Holden HQ: the first clean-sheet Holden since 1948

The Holden HQ was released on 15 July 1971 as the replacement for the Holden HG. It was the first ground-up redesign of the Holden line since the original 1948 car, with an all-new body, chassis and suspension, and it was developed into a series of successors that ran until the WB was discontinued in 1985.

Holden HQ at a glance

History of the Holden HQ

A completely new Holden

The HQ of July 1971 was the first Holden designed from the ground up since 1948. Everything was new: body, chassis and suspension, rather than the facelifts that had carried the range through the 1960s. The mainstream passenger range was made up of four-door sedans and five-door station wagons in three trim levels — the Belmont, Kingswood and Premier — and the long-wheelbase luxury model, badged “Statesman by GMH”, came as one four-door body in two trim levels, Statesman and Statesman Deville.

Monaro, SS and GTS

The Monaro range initially consisted only of two-door coupés: Monaro, Monaro GTS, Monaro GTS 350 and Monaro LS. A Holden SS sedan was released in August 1972; although marketed as a separate model it was really a Belmont V8 sedan fitted with the XV2 option package. Two four-door versions of the Monaro GTS followed in March 1973, and like the SS they were option packages on lesser cars: XV4 was the HQ GTS sedan and XW8 the HQ GTS350 sedan, both based on a V8 Kingswood sedan.

Commercials and the Sandman

The commercial range covered coupé utility, panel van and cab chassis truck models: the Belmont and Kingswood utilities, the Belmont panel van and the One Tonner, which was new for the HQ series. The Sandman, a sports utility and panel van model, arrived in January 1974.

Engines and production

The two inline sixes from the HG were carried over but enlarged to 173 cu in (2.8 L) and 202 cu in (3.3 L). The 253 cu in (4.1 L) and 308 cu in (5.0 L) Holden V8s and the 350 cu in (5.7 L) Chevrolet small-block were carried over as well. Production of the HQ range totalled 485,650 vehicles before the HJ replaced it in October 1974. Cars were built at Acacia Ridge, Dandenong, Elizabeth and Pagewood, while engines, transmissions and final drives came from the Fishermans Bend casting plant; the 350 and its drivetrain components were imported complete from Chevrolet in the United States.

HQ production in New Zealand took place at GMNZ’s Trentham plant and ran on until 1975 to use up parts that were not carried over to the HJ. In South Africa the HQ sedan was sold as the Chevrolet Kommando and the utility as the Chevrolet El Camino, with the One Tonner becoming the Chevrolet El Toro. In motorsport Holden’s factory effort moved from the V8 Monaro to the smaller six-cylinder LC Torana, although a few Monaro and V8 Kingswood cars were still built for racing.

Design and features

• Clean-sheet design: new body, chassis and suspension, the first since 1948.
• Three trim levels: Belmont, Kingswood and Premier in sedan and wagon form.
• Statesman by GMH: a long-wheelbase luxury sedan in two trim levels.
• Option-package specials: the SS and the GTS sedans were optioned Belmont and Kingswood cars.
• One Tonner: a new cab chassis model in the commercial range.

Holden HQ versions

• Belmont: the barebones model, standard 173 six and column-shift three-speed manual.
• Kingswood: the mid-range car with armrests and extra chrome.
• Premier: woodgrain interior, full-length armrests and a console with bucket seats.
• SS (1972): Belmont V8 sedan with the XV2 package, 2,800 built across two series.
• Monaro GTS and GTS 350: coupés with stripes, V8 engines and a heavy-duty differential.
• Statesman and Deville: the long-wheelbase luxury pair.

The HQ succeeded the Holden Kingswood range and its Monaro became a separate line, the Holden Monaro. More cars are in the Holden collection.

Video: HQ holden 1972 308 4 speed cold tune run with headders

Video by Jamie mcneill on YouTube.

Sources

• Holden HQ, English Wikipedia: models, engines, production, exports