The
Holden Kingswood was a range of
full-size carA full-size car is a marketing term used in North America for an automobile larger than a mid-size car. In the United States, the EPA uses "large car" to denote full-size cars....
s manufactured by
General Motors-Holden'sGM Holden Ltd is an Australian automaker based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery business, but later moved into the automotive field, becoming a subsidiary of General Motors in 1931. Holden has taken charge of vehicle operations for GM in Australasia and,...
, the
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
n subsidiary of
General MotorsGeneral Motors Company, often known as simply GM, is a United States based automaker with headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. GM was the world's 18th largest corporate entity and third largest automaker as ranked by 2008 revenues on the Fortune Global 500. Ranked by global unit sales for 2008, it...
(GM). Model-wise the range comprised of the entry-level
Belmont (replacing the
StandardThe Holden Special was a range of mid-size cars manufactured by General Motors-Holden's, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors . Introduced as the top-level trim in the new Holden FJ range of 1953, the Special was complemented by the entry-level Holden Standard and the mid-range Holden Business...
), the
Kingswood itself (replacing the
SpecialThe Holden Special was a range of mid-size cars manufactured by General Motors-Holden's, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors . Introduced as the top-level trim in the new Holden FJ range of 1953, the Special was complemented by the entry-level Holden Standard and the mid-range Holden Business...
), and the high-specification
Premier (replacing the "old"
PremierThe Holden Premier is an automobile that was produced by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors between 1962 and 1980. The Premier was an upmarket version of the:* Holden Standard/Special: between 1962 and 1968....
). Commercial variants were offered in three types: a
coupé utilityThe coupé utility automobile body style combines a two-door "coupé" cabin with an integral cargo bed behind the cabin—using a light-duty unibody automobile platform rather than a pickup truck's heavier duty body-on-frame construction. A Coupé Utility has a body style with coupé lines, especially...
, panel van, as well as a heavy-duty
One Tonner cab chassis. Over the life of these commercials, Holden offered "unbadged" base models as well as Belmont and Kingswood versions. A two-door
MonaroThe Monaro is an automobile which was produced by Holden, the Australian branch of General Motors from 1968 to 1977 and then re-introduced onto the Australian and New Zealand markets in 2001. It was discontinued in late 2005...
coupé and extended-length
BroughamThe Holden Brougham was a large, luxuriously-equipped automobile made by General Motors–Holden's of Australia between July 1968 and 1971.It was based on the mainstream Holden Premier of the same years, but with a lengthened rear body. The boot was simply extended by rather than increasing the ...
were also offered; although neither were classified within the Kingswood range. The Brougham was replaced in 1971 by the
StatesmanStatesman was an automotive marque created by General Motors Holden , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors in 1971. Statesman vehicles were sold through Holden's dealerships, and were initially based on the mainstream Holden HQ models, but offered more luxury and considerably extended length...
brand, based on the second generation architecture. For a complete listing of HK–WB Holdens, see:
list of Holden vehicles by series.
Outside of Australia, the Kingswood and its derivatives were sold in New Zealand, parts of Asia, and South Africa branded as Holdens. Following the late-1960s dismiss of the Canadian-sourced
Chevrolet ImpalaThe Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. One of America's most successful nameplates, the early Impala became the best-selling automobile when full-sized cars dominated sales, though the name was eventually revived in 2000 for a full-size...
and
ChevelleThe Chevrolet Chevelle was a mid-sized automobile from Chevrolet debuting in 1964. It was produced from 1964 through 1977 and was one of General Motors' most successful cars. Chevelle models ranged from economical family cars to powerful coupes and convertibles. The Malibu, at first the top trim...
in South Africa, the Holden Kingswood and Premier models were
badge engineeredBadge engineering is a term that describes the rebadging of one product as another. Due to the high cost of designing and engineering a totally new model, or establishing a new brand , it is often more cost-effective to rebadge a single product multiple times.The term derives from the trademark...
as
Chevrolet Kommando and
Chevrolet Constantia, respectively. In 1971, following the introduction of an all-new model and the dropping of the Holden brand in South Africa, the Holden utilities became known as the
Chevrolet El Camino. Between 1974 and 1978, the one-tonne utility sold as the
Chevrolet El Torro.
Kingswood
passenger carsAn automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
ceased production with the demise of the HZ series in 1980, succeeded by the smaller
CommodoreThe Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured by the Holden division of General Motors in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model. Opel continued to provide the...
released two years earlier. However, the Kingswood name survived via one of the utility versions that comprised the WB Holden range manufactured between 1980 to 1984.
