The Chrysler Valiant is a full-size car which was sold by Chrysler Australia between 1962 and 1981. Initially a rebadged locally assembled Plymouth Valiant from the United States, from the second generation launched in 1963, the Valiant was fully manufactured in Australia. It was sold locally but also in New Zealand and South Africa, with smaller numbers also exported to South-East Asia and the United Kingdom.
Parent company Chrysler made a substantial investment in Australian manufacturing facilities by establishing operations in South Australia with an assembly plant at Tonsley Park in 1964New Plant Built in Record Time, The Advertiser, Friday, 2 October 1964, page 26 and an engine foundry at Lonsdale in 1968. The Valiant thus established its position as the third of the "Big 3" Australian-made vehicles behind the Holden Kingswood and Ford Falcon.
The Australian Valiant was built on the North American A-body platform but with many parts and components from Australian suppliers. Apart from a sedan and wagon body style, 1965 saw the introduction of a commercial utility that was badged the Wayfarer and later exported to South Africa as the Rustler.
Greater differentiation from the donor car crept in over time, particularly since the VE series, which was embraced by the Australian motoring press and won the 1967 Wheels magazine Car of the Year award. The VF series of 1969 and the VG of 1970 departed even further from its North American donor both in terms of styling and performance—with the latter series introducing the Hemi-6 engine that replaced the Slant-6. Moreover, Australia continued to produce a station wagon model, called the Safari, even after this body style was discontinued for North America.
Beginning in 1971, the VH series saw Chrysler Australia develop the entire lineup locally including the Charger. Local design and production continued until the CM series of 1979, which marked the end of local production in 1981, after the takeover of operations by Mitsubishi Motors Australia.
First generation
RV1 (R Series)
After the Plymouth Valiant turned out to be a success in the United States (starting with its 1959 introduction), Chrysler released Australia's first locally assembled Valiant, the RV1 (R-series). It was officially unveiled by South Australia's Premier, Sir Thomas Playford, in January 1962 and was assembled at Chrysler's Mile End facility.Motor Manual, September 1984, page 74
The RV1 (or R Series) Valiant became successful quickly. Not all considered the styling good, but the general consensus was that the car had a modern quality reminiscent of the space age to it.
Also notable was the Valiant's performance with from the 225 Slant-6 engine. This was a lot of power compared to the competing Holdens and Fords, which offered only and SAE respectively.
Standard transmission in the RV1 was a floor-shifted three-speed manual with a non-synchro first gear. A button-operated three-speed TorqueFlite automatic was optional.Elisabeth Tuckey and Ewan Kennedy, R Series Valiant brochure, Chrysler Valiant, 1996, page 13 Other options included a heater-demister unit, as well as a "Moparmatic" deluxe pushbutton transistor radio.
The RV1 Valiant was the first Australian car to come with an alternator instead of a generator, and instead of coil springs, the Valiant came with torsion bar suspension. Brakes were hydraulic 9" drums front and rear. The RV1 had a simulated spare wheel outline on the bootlid, but the spare wheel was actually under the floor of the boot.
The base model was sold for £1299.
SV1 (S Series)
In March 1962, Chrysler replaced the American 1961-model R Valiant with the American 1962 SV1 (S Series) Valiant. The SV1 used the same body shell as the RV1, with cosmetic changes including the deletion of the simulated spare wheel on the bootlid, and round tail lamps replacing the R-model's cat-eye shaped ones. There was a revised radiator grille and new exterior trim.
Mechanical changes included relocation of the manual transmission shifter to the steering column, new ball joints, and a new gear-reduction starter motor.
10,009 SV1 Valiants were sold, of which 5,496 were automatics and 4,513 were manuals.
Second generation
AP5 Series
On 30 May 1963, Chrysler Australia produced the first fully Australian manufactured Valiant, the AP5. In February of that year,New plant built in record time, The Advertiser, Friday, 2 October 1964, p.20. Chrysler Australia had begun work on its new $36 million Tonsley Park facility in South Australia,Australian Motor Manual, October 1966, p.39. where it could boost annual production to 50 thousand cars. The new plant produced its first Valiants on 31 March 1964.
The AP5 ("AP" for Australian ProductionDavis, Tony: The Valiant Book ) was an entirely new design with only the four doors, windscreen, and front guards shared with its North American counterpart. Initial cars retained the left-hand-drive wiper pattern but this was soon changed to a RHD layout. The Slant-6 driveline was retained, but the AP5 was considerably more straightforward in styling than its R- and S-model antecedents. With high local content and specifications optimised for local conditions, this new Valiant strengthened the brand's position in the marketplace. A new upmarket Regal version was included in the range. In November 1963 an AP5 Safari station wagon was released. Total production of the AP5 range amounted to 49,440 vehicles.Tony Davis, Aussie Cars, 1987, page 88
AP6 Series
In March 1965, the AP5 was supplanted by the AP6. The body shell was the same, but there was a new grille on the theme of the 1964 North American Plymouth Barracuda, and there was new trim inside and out. The automatic transmission was no longer controlled by pushbuttons, but instead by a conventional shift lever. The AP6 also included other new features such as self-adjusting brakes and acrylic enamel paint, at the time the most advanced auto finish available. The AP6 model range included the Valiant Wayfarer, the first Valiant-based coupe utility to be built by Chrysler Australia.
