Chrysler Valiants, Valiant Chargers, Valiant Pacers,
and other cars of Chrysler Australia

Hey Charger! the book (Alternate Source) | Reviews of Australian Valiants | Hear Graham Pratt's 265 Hemi

The Valiant made a place for itself in Australian motoring history, due to the heroic efforts of Chrysler Australia's engineers. Their engines and unique models, the Charger, Utility, Pacer, and Drifter, made the Valiant unique and truly Australian. Though Chrysler mismanaged its way out of Australia, the Valiant remains a presence, and its racing record in New Zealand is unparalleled.

The Australian Hemi did not need eight cylinders to get muscle-car acceleration. With its six hemispherical-head cylinders fed by triple Weber carbs, the Hemi Six easily outdistanced even Chrysler's own 340 and 360 V-8s. Powered by this straight six, the Valiant Charger was until very recently the fast accelerating production car made in Australia -- and it came out in 1972. As Leo Geoghegan wrote (in Hey Charger!), what a sweet powerhouse the E38 R/T turned out to be.”

In 1972, Modern Motor tested the 265 cid E38 Charger and achieved a 14.8 second quarter mile time, with 0-60 mph coming up in a mere 6.3 seconds. 0-100 took 17.2 seconds. By comparison, the Ford Falcon GT, powered by a big 351 cid V8, took 15.1 seconds in the quarter mile, 7.7 seconds in the 0-60, and 19.2 seconds in the 0-100 — making it considerably slower than the similarly sized Charger with its “mere” straight-six. The Holden Monaro GTS, powered by the inevitable GM 35o V8, was far slower: 9.3 seconds 0-60 (around the same as a base PT Cruiser), 15.3 seconds in the quarter mile, and a full 24.6 seconds 0-100.

Why did Chrysler not realize what they had, especially after the 1973 fuel crisis, when many Americans would have loved a hot six? Why did they even let their Australia division disappear? Why did they let some of their top talent go to Mitsubishi?

This is the story of how it happened.

American Valiants: Q, R, and S - 1960-62

The Valiant was not the first Chrysler vehicle to hit the shores of Australia; as far back as the 1920s, they were imported, with Chrysler-Dodge-DeSoto Distributors (Australia) being formed in 1935 by various sales agents who brought those brands along with Plymouths to Australia. That firm also bought body-builder T.J. Richards, which built Chrysler bodies locally; they made Australia’s first all-steel sedan body in 1937 (for more, see Allpar’s Australian cars section).

In 1951, Chrysler bought a controlling interest in the company and renamed it Chrysler Australia Ltd., with the goal of making a full range of vehicles with 90% local content. They started assembling American-designed cars, including the Royal and Phoenix; starting in 1958 they also imported and built Simcas.

The Royal and Phoenix were similar to the American versions, very tough and durable (and popular as taxis), but with straight-six L-head engines that produced just 115 hp. These powerplants were hard pressed to move the heavy body-on-frame cars.

The first Valiant to hit Australia was the Q: a single Q was imported in 1960 for evaluation, but after it was sold it was wrapped around a tree. The main problem with the Q was the difficulty in converting the American version to right-hand drive, because the slant of the engine prohibited a simple gearbox move (see engineering). Otherwise, the Valiant seemed like a natural for Australia: it was highly competitive in the U.S., and more appropriately sized for local tastes and fuel prices.

In January 1962, after the Plymouth Valiant turned out to be a success in the United States (starting with its 1959 introduction), Chrysler created the R, a locally-assembled (from mainly American components) version; the main reason for importing the R series was time, to bring a thousand Valiants to market as quickly as possible. The R had a single engine, the 225 (3.7 liter) slant six, which put out about twice the horsepower (145 vs 75) as the popular Holden, and either a push-button Torqueflite automatic or a three-on-the-floor. This family sedan had a quarter mile time of 19.5 seconds and a top speed of 145 km/h, and cost just 10% more than the much slower Holden. The vehicle was essentially an American Valiant, with styling that was to influence the 2005 Chrysler 300, but Chrysler chose to blow away its main competitors by ignoring the American base engine (the 101 hp 170 cid slant six) and using the optional “big six.”

1,009 R series Valiants were made.

The S series took over one or two months later, and featured a larger gas tank, better braking, lower maintenance, and a three on the column manual transmission replacing the apparently balky console shift (the pushbutton automatic continued). 10,009 S Series were made, with local assembly from largely American components. Cosmetic differences included a finer mesh grille, neater tail lights beneath the fin, and a Valiant logo replacing the dummy spare.

