It's funny that you refer to the 1973/4 HQ as "series 2". Although it is technically wrong, it is basically what happened. GMH were in turmoil with inflation, oil "crisis" on the horizon, Federal Government in a bit of turmoil (which saw Labor take power in 1973) and other factors. This all seeing plans for WA scrapped, TA filling a gap until Gemini ready, the HQ update cancelled (HV or HU depending upon who you talk to, later becoming the HJ) and on top of this the totally new LH Torana in development. So the HQ was given a decent update and plodded along until HJ was finally released.

Not sure about the 202 badge, I remember seeing them but I always walked past anything at the wreckers with 4 or 6 cylinders in the 80's and concentrated on V8, Monaro, Statesman etc. I have probably 1000 badges in my shed taken off wrecks in the 80's, I don't think there is a 6cyl badge amongst them, maybe a 186S. If someone invents a machine that can look through my eyes in those days I could easily help!

I think head rests came early, like in late ‘71 or early ‘72. But one big ticket item in that “series” change timeframe was retractable seat belts in passenger vehicles (commercials didn’t see it until 1975). Hence the change in HQ consoles as there was no need to store buckles anymore.

Agree Terry as per my prior post. It probably should have been called a HQ extension or similar.
It is quite funny in retrospect, that GMH decided it was important to update the HT to HG as it was not desirable to continue HT long enough to meet the delay to the replacement North American design HQ. Yet only a few years later the HQ continued well past the planned HV/HU with only minor visual updates when compared to the HT-HG update which was pretty minor itself when compared to say HD-HR or HK-HT.

There were lots of paint and trim changes during HQ, there is at least 3 generations of trim codes from memory with 1x, 2x, 3x codes. There was (again from memory) at least 3 x different sets of paint colours plus the bulk of HJ colours on late HQ. Might be more, haven’t looked at paint charts for a long time.

ADR27 gear started around August 1973 and was basically on all engines by October 1973 (this is why GMH pushed through those last 150 XU1 in September as that car would not have complied), but ADR27 got pushed back at the request of Ford and Chrysler and it doesn’t officially apply until about 4/74.

I could write a whole book on it, there is so much evidence that the HQ didn’t originate here. Too much to explain without an hour to spare. The evidence is overwhelming though.

When I get time I’ll post up some stuff to think about in a separate thread. Read that article on the Shannon’s site and have a think about what the HQ is compared to the Holdens prior to it. Look at the timing claimed in that article for the images and when HQ’s were first made (not released but made). I’ll fill in the blanks later. Forget what you’ve been told and think hard about it.

My father had a 73 202 Kingswood (can't say what month) in NZ, metric speedo and definately black 202 boot badge.

Those are ADR revisions Warren but a point well made. They aren’t deliberate mid series updates though. We all know though that GMH revamped HQ after there was no ready replacement after HV cancellation amongst other factors. WB also had A, B, C, D and EWB. LX had A, B , C and DLX.