The AP6 was the first Australian-built Valiant to be offered with a V8 engine – the LA V8, introduced in American Valiants in 1964, and released in Australia in August 1965. The engine developed and pushed the Valiant to a top speed of .
The V8 was only available as a model in its own right, the V8 Valiant, which had a vinyl-covered roof, individual bucket seats, floor console mounted automatic shift lever and two-tone steering wheel.
The Slant-6s camshaft was also slightly upgraded for improved torque by dint of increased duration and lift.
Chrysler Australia had difficulty meeting demand, with the Valiant being built at Tonsley Park at a maximum rate of 200 cars per eight-hour shift. Customers had to wait up to four months for delivery of a new AP6. Prices ran from $2,500 to $3,650.
VC Series
The VC Valiant was introduced in March 1966 and, although underneath it was basically the same car as the preceding AP6 Series, the body was extensively restyled giving the illusion of being longer and lower.
The modern new design was highlighted by sharp, squared-off edges and corners clearly influenced by Chrysler in the United States. The front now had a full-width horizontal grille while the rear was also much squarer with vertical taillights.
The range of models again consisted of the Valiant standard or Regal sedan, standard or Safari Regal wagon and Wayfarer utility. They featured higher standard equipment levels as well as new safety features, such as optional disc brakes on V8 models, which were named 'Valiant V8/Safari V8' and were essentially Regal models.
The VC Series was built both for its major market, Australia, but also for export to the United Kingdom, as announced at the October 1966 London Motor Show, based on the following range of uniquely named models (brackets indicate the equivalent Australian nameplate):
Medium Saloon (Valiant equivalent) Medium Safari Estate Car (Valiant Safari wagon equivalent) Regal Highline Saloon Automatic (Valiant Regal equivalent) Regal Highline Safari (Valiant Safari Regal wagon equivalent) Premium V8 Saloon (Valiant V8 equivalent) Premium Safari Estate Car (Valiant Safari V8 wagon equivalent)
In total, Chrysler Australia built 65,634 VC Series models.
Third generation
VE Series
This Valiant was an all-new design introduced in October 1967, based on the North American platform, which had a wheelbase. The bonnet and guards were shared with the also-new 1967 North American Dodge Dart, with other styling cues otherwise inherited from the North American Valiant. The car featured slightly larger body dimensions and greater interior space than the preceding VC Series. The roofline was also flattened out and the rear window was given a concave profile.
Higher levels of standard equipment were featured and two engine options became available. The basic Slant-6 was retained with its rating, but a new 2-barrel carbureted version was released with output of . The 273 V8 was also improved and made available across the entire Valiant range.
Other upgrades included the introduction of a larger fuel tank, shorter gear lever throw on the manual gearbox, relocation of the dipswitch from under the brake pedal to the high left of the firewall, and the windscreen wiper motor was relocated to the engine side of the firewall – greatly reducing wiper noise. All models benefited from additional safety features (some compulsory under new Australian Design Rules, or ADRs) such as dual circuit brakes with a tandem master cylinder, double sided safety rims, front seat belts and front power disc brakes on V8 models.
The VE range consisted of Valiant & Valiant Regal sedans, Valiant Safari & Valiant Regal Safari station wagons and Valiant, Valiant Wayfarer & Dodge utilities, the latter being a lower-priced version of the Valiant utility. The flagship model followed on from the AP6 and VC V8 theme, being similarly equipped with bucket seats, floor shift automatic, and vinyl roof all standard, but was given the new name "VIP" to distinguish it from other models, since the V8 engine option was made available across the range. It also shared the 3 'sergeant stripes' of the VC V8 on the rear quarter panel.
The biggest accolade for the VE Valiant was Wheels "Car of the Year" in 1967 – the first for Chrysler Australia.Road Test – Valiant VE (Wheels Car of the Year 1967) in Wheels magazine
68,688 VE Valiants were built.Valiant VE Technical Specifications Retrieved from www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au on 22 February 2011
VF Series
In March 1969, the VE was replaced by the VF model. The new car shared its middle section with the previous VE Valiant, but there was new front and rear styling. The new front end featured a horizontally convex grille, replacing the VE's concave design. The front indicators were placed at the top leading edge of the front guards rather than in a more conventional location in the grille or front bumper. This allowed the VF's front bumper to be thinner and less prominent, which made the single round headlights look larger, and the front end appeared more aggressive as a result.
Valiant and Valiant Regal models were once again available, and the VF range also saw the introduction of the Valiant Regal 770 and an upgraded VIP model. The VF VIP was introduced two months after the Valiant range and was no longer a Valiant V.I.P. but was now marketed as a Chrysler VIP, in sedan form only. It offered a stretched () wheelbase, with longer rear doors than the Valiant. As with previous model changes, the VF boasted even more safety features including a padded instrument panel and energy absorbing steering column.
A larger version of the LA V8 replaced the 273, taking the V8's top speed to . Transmission options remained the same: three-speed manual or three-speed TorqueFlite automatic.