Demand for the new car was high; while a little more expensive than comparable Holden or Falcon models, it was bigger, more powerful, and a better overall performer. As a result of its success, Chrysler decided to expand local production to 50,000 units per year, with higher local content, at a cost of $36 million (which would later become $72 million).

Wheels tested the R&S series (with standard 3.7 liter slant six) and found it did 0-50 in 9.5 seconds, the quarter mile in 19.3 seconds.

If you are interested in the Q, R, and S Valiants, you may want to visit the American-oriented parts of this site - see our home page for many, many details. The R and S Valiant club caters for these early models.

Australian Production (AP5 and AP6)

The AP5 (Australian Production 5) took over later, in 1963, with a more conventional look, a clean front end, and a serious investment in Tonsley Park. There was also a Regal version, adding some luxury. The AP5 was based on the equivalent American model but had a different body, with a six-bar grille having single lights at each end, a squarer trunk, and cleaner lines. The interior had higher quality upholstery in keeping with the car’s more upscale status in Australia.

As with past and future Valiants, the AP5 boasted a torsion-bar front suspension that prevented “nose dive” during braking, and combined cornering with ride quality. The rear suspension had a U.S.-conventional leaf spring setup. Wheels had double-sided safety rims; the self-adjusting brakes had twin servos and a total 154 square inches of effective area.

The AP5 (Australian Production 5) was much more Australian than the R and S Valiants, hence the Australian Production (AP) name. They shared general body designs with the 1963-1966 American Valiants, but had a slightly different roofline and grille and trim differences. The R and S were four door sedans, with 225 (3.7 litre) Slant Six engines and Carter carbs; the AP5 had a Holley 1920, but they switched back to the Carter with the AP6 due to problems with surge and low mileage. All Valiants had automatic chokes.

After the AP5 sedan was released they released a wagon and a V-8 (273 ci) engine. Chrysler couldn't build enough AP5s to meet demand; total sales were 49,440 in 22 months.

Australian Valiants from about the AP5 on used electrical components from non-Chrysler sources, notably Bosch and Prestolite. (Mike Sealey) The Australian-built vehicles were also sold in New Zealand and South Africa.

In March 1965, the AP6 was introduced; essentially, it was a facelift, with a three section grille and new rear end, and a superior paint (“Diamonite” acrylic lacquer). The TorqueFlite was now column-shifted. The speed advantage was evaporating, as the car became heavier and the competitors became stronger. Then the American 273 V-8 was introduced in the AP6 Regal body. It had a premium price, a top speed of 107 mph, and a 17 second quarter mile time. Its performance dominated the market, even with the smooth, reliable TorqueFlite.

Responding to Ford's optional V-8s, Chrysler introduced a 160 bhp version of the slant six as a $60 option on all Valiants. Later, they also made the V-8 an option ($210) at all price levels, though disc brakes were now required (in a page from Ford's book). Prices now ran from $2500 to $3650.

The Valiant Utility ("ute") is now rare as there were only 2000 built, and many were used by farmers and as work vehicles. The utes came with a slant 6 engine out of the factory. (Thanks, Louise Cleary).

Also in 1965, Chrysler took over Rootes Australia, including the plants in Melbourne.

The Valiant VC (AP7)

The AP6 was superseded by the VC series in 1966 (the VC was apparently dubbed AP7, internally). The VC model shared the same doors and structure as the AP6, but the Australian designers cleverly added a new nose and tail to give the impression of a much longer car. The slant six still pumped out 145 hp at 4,000 rpm (215 lb-ft of torque at 2,400 rpm), with the 273 pushing out 180 hp (260 lb-ft); the three-speed manual transmission was now fully synchronized in every forward gear. The alternator, still a relatively new innovation, was standard.

The VC brought two new models: the first long wheelbase option, and the Safari wagon. The wagon boasted 105 inches of space from the tailgate to the back of the front seats (84 inches with the tailgate closed), with the same wheelbase and less than one inch of extra total length. The rear seats had a one-step fold-down operation; the rear window wound down into the tailgate, and if it was all the way up, the gate could not be opened from the inside (to prevent children from opening it). The roof had full length drip gutters, including one over the tailgate.