HK
The first Belmont/Kingswood/Premier was released within the
HK seriesThe Holden HK series is a range of automobiles which was produced by General Motors Holden’s in Australia between 1968 and 1969. Introduced in January 1968, the HK range replaced the Holden HR series which had been in production since 1966...
of Holdens in January 1968 (commercials: March 1968). It was an all-new design that was larger and heavier than the previous
Holden HRThe Holden Special was a range of mid-size cars manufactured by General Motors-Holden's, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors . Introduced as the top-level trim in the new Holden FJ range of 1953, the Special was complemented by the entry-level Holden Standard and the mid-range Holden Business...
. The HK used the same six-cylinder engines, but introduced the first V8 into the Holden range, the 307
Chevrolet small-blockThe Chevrolet small-block engine is a series of automobile V8 engines built by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors using the same basic small engine block...
.
Six months after the release of the HK sedans and wagons saw the introduction of the
MonaroThe Monaro is an automobile which was produced by Holden, the Australian branch of General Motors from 1968 to 1977 and then re-introduced onto the Australian and New Zealand markets in 2001. It was discontinued in late 2005...
, effectively a two-door version of the Kingswood.
HT
The HT series launched in May 1969. The 307 Chevrolet engine remained an option until midway through production of the HT series, when the Fisherman's Bend engine facility began production of Holden's own
V8 engineA V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, available as either the 253 or 308.
HG
The HG series of July 1970 was a further refinement of the existing formula, notable for the broad adoption of a new three-speed automatic transmission option called
Tri-Matic though the first of these actually found their way into the last of the HT models. The early three-speed transmissions were criticised for their unreliability.
HQ
The HQ series of 1971 was a completely new design, introducing larger 173 and 202 cubic inch (2.84 and 3.3 L) six-cylinder engines, with the availability of 253 and 308 cubic inch (4.2 and 5.0 L) V8 engines from the earlier model. HQ was the most radically re-engineered Holden since the introduction of the original model, the
48-215The Holden 48-215, also known unofficially as the Holden FX is a mid-size, six-cylinder sedan which was produced by the Australian automaker, General Motors–Holden's Ltd between November 1948 and October 1953. The design was originally penned in the United States by Chevrolet after World War II,...
. It featured a perimeter frame and semi-
monocoqueMonocoque, from Greek for single and French for shell , is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin. Monocoque construction was first widely used in...
(unibody) construction, and was the first full-size Holden to have
coil springA Coil spring, also known as a helical spring, is a mechanical device, which is typically used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces...
rear suspension. As a cost saving measure, HQ was only engineered for right-hand drive, hence it was not possible to sell the car in left-hand drive markets. Thus Holden exports declined from 1973’s 41,181 to just 7,440 in 1975. Despite this, HQ was 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.
HQ powertrains
| Engine |
Displacement |
Compression |
Power |
Torque |
Transmission |
| bhp |
kW |
ft·lb The foot-pound force, or simply foot-pound is a unit of work or energy .-Other units of energy:...
|
N·m Newton metre is a unit of torque in the SI system. Less commonly, it is used as a unit of energy, in which case it is synonymous with the more common and standard SI unit of energy, the joule. The symbolic form is N m or N·m, and sometimes hyphenated newton-metre...
|
2.84 L Red I6The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft...
|
173 cu in |
Low |
|
| - 3-speed manual
A manual transmission, or manual gearbox is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
- 4-speed manual
A manual transmission, or manual gearbox is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
- 3-speed Tri-Matic automatic
An automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
|
| High |
|
|
3.3 L Red I6The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft...
|
202 cu in |
Low |
|
|
| High |
|
|
4.2 L Holden V8A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
|
253 cu in |
Low |
|
|
| High |
|
|
5.0 L Holden V8A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
|
308 cu in |
|
|
| - 4-speed manual
A manual transmission, or manual gearbox is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
- 3-speed Tri-Matic automatic
An automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
|
At the time, Holden's then Managing Director, an American named
George RobertsGeorge Roberts may refer to:*George Roberts , American trombonist*George Brooke Roberts, , Civil engineer*George Henry Roberts , British Labour MP, Minister of Labour...
, insisted that the HQ Holdens should "ride like a
CadillacCadillac is a luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors Company. Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mainly in North America....
" and that the front suspension be engineered to make the car prone to
understeerUndersteer is a term for a car handling condition in which during cornering the circular path of the vehicle's motion is of a greater radius than the circle indicated by the direction its wheels are pointed. The effect is opposite to that of oversteer...
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
HJThe Holden HJ is a series of automobiles which were produced by General Motors-Holden’s in Australia from 1974 to 1976. The HJ series was released on 4 October 1974 and was an improved and facelifted version of the superseded Holden HQ series which had been in production since 1971.- Model range...
and HX facelift models. It was arguable whether Australian buyers favoured this engineering philosophy and it was not until the 1977 HZ facelift that radical changes were made to the suspension to improve
handlingCar handling and vehicle handling is a description of the way wheeled vehicles perform transverse to their direction of motion, particularly during cornering and swerving. It also includes their stability when moving in a straight line. Handling and braking are the major components of a vehicle's...
