Holden Brougham
| Company type | Automobile model |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Predecessor | Holden Premier (contemporary model) |
| Founded | July 1968 |
| Defunct | 1971 |
| Successor | Statesman (long-wheelbase models) |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Luxury automobile |
The Holden Brougham represents a sizable luxury automobile manufactured by Holden in Australia between July 1968 and 1971.
Derived from the contemporary Holden Premier model, it showcased an extended rear section where the boot was lengthened by without altering the wheelbase. The design maintained the Premier's distinctive four-headlight grille. The Brougham was introduced swiftly as a competitive answer to Ford Australia's thriving Fairlane.
History
The Brougham of the HK series debuted in July 1968 simultaneously with the new Monaro coupés, arriving six months subsequent to the HK Series Belmont/Kingswood/Premier lineup. The model followed their update schedule, with the HT series released in July 1969 and the HG series arriving in August 1970.
Marketed as an upscale automobile, the Brougham was exclusively available with an automatic transmission, starting with a two-speed unit that was later upgraded to a three-speed following the launch of the HG variant. The initial HK Series was equipped with a Chevrolet V8 engine. The HT iteration introduced Holden’s proprietary 308 cubic inch V8, initially fitted in the Brougham before becoming accessible throughout the HT range in September 1969. This powerplant continued to be used in the HG Series Brougham.
Although positioned as a premium offering, the Brougham consistently lagged behind the Ford Fairlane in sales figures. In 1971, it was succeeded by the long-wheelbase Statesman models built on the newly designed HQ platform.
South Africa
Between 1969 and 1971, this model was sold in South Africa under the name Chevrolet Constantia. Alongside this rebranding, the Constantia featured a distinctive grille and front fender-mounted trafficators, reminiscent of the Chevrolet Kommando. Its engine options included a 250 cid (4,093 cc) Chevrolet inline-six or an optional 5,025 cc Chevrolet small-block V8. Both powertrains were coupled with a two-speed "Powerglide" automatic transmission.
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