A 1966 Wheels article noted that Valiants had a high resale value and 12% of the new-car market. “From the beginning it set a new standard in performance...it has a very enviable record for faithful service.” They considered Valiant to be “a biggish car,” and noted that the standard American 170 cid engine and 13 inch wheels were replaced by a 225 cid engine and 14 inch wheels in Australia, and wrote that the average driver with an automatic would get around 21 mpg. “The Chrysler Torqueflite transmission is one of the smoothest and trouble-free units in the world, even when compared to Mercedes Benz and Rolls Royce.”

The Regal continued from the AP5, and was combined with the Safari to create the Regal Safari. Regal continued to be a high-trim version of the regular Valiant, with upgraded seats and more standard features — including standard floor carpeting, front and center armrests (just front for Safari), heater and defroster, day/night rearview mirror, dome-light switches on all doors, a trunk light, carpeted kick-pads on the doors, door-sill step plates, whitewalls, dual horn, and, on Safari, rear deflectors.

All Valiants came with electric windshield wipers, a windshield washer (foot operated), dual sun visors with a visor vanity mirror, armrests on all doors, coat hooks, cigar lighter, front-door operated dome light, turn signals and reverse lights, and seat belt anchorage points for the optional seat belts.

The magazine suggested that the greatest wear areas were brakes, tires, and suspensions; the standard shocks needed replacement by local units within as little as 6,000 miles, though the torsion bars were apparently more than rugged enough. Brakes were seen as adequate around town but insufficient for multiple high speed stops, with wear distance between 9,000 and 32,000 miles on the pads. The clutch was apparently heavy and not strongly attached given the switch to right hand drive. The short life of the points was also criticized, though that would eventually be resolved with elecronic ignition.

In 1967, Chrysler opened a new engine plant in Lonsdale, and hit third place in national sales with over 13% market share — similar to its position in the United States. By this time, an average of 95% of each car was locally produced. Chrysler Australia was exporting to South Africa and other countries, becoming the second largest vehicle exporter in the nation.

(1967 specs in inches)	Sedans	Safari			All VC Valiants
Wheelbase	106	106		Turning circle	37.1 feet
Length	188	189		Rear axle ratio	3.23:1
Width	69	69		Torqueflite gearing	2.45, 1.45, 1.0:1; R, 2.2:1
Height	55	55		Manual trans. gearing	2.95, 1.83, 1.0:1; R, 3.8:1
Trunk space (cu. ft.)	26.5			Wheels	6.45-6.96” x 14”, steel

Valiant VE: Car of the Year

The VE models, which appeared in 1967 and were sold through 1968, were based on the new American 1967 A body but combined Plymouth Valiant midsections with a Dodge Dart-like front design. Again, the sedans had a uniquely Australian roofline (the roof's trailing edge overhanging a complex-curved concave rear screen slightly reminiscent of contemporary Triumph sedans).

Rear end design was, as in the VC design, totally Australian. The new VE was more squarish in shape than the past Valiants, and between the more conventional styling and two-inch longer wheelbase (to 108”) had greater interior space.

The existing 225 slant six continued with 145 bhp (109 kW), but a new 160 hp (120 kW) version with a two-barrel carburetor, revised camshaft, and upgraded exhaust was now available as well. The 273 V8 also gained some upgrades. A larger gas tank (14 gallons, or 64 liters) was added, the transmission given a shorter gear lever throw, and the windshield wiper motor was moved to the engine side of the firewall to cut noise. Dual line brakes and front lap belts were made standard across the line for safety; front power discs were made standard with the V8.

The VIP began with the VE to fill the extended wheelbase luxury sedan market; the name derived from an upmarket full-size American Plymouth introduced to compete with the LTD and Caprice in the mid-1960s. The wheelbase was initially unchanged (108") but was later extended to 112" and the styling made more distinctive (quad headlights, standard vinyl roof, frenched rear screen).

Overall, the VE was a critical and sales success; it was given Wheels’ Car of the Year award, and sold 68,688 units during its run.

The VF brings the 318 and Pacer

The VF was introduced in March 1969. The VE middle section continued, but with new front and rear styling — a trick also used in the United States. The VE’s concave grille gave way to a horizontally convex design; turn signals were moved out of the bumper, allowing it to be thinner and giving room for bigger headlights.

Standard and Regal models continued, while a new Regal 770 was slotted in just under the VIP model, which had upgrades to move upwards. The padded instrument panel was now joined by an energy absorbing steering column.

