The Holden HQ Kingswood was one of the many assortments of full-sized automobiles that were assembled by General Motors – Holden’s in Australia. The company had a good run in it’s more than two decades in the automobile manufacturing industry. It closed its doors in 1984, yet several of the Holden vehicles have been considered as timeless classics. Coming out in the 15^th of July in 1971, the HQ was the first of the second generation Holden automobiles that were manufactured based on an entirely new design. The series came in various models such as the sedan, the truck, the van, the coupe, the De Ville, the wagon and the utility vehicle. It was also the brand’s most popular car ever, selling a grand total of 485, 650 units and almost all Australian households had one in its garage at one time or another. However, some have said that this might actually be because this series was sold in a longer timeframe than all the others. The fact is that this series was thoroughly re- engineered models from the time the original Holden series was first introduced.

Unlike the previous Holden vehicles, the HQ had a larger six – cylinder engine (173 and 202 cubic inches/ 2.84 and 3.3 L). Another available engine option from the earlier HQ models was the 253 and 308 cubic inch V8 engines (4.2 and 5.0 L). The car’s transmissions were 3 and 4 speed manuals, 3-speed Trimatic or 3-speed Turbohydro 400 for the 350 V8 models. The HQ also features a unibody construction, a perimeter frame as well as a coil spring rear suspension; the first of the full-sized Holden automobiles to have the latter. The Holden HQ boasted of a “jet – smooth ride” since George Roberts, the Holden’s Managing Director, had been adamant about it and that the car’s front suspensions should be engineered to under steer for safety purposes. The Holden HQ Kingswood had all these and was also able to run from zero to a hundred km/h in 13.1 seconds for the 202 and 9.3 seconds for the 350 auto.

Over a span of four years, the company released several special edition versions of HQ models, such as the “Vacationer” sedan and wagon in 1973 and the Sandman, an adaptation of the panel van that featured additional elements. These elements included sports instrumentation, sports steering wheel, bucket seats and rally road wheels. Several changes were made to the newer models in the series. For instance, the stretched Statesman De Ville was twenty six inches longer than the typical HQ sedan, which meant more leg room. Models were also available in 2 and 4 doors, depending on the style.

The cars are easy enough to improve or tune up as the sport of Holden HQ racing reached an all time high. In fact, the series was incredibly easy to modify and customize into a street machine, with car aficionados saying that the best option for motor transplantation for the Holden HQ is the diesel motor of the Nissan LD28.