THE BIG YEARS

The profusion of ‘family’ cars available to 1970s Australia must have left buyers understandably bewildered. All three of our major car-making companies – four if you count Leyland and its troubled P76 – had introduced completely new designs and lifted their games considerably without charging a great deal more.

Model diversity was extreme, with Chrysler claiming 56 different variants in its new VH range. The Valiant, which arrived in June 1971 just ahead of Holden’s remodelled HQ, was also the biggest of the Big Three and clearly aimed at a conservative and very loyal segment of the market.

All that those people wanted and had since the days of the AP5 was a car that looked substantial, seated six and could cop a walloping from rough roads without coming apart.

Also helpful when selling Valiants was the biggest station wagon in the local market, with space behind the front seat for five kids, two big dogs and all the fishing/camping gear muddled in together. Rear seat belts did become available during the reign of the VH-VK, but