The 273 was replaced by its close relative, the 318, increasing power to 150 net horsepower (230 gross hp). The VF's heavier bulk countered the increased power, and the VF ended up being only a little faster with the 318.

A new hardtop coupe used the Valiant front end on the US Dodge Dart body (it used the latter's longer 111" wheelbase and had the just detectable kinked body crease at the hipline). This car was the longest two-door ever made in Australia; it had the same front clip as the VF Valiants; and the standard engine was a retuned slant six that boasted 160 hp (rather than 145 hp). The coupe was just the beginning, though.

In mid-1969, Chrysler brought out the sporty Valiant Pacer, powered by a high-performance slant six, beefed up suspension, floor-mounted four-speed, snarly exhaust, and built-in tachometer. The slant six put out about 170-180 hp, and the quarter mile was about 17.8 seconds.

The Pacer had the higher performance slant six coupled to a manual transmission; it used a red and black grille with special body stripes, decals, colors, and faux alloy wheels to establish itself as a sporty car. Following the formula of the American Road Runner, the interior had sports features but conserved on comfort items, with high-back bucket seats and black-on-white gauges and an “afterthought” tachometer. The Pacer was considerably less than its competitors, but had a high top speed, a 125-mm lowered suspension, standard front sway bar, and optional Sure-Grip differential; standard brakes were drums, with optional front discs. The Pacer was lauded by the critics, with Modern Motor doing 0-60 mph in 10.4 seconds, with a 17.5 second quarter mile at 106 mph — while getting 23 mpg (Imperial gallons).

The new car helped bring an all-time Valiant record year, with 42,654 sold (around 2/3 of Chrysler’s sales) and a stunning $7 million net profit; the Pacer grabbed 11% of all Valiant sales and much of its attention. Chrysler market share in Australia topped its share in the U.S., at 13.7%. Overall, 52,944 VF Valiants were sold.

VG series and the Chrysler by Chrysler

The VG series brought new power and minor cosmetic changes in 1970. Work on the powerful 245 Hemi engine for Australia had started in 1966, with surprisingly good results. The engine, produced in 215, 245, and 265 cubic inch versions, took amazingly well to increased carburetion. Equipped with that six, the VG could run the quarter mile in 16.4 seconds; the Pacer, with a four-barrel carb, could do it in under 16. Sales were slow, probably due to the conservative body; the performance was beyond much of the competition, and the Six-Pack was still in the future.

The Hemi Six Packs: Just Six Cylinders
Code	Horsepower (gross)	Torque (lb-ft)	Quarter Mile	0-60 mph
E37/E48	248 @ 4,800	305 @ 3,400
E38	280 @ 5,000	310 @ 3,700	14.8 seconds	6.3 sec
E49	302@5,600	320 @ 4,100	14.4 seconds	6.1 sec

About [200] VG hardtops came with the buttress-like sail panel extensions shown in the South American Charger article; possibly it was an idea someone had and adopted for both markets? These were known as "Mexicanas" in Australia; maybe it was thought that we wouldn't understand anything relating to below Latin America (as in say, "Brazilia")! - BT (Clare Richards' is a 1970 VG, It's a 1970 VG, auto, V8 (318). It has the Regal 770 dash. 2-door, pillarless.)

Australian Hemi Six Engines Page

The long wheelbase models in the VH, VJ, and VK series were known as CH, CJ, and CK. These long wheelbase models were known as the "Chrysler by Chrysler" and were loaded up with luxury items unseen in Australian made cars. They were available as four door sedans, or as a 2 door hardtop (with an enormous boot/trunk), and as they resembled elongated Valiants they still have a strange curiosity value today. They were introduced as a replacement for Chrysler Australia's previous "top-of-the-range" offering, the Dodge Phoenix, which was imported to Australia as a CKD (Complete Knock Down) kit, and assembled in Australia (using a variety of Australian Valiant parts, eg door handles, etc). The "Chrysler by Chrysler" range tended to be fitted out with power seats and windows imported from the USA.

Chrysler chose to introduce a Mitsubishi Galant with a Valiant badge in 1971; it sold well compared with the Simca and Rootes/Hillman cars.

VH: Chrysler Australia’s locally engineered Valiant, and the Valiant Charger

The new VH was introduced in 1971, the product of joint engineering in the United States and Australia; all interior design was done in Australia. The VH would be exported to other countries, including South Africa.

