Holden HJ
| Company type | Automobile series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Predecessor | Holden HQ series |
| Founded | October 1974 |
| Defunct | July 1976 |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | Automobiles: sedans, wagons, coupes, utilities, panel vans, cab chassis trucks |
| Parent | Holden |
The Holden HJ series was manufactured by Holden in Australia from October 1974 until July 1976. It represented a refreshed and facelifted iteration of the previous Holden HQ series, showcasing a more angular front fascia with wraparound turn signals and updated rear design elements on sedan variants.
Model range
The HJ series comprised 4-door sedans and 5-door wagons available in three distinct trim levels:
The Premier trim was set apart by its quad-headlight front treatment, while wagons featured a wheelbase extended by three inches (76.2 mm) compared to the sedans.
The Monaro lineup, focused on performance, included two-door coupe and four-door sedan configurations:
- Monaro LS coupe
- Monaro GTS coupe
- Monaro GTS sedan
Significantly, the Monaro GTS350, powered by the imported Chevrolet 350-cubic-inch (5.7-litre) V8 engine, was discontinued with this series, ending the availability of that engine in Holden models.
Commercial versions encompassed coupe utilities, panel vans, and cab chassis trucks:
- Utility
- Kingswood utility
- Panel van
- One Tonner (cab chassis)
Special edition packages consisted of:
- Sandman (option codes XX7 initially and later XU3), offered on Utility, Kingswood utility, and Panel van variants, incorporating features inspired by the Monaro GTS.
- Ambulance package (option code BO6), available on panel vans and cab chassis models.
Base model utilities and panel vans were branded simply as Holden utility and Holden panel van, omitting the Belmont designation used in the HQ range. The One Tonner cab chassis retained its distinctive front styling from the HQ lineup and remained in production until 1980; ambulance versions with BO6 options received Premier-style front ends and door trims.
Engines
The Holden HJ was powered by inline six-cylinder engines of 2.8-litre and 3.3-litre capacities, as well as V8 engines sized at 4.2 litres and 5.0 litres. V8 powertrains were exclusive to Monaro GTS variants. Additionally, the Mazda Roadpacer AP—a rebadged HJ Premier—utilized the 13B Wankel rotary engine.
Production
A total of 176,202 Holden HJ vehicles were produced before the series was replaced by the Holden HX in July 1976.
Statesman HJ
Introduced in 1974, the Statesman HJ was a luxury long-wheelbase sedan based on the Holden HJ platform. It was offered in two models—the de Ville and Caprice—and marketed under the separate Statesman name rather than as a Holden.