has the molded in white reversing lights at the rear to comply with UK rules/laws NO Aussie versions had these, amazing Chrysler Aust' made unique rear taillight assemblies JUST for the UK version. There are 2 episodes of the 1970's UK TV crime series, The Sweeney where there are Chrysler by Chrysler cars in the two unrelated episodes. The 10 years' worth of VH/CH to CM Valiants & Chryslers from 1971 to 1981 really were the only TRUE Aussie created designed & built Chrysler products EVER!! With ZERO body panels/tooling from any Chrysler USA car. The 1972 onwards Big Aussie Falcons, Fairlanes & long wheelbase LTD's were the first TRULY Aussie Fords sharing no body tooling with any US ford product, with exception to the 1979 to 1988 Station Wagon rear lift gate which was same as used on a US station wagon. But crudely the premium Aussie Ford, the LTD's, P5 1972-75 & P6 1976 to 1979 were cut & shut cars with 6 inches being let into the rear doors, roof & body sill rails & floor, the same shabby way Chrysler Aust did in 1969 & 1970. GM Holdens Aust' never did this, their long wheelbase Statesman's were of a superior quality, complaints that the interior legroom of clients premium Holden was less than that of the same Ford product led GMH to use real engineering & proper design to grow cabin space without growing total body length. Cleverly they used a shortened roof pressing from the station wagon, moved the rear axle 5 inches backwards in the same structure, gave it new 5 inch longer back doors and pulled the rear seat back near 10 inches as due to the taller roof they fitted an almost vertical rear window so rear seating could be pushed back almost to the glass giving a massive airy interior, plus raised rear mudguard height & bootlid giving 10 cubic feet more boot volume also making it possible to store the enormous spare wheel in a convenient vertical position. So, the BIG Holden had the same 120" wheelbase as the Ford LTD but built & engineered with precision. The premium version of this six-year model 1980 to 1985 the WB series 1 & 2 Caprice was a FOUR seat !! car with four beautiful leather faced Scheele bucket seats in the front & the rear. Fully equipped this was a world class luxury car, well-engineered, well built and full of real quality that seems lacking in most modern cars. Just how good was this car, well as living proof Aust' racing drivers John Harvey & Peter Brock were used in an advertisement, there were two versions, filmed at two different racetracks both with a dark metallic green & metallic cinnamon colored WB Statesman's, you see the two drivers racing helmets in their hands, get into the cars & start up, they are racing over 2-ton fully road registered luxury saloons, not sports cars. However, Brock beat his race entry Holden Monaro lap time of just a few years earlier, there is no sound except for the cars through either of the entire filmed commercials, at the end a voice over says "'there is Nothing Quite Like a V8", subtle.
Awesome numberplate DAT 4SS😂
The Chrysler by Chrysler was the "top of the line" (limo) of the Chrysler Valiant range with the 360 V8 and electric windows. One of my favorites.
You could also get a 265 or 318, the model number is CH, upmarket version of the VH Valiant.
@@mrsock3380 I'm sure in NZ they only came with the 360 in the CH 'limo'. 245, 265 & 318's in the VH Valiant.
haha - was expecting at least one Mad Max Interceptor recreation - but not that nice... that is a piece of art! Also nice to finally see the white Holden HZ (?) ute. I don't think I saw that one other than the Matchbox-versions me and my brother had as kids - cool to see what the real thing looked like. Also, also - Betty seems to be one of the more unique aussie cars in the UK - everyone has a Holden HSV, but there is only one Betty. Pretty special, right?
Yep, the white ute is a HZ belmont ute.
@@sreid72 Pretty sure it's a Kingswood as the Belmont name was discontinued for the HZ. The main Kingswood model was the SL (beneath the Premier) but a non-SL Kingswood was available as a fleet special in the sedan and wagon or the only choice in the ute or panel van for the HZ series. Redbook seems to confirm those combinations.
@Steve D thanks. I was not aware they had dropped the belmont name.
I just assumed it to be a belmont as no armrest, rubber flooring basic instruments, painted pressed taillight trim etc.
@@sreid72 For the WB series the ute was available in Kingwood and Kingswood SL trim levels (featuring different grilles and lights!) but the HZ seems to only be one level from factory. No sign of a Sandman in my quick check, though. 🙃
@Steve D I was just reading a HZ ute brochure where they state that the two models are the "Kingswood Ute" and the "Holden Ute". Mine must be the latter as a lesser trim level.