Though only slightly longer than the VG, the VH was five inches wider and designed to look even larger; while it had a 111 inch wheelbase, it was almost as large as the American B-bodies. A mix of the Valiant and American B-body Plymouths (Belvidere / Road Runner), but with smaller dimensions, it was larger than the older Valiants, which were already considered to be large cars. With this change, the Valiant solidifed its reputation as a staid family sedan. Chrysler Australia managing director David Brown would quickly move to address that reputational shift.

While past Valiants had been modified for Australian manufacture, the Australian Valiant was created by and for Australians, albeit with a basic design from Highland Park. Engineering the new lineup cost $22 million. Mike Stacey told Hey Charger writer Gavin Farmer that it was “virtually an 111 inch wheelbase American B body,” while Burton Bouwkamp told us that it was an enlarged A-body incorporating B-body designs. Styling was handled by Australians Brian Smyth (stylist), Bill Chinnick (modeller), Dean Bond (engineer), and Tom Campbell (tooling expert), working with a team of Detroiters headed by Bob Hubbach. Chrysler Australia produced all the tooling in-house.

The 1971 Valiant VH had three engines: the 215, 245, and 265. The 265, a bored out 245, used the same pistons as the 318 to save money; the 215 was meant for economy. The trio were dubbed Hemis, though they lacked some attributes of a “true” Hemi.

There were numerous body types to choose from — long-wheelbase two and four door sedans (CH) and two-door hardtop, standard-wheelbase four door sedan, short and long wheelbase wagons and utilities. And, to add to the Pacer 265’s impact, a short-wheelbase two door performance version.

The VH Pacer had a higher performance 265, and it set a record for being the fastest mass-produced four-door sedan with a six cylinder engine produced in Australia (the record was indisputed until 1988). The key to its success, other than a well-designed and well-made engine, was the addition of triple Weber side-draft carburetors, tuned by Weber and Chrysler engineers in Italy.

“...brilliantly blends straight-line performance with safe, well-mannered handling.” — Australian Motor Manual

David Brown’s method for telling the Valiant’s performance story was a new model, the Charger. The Pacer had more than enough performance, but it was not making the desired impression. Brown, in a story detailed by Gavin Farmer in Hey Charger!, discussed the problem with chief engineer Walt McPherson; the idea of the Charger came from that. Managing Director David Brown reportedly took $2 million out of the overall $22 million Valiant reengineering budget to create the Charger in great secrecy, knowing that the Pacer would not be enough.

Brown asked Brian Smyth to come up with a short-wheelbase version of the VH, and days later had a promising set of initial drawings. A prototype Valiant was soon delivered to the styling studios, and Smyth and Chinnick did half the car in clay, using a mirror to create the impression of the full car. By mid-December 1969, a group from Chrysler International was meeting with the Australian team to take the concept forward, building a low cost sports coupe; Hubbach and colleage Len Klemek were chosen to work on it in Australia.

Possible names for the Charger included Racer (a play on Pacer), Challenger, and Rebel. These, like the idea of using the full VH hardtop roof, were abandoned. A new roof pressing led to the die-cast louvred panel behind the side windows: the panel hid the roof to quarter panel join, saving considerable labor and cost. (The idea was to make the panels functional, but this was not done.) A flat rear window was used, also saving money. The deck lid was adapted from the VH sedan: instead of pressing the full part, they just pressed the forward part. Numerous other ingenious workarounds and solutions were developed, saving precious engineering and tooling funds, and cutting the cost of the car.

The Charger was built on a shorter wheelbase, with a clean, sporty look; it was 130 kg lighter than any Valiant sedan, but it still had room for five. A hatchback was engineered and a prototype made, but it was never produced.

A $2800 base model led to high production runs, lowering the cost of the sportier models. The stock Charger XL came with a 245 six-pack; the base Charger came with a 215. The R/T came with a 265 Hemi. Finally, the Charger 770 added some luxury touches, and had either the stock 265 or a smoother 318 V-8. Torsion bar suspensions provided good handling.

The 1971 Charger was based on the Valiant VH, but was a short-wheelbase 2-door version. It could be equipped with a slant six, small V-8, or the "ordinary" 265 Hemi. The "ordinary" version had 203 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 rpm, making it competitive with V-8s. The high-performance version was reserved for the Pacer - for now.

The Charger R/T had a 3.23 differential rather than the 2.92 standard in other Chargers; six-inch rims; a front anti-roll bar; a tach; and an oil pressure gauge. Stock, it could run a 15.7 second quarter mile. Optional was the "six-pack" package, using three two-barrel Webers to put the 265 up to 248 hp (30 hp more than the standard R/T 265).

