Did you read it on Facebook?

Remember most HJ retained the body styling from HQ. Only sedan changed. Wagon, coupe, ute and van retained the HQ rear. Statesman did too but changed slightly, yet retained the quarter shape. Wagon rear wheel arches changed a bit.

The timing goes something like this:

HQ was meant to replace HT in 1970. HQ was originally a HK facelift. Got scrapped and replaced by a partially finished North American design which GMH completed including the creation of the sedan out of the coupe (Statesman was the original sedan). The delay caused by this caused the delay of HQ and required the HG to be made.
HQ was meant to be replaced by HV (or HU) in 1972, then the WA after that. However due to lots of factors HQ got a big revamp for 1972 (not called it but essentially a Series II) and the HJ was made as the update..

HJ coupe bodies are not left over HQ. Sheet metal was only pressed to the production schedule. What appears to have happened though is GMH decided that HJ coupe was to be the end of the Holden coupe, and they pressed out what sheetmetal was required for predicted HJ coupe production and then retired the dies to free up press capacity for other steelwork, probably LH Torana. HJ coupe wasn’t selling too well so they slowed down scheduled build and decided to give the Holden coupe a farewell with the HJ LE to hand over the 2 door reigns to the LX hatchback. It looks like Pagewood put the remaining panel sets together into bodies in white late in 1975 around the similar timeframe the HJ GTS coupe was made into the HJ LE concept. However as the LE was so different to any other Holden it was delayed, there was push back from production managers like Lloyd Beck. It got delayed into HX so the bodies had to be modified into HX.

Edited by user Friday, 30 July 2021 3:59:47 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

HV was in design before HQ release, HJ had a lot of HV. When I get time I’ll put up images of some HV elements in the deism studio. In them you can see completed LH and I think HJ seating bucks and on the tables are the dash fascias for the HQ update -clearly a fascia for a HQ steel dash but with HJ GTS gauge layout.

Inflation was rife in the early to mid 70’s, oil as you say plus the big uncertainty with Labor in Federal government. Plus GMH were losing market share big time and money. The new XA Falcon was a decent competitor to the HQ unlike the outdated XY it replaced, plus to rub salt into the wound the XA was very much what the cancelled HK based HQ looked like. For the first time since release of the 81837 it was slower than Ford’s GT.

Edited by user Friday, 30 July 2021 5:56:17 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I remember that one with the Charger and Peter Wherett I thought he was pissing into the wind somewhat. he was not into driving V8's as such, it was just not his bag truly, he was a lover of 6 cyl and 4cyl things and I know plenty who are like that, the big 308 and 351 were way to much of a handful for them as such scared them. so he comes across as likable to many, but then again he is talking from the average persons perspective over all in such testings.

I would of like one who could show how to improve such cars from stock with just a bit more money spent can make even the family shopping trolley 202 Kingswood a much better driving car. as it was a shit box in standard form and to inform people do not buy a 202 auto, who buys such a Falcon 200 auto ? or a 215 auto VH valiant, their fuel economy was shit. and a up grade to a 250 or a 245 or 253 makes for a worthy car that no one could bag as a family car. or jump behind the wheel and not think for f sake this is crap.

Back in the days the tyres were total shit but if you drive a HQ 308 or 350 or GT Falcon or V8 Charger, just remember your tyre pressures can make more of a difference than you may expect and then go on about tyre types tested on a big car point out what ones are best in the dry or wet.

I think back then tyres for the wet were not for high speed wet driving but one thing you had to do if you drove such things real hard like I did was to toss your tyres when they were half tread, I traded them in, as the rubber compounds back in the days got hard at about that point and did not hang on half as good.