Great to see the Aussie cars in the uk. I am in Qld brisbane Australia and I restored a 1998 vt ss commodore, it has a stage 3 cam and chip with full flow 2.5 inch twin exhaust system with extractors and 200 cell race cats and 40 thou of the heads cold air induction and it’s the 304 5L all original motor and gearbox and so on. I must say goes really well
Awesome vid mate, didn't know there were that many Holdens in the UK lol. And some good stuff, nice.
Amazing to see the Chryslers in London as they were built a couple of miles from where I live! I am a Monaro/Torana (coupe) man but as I have got older, I recognise the Chargers as a great looking vehicle.
the sv6 was a 16 or 17 model ute
Quite rare hence the $22k pound
It was mine and is now sold. 2017. 70ks . One owner. You could not import one for less.
Nice to see cars from my former home. Of course Australia made small cars too; the Lightburn Zeta, the Goggomobil Dart, the Lloyd Hartnet, as well as numerous Japanese, British, and European models which were locally assembled.
I think Ian drove a Goggomobil, or at least saw one somewhere.
Yes, saw Goggomobiles, including a Dart and van, at an Australia Day in Parramatta three years ago!
th-cam.com/video/BvOz_qUPbXo/w-d-xo.html
a neighbor a few doors aways in my Sydney suburb had a Lightburn Zeta. I puzzled over it for years.
Can't say Goggomobil without thinking of this ad 😀
th-cam.com/video/BvOz_qUPbXo/w-d-xo.html
Would love to have been there, I'll do it one year!!
I was in Australia in the mid 90's, and quite a few friends of the family I knew had 5 litre beasts. All the owners were in their 20's, and we middle class money wise. Not sure how the road tax/ insurance would have been back then, but it seemed doable to drive muscle in Oz in the 90's
In Australia, my state Victoria at least, registration is mostly calculated on the area you live regarding "risk zone" which is how likely you are to be in an accident, not what kind of car you drive. The largest part of registration is the "Transport Accident Commission charge" which is probably around 80% of the fee. Currently per year it's $864.40 in high risk (Metropolitan area), $808.30 medium risk (Outer metropolitan) and $742.30 low risk (rural). I have a 1974 Holden 350 GTS Monaro coupe and a 2011 VE Commodore and I pay the same for each one, $808.30. If you're a pensioner you get 50% discount on the registration fee and 50% discount on the TAC fee. Insurance of course can widely vary depending on value, risk zone, power etc but in my case it's around $600 for each car but the Monaro is not valued anywhere near what I'd actually get for it.
@@thunderlips350 Very interesting. In Ireland, you pay Road Tax, and then you have to insurance, which can be "3rd party" ( ie in an accident, only the other person's costs are covered ) or "Fully comprehensive" ( where you're covered also ). Road Tax used to be based on engine capacity, but is now done on CO2 output. So a pre-2008 car with 3.0 litre engine would cost AUD$3,000 in annual road tax. Insurance would be approximately the same. So AUD$6,000 annually just to have the car street legal in your driveway. Hence, no muscle cars in Ireland ( most of Europe is the same way, except the UK, which has traditionally had very low car tax to keep their car industry going ). For a newer car with a bit of grunt ( say, a Ford Mustang ), the road tax would be AUD$4,000 per year, with insurance still at about AUD$3,000. So about AUD$7,000 for a newer muscle car to have street legal in your driveway. If your car is more than 30 years old, the tax man treats it as "vintage or veteran", and you only pay $AUD90 per annum. Insurance on classics is typically in the mid hundreds per year, and no matter what the condition of the car, in 99% of cases, you get a scale amount unless you go to a specialist insurer and get an appraised value. All in all, owning anything with a big ICE engine that's less than 30 years old is very expensive in Ireland. Hence everyone drives Asian puddle jumpers 🙂
here, we buy the car, fill it,,drive it,,ins is your problem,,no ins. you stak it, you lose it..ave car reg per yr is 1,200..gas is 1.90 . some states have yearly inspections, some only when you sell it,,here in s.a. we dont give a sht..
@@harrywalker5836 In Ireland you have to get your car inspected once it's 4 years old. Then every 2 years if it's between 4 years and 10 years, and more than 30 but less than 39. But every year between ages 10 and 30. It costs $AUD100
It still is. Gotta pay a lil more for them now days but only 6 years or so back you could easily pick is a ve ss commodore for 10 to 15k. Now its 20 to 30k
Australians don't do things by halves regarding their cars do they. Awesome collection. Wouldn't say no to any of these.