The final option was the E38 engine, with a higher compression ratio, different gear ratios, and 280 hp (gross) - about 80 hp more than the standard 265! This brought the quarter mile down to 14.8 seconds, with a single gear change. Zero to sixty (mph; about 100 km/h) was 6.3 seconds. Performance was about the same as Ford's 351 V-8 Falcon GTHO. Handling was "exceptional," possibly due to the light engine. Racer Leo Geoghegan noted that the Charger E49 R/T handled well on the track, straight off the assembly line, while most cars needed a great deal of tuning. Just 1,300 were made.

The 1972 E49 Charger was another significant move forward, and not just because it was the first to get a four-speed manual gearbox (from Borg-Warner). The E49 pushed the 265 engine to a full 302 hp, and had the quickest acceleration of any Australian production car - 14.4 seconds in the quarter mile, six seconds and change 0-60, respectable even when compared to American big-blocks or 1990s sport compacts.

Sports Car World tested the E49 and achived 0-60 mph in 6.1 seconds, and 0-100 in 14.1 seconds. They wrote, “It’s so fuss-free that your mother could puddle back and forwards ot the supermarket. Such is the incredible E49, a road-going racer and a damned good one at that. It’s exciting to the extreme...” [Thanks to Hey Charger! for these figures and excerpts.]

The 340 V-8 was Chrysler's last high-performance V-8 intended for cars. In the American Dusters, it was a match for many big-blocks, but was often underestimated in the US. It became a VH Charger option in late 1972; but it was used, like previous V-8s, mainly as a status feature. It was only available in the Charger 770 E55, a full-luxury version of the Charger. With an automatic, its performance was better than the manual XA GT Falcon. Zero to sixty (mph) was 7.2 seconds, and the quarter mile was an impressive 15.5; top speed was over 200 km/h. The camshaft was nonperformance (the same as that of the 318) and the exhaust was restrictive; it was capable of more, but that role was given to the 265 Hemi.

VJ and VK, CL and CM

The VJ and VK Chargers could be bought with the 318 or the 360, a bored-out version of the 318. The 360 ran the quarter mile in 16.2 seconds, the 318 in 16.7 seconds; 0-100 mph in was 25 seconds with the 360, 26 seconds with the 318).

The Valiant VJ spawned a new model, the Ranger.

In 1976 the CL Series of Valiants was launched; the long wheelbase Chrysler by Chrysler was dropped.

The CL series introduced the first Valiant "Panel Van" model, which it was claimed was the result of intense market research by Chrysler Australia (GM Holden and Ford had been offering panel van derivatives since the 1960s). No-one was suprised when this panel van turned out looking like a Utility with a roof.

In the CL series, sports versions of the Panel Van and Utility were offered during the panel van craze of the late 1970s (to compete with Holdens "Sandman" and Ford's "Sundowner") and these were known as the "Drifter" (a critic apparently claimed the name described the torsion bar/leaf spring handling).

Drifters were fitted with a Charger honeycomb grille, wide side stripes, blackout treatment around the side windows, and styled steel wheels, the panel vans have a huge black triangular plastic fitting behind the front door window that resembles an air vent but may not have any function. Drifters also were probably fitted with upgraded suspension, and any number of other options. Drifter Panel Vans are fairly common, but apparently less than ten Drifter Utilities were actually produced, and are now quite rare.

When the CL series Charger disappeared in 1978 — the same year the Sigma, made in the same plant, became the top-selling four-cylinder — the last sports model Valiant was the CM series Valiant GLX. The name "GLX" is still used by Mitsubishi Australia, who by 1978 were half owners of the Valiant factory (taking full ownership in October 1980), and Valiant under bonnet compliance plates were starting to have "Mitsubishi" printed on them, and referring to the "Chrysler" name as being used "under license from Chrysler America."

The GLX had substantially upgraded suspension, refered to as Radial Tuned Suspension. Allegedly, a Valiant was shipped to America to have the suspension tuned further, and it was returned with Chrysler stating that the Valiant had better handling than any large car they had produced. The GLX was also fitted with a 4 speed floor shift Borg Warner gearbox, and the Electronic Lean Burn (ELB) 4.3 Litre Hemi 6 cylinder; this combination was in the right hands able to achieve fuel economy of over 30 miles per gallon (Imp.). Nevertheless, customers after sports handling had left the Valiant for the newer generation Australian cars, such as the Holden Commodore and XD Falcon. The GLX can be identified by a black stripe down the side (similar to the "Drifter"-style stripe) that ends at a "GLX" badge on the rear C-pillar.

