My curiosity started with deciding to spend Christmas monies on a 1:18 scale HR Premier sedan diecast model car, and then to make a choice between one of three versions manufactured by Classic Carlectables or one of four versions manufactured by Biante Model Cars.

Classics have replicated the HR Premier in standard 186 form and in the colours of Landale Gold, Sea Mist Jade, and Silver Mink ... Biante's HRs are in 186S form and in the colours of Grecian White, Warrigal Black, Tennyson Turquoise, and Satin Silver.

I've located on the internet a 1966 Holden colour reference chart that lists available Premier paint colours as follows :

Grecian White
Warrigal Black
Landale Gold
Pyrenees Blue
Regal Maroon
Satin Silver
Sea Mist Jade

A 1966 Holden sales brochure indicates Premier interior trim was available in only four colours :

Samoan Tan
Bone
Astoria Red
Black

I favour buying one of Biante's HR model cars, but to be accurate the model should reference a body colour that was available in mid-late 1967, being the period during which the 186S engine option was first released ... is it safe to assume that Tennyson Turquoise is a valid colour for this period ? ... I have my doubts about Satin Silver, which perhaps was replaced by Silver Mink in 1967.

Any help with a 1967 Holden paint colour chart would be most welcome ... perhaps there was a total review of Holden paint colours in or about May 1967, around the same time of the introduction of the HB Torana ?

I'm also curious about HR Premier trim colours for 1967, as I've seen a few cars with blue interiors which obviously doesn't reflect the details contained in the 1966 sales brochure.

And, just for good measure, can anybody confirm the actual 1967 release dates for both the 186S engine option and the 4-speed manual transmission option ... and, am I right to assume you could have this engine in any combination of vehicle and transmission, but the 4-speed itself was only available with the 186S engine option ?

Thanks fellas, and all the best to you for 2017 !

Thank you very much, Dr T.

Regarding the three additional Premier trim colours, were these introduced prior to the paint changes in July 1967 ? ... regardless of introduction date, I'm assuming thereafter there became a choice of seven Morokide vinyl colours and find it interesting that two shades of red were available ... is there much difference between Astoria Red and Goya Red ? ... for that matter, what about Bone versus Honey Fawn ?

Were any of these paint / trim colours duplicated on the 1967 HB Torana SL sedan which had only just come into production a month or two prior ?

And, as for the factory 4-speed manual option for the HR series, have you (or other forum member) ever seen this gearbox mounted behind a 161 or 186 powered vehicle ? ... it was indicated to be a $85.00 option and to my knowledge did not require additional cost options, such as bucket seats or a floor console.

Cheers.

Yes, I have seen plenty of Opel 4-speed gearboxes behind regular 186 engines.

Dr Terry