That Holden HQ ute must be based on the General Motors A-body, the front end looks virtually identical to the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle, which is a very desirable classic here in the USA. There was also an American ute version, the Chevy El Camino/GMC Sprint.
GM head office in Detroit liked all the overseas subsidiaries to conform to the GM corporate styling look so there were directions to future themes when new models were developed by Holden. Although looking similar there would be close to zero parts interchangeable. Engines excepted for the early and late times when Holden's had optional 307, 327 and 350 motors in small numbers, then much later the LS motors in the niche high performance cars.
The Buick 3800 V6 in a Holden was close to the most common car in Australia from about 1989 to 2000. Only use in a rear wheel drive car I believe.
@@johnd8892 GMH did raid the GM parts bin. eg RTS badges came from the pontiac parts bin originally, the final runout LS Monaro honeycomb wheels were also ex pontiac
There's some parts interchange. Some suspension bushes, springs, wheels, front shocks. The HQ sedan's rear coil suspension is identical to the A bodies. I strongly suspect the control arms would interchange -the bushes do. All while Ford and Chrysler were grubbing about with cart springs. But based? No. Sedans/wagons/ coupes had a 3/4 chassis (think 2nd Gen F Body). Utes, vans and the cab chassis had a full chassis but leaf springs on the rear. I was a Holden mechanic, owned many HQs and now have a Skylark.
@@johnd8892 There's some interchange. I own a '69 Skylark, and have owned many HQs.
Ian you’d be very welcome to drive my 72 valiant next time you’re in New Zealand …wipers are disappointing though!!.
we had a 1975 Galant coupe that had Mitsubishi, Valiant and Chrysler badges! The sedans were built locally but the coupes were imported from Japan.
Chrysler (brand) Galant (model) and Mitsubishi (source) I can understand but I could never work out why the Valiant badge was there.
Gallant coupe from Japan. Valiant ,Chrysler Australia design and built in Adelaide.
Was great to meet you! Still deciding on where to put my I
I am glad to see that Muscle cars are appreciated across the pond as well.
The charger mostly come out with a 265ci Hemi 6.
Some come out with the 318 V8.
A few come out with a 340 V8 as well. These normally come with a 1/2 vinyl top which also ran down the top of the doors
I live in Australia and can’t remember the last time I saw that many Holdens in the same spot at the one time
90% of all Holdens made are still on the road. The other 10% made it home!
Normally at Bogan conventions, or SummerNats, actually the same thing..
At least Betty n You were representing the Blue oval there along with the ZD Fairlane.
Nice one Ian. I love the reference early on to the Chrysler 180, like the sister car the Two Litre I remember these as a kid and always nagged my dad to get one and failed miserably. They used to look like an inflated Avenger on some dodgy medication but I loved them anyway. If you get to find one for a test please post a video of it. These Australian cars are truly bonkers, I want one.. or two... or more...
The Chrysler 180 was sold as a Centura in Australia and locally assembled in Adelaide. IIRC you could get them with the 2.0 or a 4.0 six.
@@cornishhh Now a 4 litre six if it was available back then in the UK would have cost a fortune, I'm sure that my dad would have had kittens at the thought of spending so much. Back then the family had to get cheap runners from relatives. I still love the style of the cars though. Anyway it was around that time I guess that I could still appreciate such creations from afar without bias to those that could as without them as we would never have had the chance to see them in the first place.
@@cornishhh also the base 215 Hemi six
I had a KB Centura (french steering column with stalks everywhere, indicators on wrong side!) It was a 245 Hemi 6 and auto, I later swapped the 245 for a 265 from dad's VJ wagon- made 250 cortinas like 4 cylinder cars again!
My dad had yellow HZ in his teens, Surprised there aren't to many more modern falcons, funny seeing your AU in the UK.
5:15 The Monaros should've been imported into Britain as *HOLDENS,* not Vauxhalls. The *Holden* brand should've had *world-wide presence!*
That’s GM for you at that time
And in America they changed the badge to pontiac the clowns, I've also her somewhere in China they got a rebadged ve ssv as well forget the name tho
Ah, ACE Cafe… went along a few times the French car evenings in 2CV…
Fabulous video, all those 1970s antipodean cars bring back fabulous memories!