.
Later in its production life during 1973, Holden released a special edition version of the HQ Kingswood sedan and wagon, named Vacationer. This value package of options proved popular and ended up making return appearances in various Holden cars during the next twenty years or so. Holden, in 1974 introduced the Sandman, a version of the panel van designed to incorporate many of the features of the
MonaroThe Monaro is an automobile which was produced by Holden, the Australian branch of General Motors from 1968 to 1977 and then re-introduced onto the Australian and New Zealand markets in 2001. It was discontinued in late 2005...
, such as sports instrumentation, sports steering wheel and
bucket seatA bucket seat is a seat contoured to hold one person, distinct from bench seats which are flat platforms designed to seat multiple people. Bucket seats are standard in fast cars to keep riders in place when making sharp or quick turns....
s, and "rally" road wheels with a choice of two six cylinder and two V8 engines. Other available options included
automatic transmissionAn automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
,
power steeringPower steering , assists the driver of an automobile in steering by directing a portion of the vehicle's power to traverse the axis of one or more of the roadwheels. On road going vehicles there has to be a mechanical linkage as a fail safe...
, and air-conditioning. Sandmans were visually identified by stick-on vinyl
decalA decal or transfer is a plastic, cloth paper or ceramic substrate that has printed on it a pattern that can be moved to another surface upon contact, usually with the aid of heat or water. The word is short for "decalcomania." The word Decalcomania is derived from the French word "decalquer,"...
s on the exterior. Although manufactured in conjunction with the utility models, the panel van is externally similar to a
station wagonA station wagon is a passenger automobile with a body style similar to a sedan, or saloon, but with the roofline following the full, sometimes extended rear cargo area and sometimes an extra row of sometimes rear-facing seats, ending with a more vertical door than on a hatchback.Also sometimes...
, save for the lack of side windows and side rear doors and seats, and a noticeably higher roofline. It gained notoriety during the latter half of the 1970s as a mobile venue for
sexual intercourseSexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which the male reproductive organ enters the female reproductive tract. The two entities may be of opposite sexes or not, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
. 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 the pilot stage.
HJ
Released in 1974, the
HJ seriesThe Holden HJ is a series of automobiles which were produced by General Motors-Holden’s in Australia from 1974 to 1976. The HJ series was released on 4 October 1974 and was an improved and facelifted version of the superseded Holden HQ series which had been in production since 1971.- Model range...
received some major frontal appearance styling changes, taking away some of the "softness" of the HQ cars.
Engine displacementEngine displacement is the volume swept by all the pistons inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine in a single movement from top dead centre to bottom dead centre . It is commonly specified in cubic centimeters , litres , or cubic inches...
was now expressed in
metricThe metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement, first adopted by France in 1791, that is the common system of measuring units used by most of the world. It exists in several variations, with different choices of fundamental units, though the choice of base units does not...
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. Despite this, the 2.84 litre six remained the standard engine for the entry-level Belmont. As with 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. Some HJ series Premier bodies were assembled by
Mazdais a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan.During 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, which fitted with the company's rotary engine. The car, manufactured between 1975 and 1977 sold as the
Mazda RoadpacerThe Mazda Roadpacer AP was a full-size sedan sold by Mazda Motor Corp. of Japan between 1975 and 1977. It was based on the Australian Holden Premier. Premiers were shipped to Japan without engines, and Mazda fitted a 1.3 L 13B Wankel engine into the bay...
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 the performance even worse.
HX
The HX series release of 1976 saw only minor updates to the exterior, notably the grille and badgework. When the HX Kingswood was released, government emissions controls had been tightened and Holden needed to make significant changes to their engines. This resulted in a loss of performance across the range and the deletion of the 2.85 L 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 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.
HZ
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 the
suspensionSuspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose – contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
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 528iThe BMW E12 BMW 5-Series was made between 1972 and 1981. The E12 was the first series to bear the 5 Series name: the '5' denoting BMW's fifth 'New Class' platform. Designed as a replacement for the popular BMW New Class mid-size sedan, the E12 5-Series models were smaller than the large BMW E3...
, contrasted as "a great car spoiled by the handling". In this series, the lower-end Belmont was absorbed into the Kingswood range which became two models rather than one: a base model and the slightly more upmarket Kingswood SL. Commercial vehicles—the ute and panel van—were not affected the rationalisation, and Belmont commercial vehicles continued. 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 the downsized
CommodoreThe Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured by the Holden division of General Motors in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model. Opel continued to provide the...
.
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 AU$6,076, with the Sandman option package an additional AU$1,700. The further optional components also included 5.0 litre V8 engine and a limited slip differential. If a buyer selected every Sandman extra, the price would be more than 150% 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, the last of which was manufactured in October 1979.