The end

The CL and CM models lost sales and performance. Later cars were designed to look bigger than they were; but buyers in Australia and the United States alike now wanted large interiors with small exteriors. There were also quality problems each time a model was introduced, and racing support was minimal. The Charger had died in 1978 as part of the "muscle car scare," and took with it much of the Valiant's sales along with all of Chrysler's production performance, until small-scale importation of turbocharged specialty cars and Vipers started.

Competition from Toyota and Nissan hurt; the Sigma, a Mitsubishi with a Chrysler badge, sold well but did not help the local plant. There was some talk in the late 1970s of bringing K-cars (Reliant/Aries) into Australia, but it never happened. The last Valiant, the N, never saw production. Mitsubishi took over Chrysler Australia in 1980, buying 99% of the equity in the company. The name Chrysler was dropped in October 1980; the last Valiant was produced in August 1981, bringing the total to 565,338.

Postludes

Mitsubishi Australia has no records of the Valiant, aside from some sparse sales literature. There was only a little information on the Valiant itself.

When Valiant production ceased, ex-Chrysler Australia engineers concentrated on designing the Mitsubishi Magna. Rather than working out ways of reducing the size American cars to fit Australian tastes, in the case of the Magna, they widened a front wheel drive Sigma, to give it the interior room that Australians wanted, and created a success story that was adopted by Mitsubishi head office in Japan. The new car was exported around the world as the Diamante.

Essential Links

Visit the Valiant Chargers of New Zealand page to get further insights and information on the Valiant Charger and its admirable racing record.

• Hemi Six Engines
• Pacer
• Centura
• Valiant Chargers of New Zealand
• The Drifter (panel van) with photos
• Hey Charger! the book
• Photo pages: Ranger, Safari, and Regal | Pacer | VIP | Other Models
• Valiants, Barracudas, and Rebels of South Africa
• Other Valiant links (American, Australian, Charger, and Pacer)
• Valiants at the Need for Speed event
• 2001 Chryslers on the Murray - experiences with a Charger
• Allpar (Huge Chrysler site)
• The Valiant Page (A-Bodies and Friends)
• The Slant Six Page
• E55 Chargers page (Raven Entertainment) - a thorough page on the 340-powered Valiant Chargers

The primary source for this page was Hey Charger!, sent by Robert Pascale. Much information was added later by Darren Ponton of the City of Perth, Bryan Thalbourne of the Australian government, and many others.

Remaining issues

Some have said the E49 Charger's long-standing record as the fastest Australian production car across the 1/4 mile by the Holden Special Vehicles GTS-R (Commodore, 5.7 Litre, stroked version of Holden's Aussie 5.0 litre), which was clocked at 14.3 seconds (the figures for the E49 usually quoted are 14.4 seconds; a dubious-accuracy 14.1 figure can be beaten by the "Blueprint" GTS-R which can do 14 flat).

Gary Bridger, author of Hey Charger!, set us straight:

The June 1997 issue of Australia's Motor magazine did a comparison between Australia's greatest muscle cars from 1971 on, including the GTS-R and E49. Despite being the only six in the group, the 25 year old Valiant Charger E49 was still the fastest and marginally quicker than the GTS-R to 100 kph and through the quarter. The figures used for the E49 were based on 1972 road tests, 0-100 kph 6.1 seconds and 14.4 seconds for the quarter. The GTS-R was quoted as 0-100 kph 6.2 seconds and 14.45 for the quarter.

To add salt into GM and Ford's wounds, stock standard E49s on modern rubber have quite easily broken the 14 second barrier for the quarter. Jim Little has done a 13.8 quarter in his and another of our club cars won a production prize at a major drag meeting with a 13.9 quarter. A previous owner took my E49 to a sprint meeting and was doing 14.1 quarters on old wide oval tires, limiting the car to 5000 rpm (redline 6500) and in a howling headwind! A Ferrari owner who couldn't match those times was absolutely horrified when he discovered that the Charger had a Valiant 6 under the bonnet! An unmodified standard production Valiant 6 at that.

Hey Charger! the book (Alternate Source) | Reviews of Australian Valiants | Hear Graham Pratt's 265 Hemi