Chrysler Valiant Overview
The Chrysler Valiant was a passenger car introduced by Chrysler Australia in 1962 with production ceasing in 1981. Initially a rebadged import of the Plymouth Valiant from the U.S. where production ceased in 1976, the Valiant range was sold throughout Australia and New Zealand, as well as South Africa. Smaller numbers were exported to the UK and Southeast Asia. In March 1965, the AP5 was supplanted by the AP6. The body shell was the same, but there was a new grille on the theme of the US 1964 Plymouth Barracuda, and there was new trim inside and out. The automatic transmission was no longer controlled by pushbuttons, but instead by a conventional shift lever. The AP6 also included other new features such as self-adjusting brakes and acrylic enamel paint, at the time the most advanced auto finish available.
The AP6 was the first Australian-built Valiant to be offered with a V8 engine - the 273 cu in (4.5 L) LA V8, introduced in American Valiants in 1964, and released in Australia in August 1965. The engine developed 180 brake horsepower (130 kW) and pushed the Valiant to a top speed of 109 mph (175 km/h). Besides the V8 engine, another significant addition to the Valiant line with the AP6 model was the release of the Valiant Wayfarer utility (ute) in November. The V8 was only available as a model in its own right, the V8 Valiant, which had a vinyl-covered roof, individual bucket seats, floor console mounted automatic shift lever and two-tone steering wheel. The Slant 6's camshaft was also slightly upgraded for improved torque due to increased duration and a higher lift action. The VE Valiant was an all-new design introduced in October 1967.
The bonnet and guards were shared with the also-new 1967 U.S. Dodge Dart, and styling cues were taken from other updated U.S. models. The VE was built on the U.S. Valiant's 108 in (2,700 mm) wheelbase. The body was slightly larger and there was more interior space than its VC-model predecessor. The roofline was also flattened out and the rear window was given a concave profile. Higher levels of standard equipment were included, and there were some power upgrades. The basic Slant Six was retained with its 145 bhp rating, but a new 2-barrel carbureted version was released with output of 160 bhp. The 273 V8 was also improved and made available across the entire Valiant range. Other upgrades included the introduction of a 64-litre (14 imp gal; 17 US gal) fuel tank, shorter gear lever throw on the manual gearbox.
Relocation of the dipswiValianth from under the brake pedal to the high left of the firewall, and the windscreen wiper motor was relocated to the engine side of the firewall - greatly reducing wiper noise. All models benefited from additional safety features such as dual circuit brakes with a tandem master cylinder, double sided safety rims, front seat belts and front power disc brakes on V8 models. The VE range consisted of Valiant & Regal sedans, Valiant Safari & Regal Safari station wagons and Valiant, Valiant Wayfarer & Dodge utilities, the latter body style lacking from the American Plymouth Valiant range. New for the VE model was the high-specification Valiant V.I.P. in both sedan and Safari wagon versions. It used the same body as the lesser Valiants, but featured a more luxurious interior, 273 V8 engine, and also shared the 3 'sergeant stripes' of the VC V8 on the rear quarter panel.
May 1973 saw the introduction of the next model in the new All-Australian designed Valiant - The VJ. Although essentially a facelifted version of the VH Valiant before it, the VJ's subtle changes made enough of an impact on the buying public to make it the biggest selling Valiant model of all, with 90,865 units being sold. Externally the VJ Valiant continued on the with the new body style, though the VJ reverted to single round headlamps. There were slight changes to the front sheetmetal to accommodate the new lights. There was also a new 8-segment grille. The sedans received new horizontal taillights shared with the Charger. Although the physical changes were few, many other new features were introduced in the VJ Valiant range, such as electronic ignition, rustproofing and floor mounted shifters as standard features.
Chrysler upgraded equipment levels in July 1974 with front disc brakes, door reflectors, lockable glovebox and retractable seatbelts all as standard features. While the VJ range still offered sedan, wagon, ute, Hardtop and Charger variants, there were no more R/T Chargers or Pacers. The E48 Six Pack Charger was available in 770 trim with four-speed gearbox and limited-slip differential, and as many as 6 VJ E49's did get produced early in the 73 model run. The E55 Chargers were still available. In August 1974, a special run of 500 Sportsman Chargers were released. They were only available in Vintage Red with a thick white stripe along the lower coachline and the roof was also white. These had the red and white plaid cloth seats and a 265 four-speed powertrain. Valiant production ended in August 1981 with production of the CM reaching 16,005 units out of 565,338 units of all models.