WB
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 a major upgrade of the luxury Statesman twins and a facelift of the HZ-series commercial models with new front headlights, tail lights, grilles and the updated Holden "Blue"
6 cylinderThe straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft...
engine (4.2 L V8 optional). The Kingswood was now available on utility only with the panel van joining the 1-tonner in HOLDEN specification only, 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 the Kingswood, their place in the Holden range having been absorbed by the Commodore. Production of the entire WB-series finished in 1984 when Holden announced they were vacating local production of large luxury and commercial vehicles—due to economics—to concentrate on their medium car range, ie Camira and Commodore, and imported Isuzu commercial product.
Exports
Early Holdens were manufactured in
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
at the General Motors New Zealand plant in
PetonePetone is a major suburb of the city of Lower Hutt in New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the narrow triangular plain of the Hutt River, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour...
until 1967, and Kingswoods were later assembled from complete knock down (CKD) kits at the new car plant at Trentham
Upper HuttUpper Hutt is a satellite-town of Wellington City. It is New Zealand's smallest city by population, the second largest by land area. It is part of Greater Wellington.-Geography:...
further up the Hutt Valley from
WellingtonWellington is the capital of New Zealand, at the southwestern tip of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. The Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the southern North Island and is New Zealand's third most populous urban area with residents. There are ...
. Other Holden models like
MonaroMonaro may refer to several topics:* Monaro, New South Wales is a region in the south of New South Wales, Australia* the Monaro Highway is the main state highway from Canberra to the Monaro region...
were imported completely built up (CBU) from Australia. From the 1960s Australian-made models were exported to
Southeast AsiaManila
Bangkok
Ho Chi Minh City
Kuala Lumpur
Singapore
Yangon
Bandung
Hanoi
Surabaya
Taichung
Kaohsiung
Medan|-|}...
, and also to the
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts...
—the Kingswood was assembled in
Trinidad and TobagoThe Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American country of Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. It shares maritime boundaries with other nations including Barbados to the northeast, Guyana to the...
.
Some of these HQ-series models—assembled in Australia—were sold in New Zealand as the "Chevrolet 350" from 1971 to 1974. They differed little from the locally-assembled V8
StatesmanStatesman was an automotive marque created by General Motors Holden , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors in 1971. Statesman vehicles were sold through Holden's dealerships, and were initially based on the mainstream Holden HQ models, but offered more luxury and considerably extended length...
apart from a new grille with the Chevrolet logo, badges and hub caps, and effectively replaced the Canadian-sourced
Chevrolet ImpalaThe Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. One of America's most successful nameplates, the early Impala became the best-selling automobile when full-sized cars dominated sales, though the name was eventually revived in 2000 for a full-size...
s last sold in 1969.
Until the late 1960s, the Kingswood and Premier were sold in
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
as Holdens, before the demise of Canadian-sourced
Chevrolet ImpalaThe Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. One of America's most successful nameplates, the early Impala became the best-selling automobile when full-sized cars dominated sales, though the name was eventually revived in 2000 for a full-size...
and
ChevelleThe Chevrolet Chevelle was a mid-sized automobile from Chevrolet debuting in 1964. It was produced from 1964 through 1977 and was one of General Motors' most successful cars. Chevelle models ranged from economical family cars to powerful coupes and convertibles. The Malibu, at first the top trim...
, which led to the introduction of the
Kommando and
Constantia, which were based on the HG, and later HQ Kingswoods using either Holden's 3.3 litre six, 5.0 litre V8 or Chevrolet 4.1 litre (250 cu in) six. The Constantia name was in reference to the grand wine estate in the Cape "Groot Constantia", with its world famous gabled Cape-Dutch homestead featuring as the model's emblem, while Kommando referred to the commando squads employed by the Boer forces during the Anglo-Boer War, or South African War.
In 1971, following the introduction of the all-new HQ model and the dropping of 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 South Africa during 1976, updated models were introduced, again as a Kommando with the straight-six, Constantia with the 250 CID and V8, and the Caprice Classic, with 308 CID V8. In 1979 the Holden-sourced models were replaced by Chevrolet-badged versions of the
Opel RekordThe Opel Rekord was a family car which was built in several generations by the German car manufacturer Opel, from 1929 to 2009 a subsidiary of General Motors.-Naming:...
,
CommodoreThe Opel Commodore was an executive car produced by General Motors German subsidiary Opel. It is the six-cylinder variant of the Rekord with styling differences. The Commodore nameplate was used by Opel from 1967 to 1982. However, its lineage continues with the Australian Holden Commodore...
(similar to Holden's own VB Commodore) and
SenatorThe Opel Senator was a large automobile, two generations of which were sold in Europe by the German General Motors subsidiary, Opel, from 1978 until 1994...
. It would not be until 2001 that a Holden-sourced Chevrolet, the Lumina, was sold in South Africa.