Holden HR

Introduction

Model range

Engines and transmissions

Production and replacement

Body ID Plate Decoder

References

External links

Holden
Industry	Automotive
Founded	1856 in Australia
Headquarters	Australia
Products	Automobiles

The Holden HR was manufactured by Holden in Australia between 1966 and 1968.

Introduced in April 1966, the Holden HR succeeded the Holden HD series. It showcased a new grille design, an altered roofline, a larger rear window on sedan models, updated rear lights for both sedans and wagons, and modifications to nearly every exterior panel. Mechanical enhancements included redesigned ball joint front suspension, a broader track width, improved interior appointments, and woodgrain detailing exclusive to Premier variants. Half a year after its debut, safety features were incorporated across all versions, such as front seat belts, windscreen washers, reversing lamps, padded sun visors, and shatter-resistant interior mirrors.

The passenger vehicle range of the Holden HR comprised four-door sedans and five-door station wagons available in three trim grades, marketed as follows:

Holden Standard Sedan (HR 215)
Holden Standard Station Sedan (HR 219)
Holden Special Sedan (HR 225)
Holden Special Station Sedan (HR 229)
Holden Premier Sedan (HR 235)
Holden Premier Station Sedan (HR 239)

The commercial lineup consisted of two-door coupe utilities and panel vans:

Holden Utility (HR 2106)
Holden Panel Van (HR 2104)

The HR series continued to use two inline six-cylinder Holden Red motor variants from the HD generation, both upgraded with increased displacement and a compression ratio of 9.2:1. The base engine delivered 114 bhp six-cylinder power except in Premier models. Premier vehicles were equipped with a standard 126 bhp six-cylinder engine, which was also offered as an option on other trims. Initially, the 145 bhp twin-carburettor "X2" version of the 186 engine was available across all models but was superseded in June 1967 by the single two-barrel carburettor "186S" producing the same power output.

Additionally, a lower compression variant of the six-cylinder engine with an 8.2:1 ratio was offered.

In the South African market during the HR's production run, the Chevrolet Turbo-Thrift engine six-cylinder engines of and later displacements were introduced. These longer engines necessitated firewall modifications and were paired with a fully synchronized three-speed manual transmission featuring column shift sourced from Opel in West Germany. South African Premier Automatics retained the Australian-sourced engine until at least 1969. From 1967 onward, front power disc brakes became standard on South African Special models.

The HR came standard with a three-speed manual gearbox operated via column shift with synchronization on the upper two gears. An optional two-speed "Powerglide" automatic transmission was available, while from June 1967 onwards, an Opel-sourced four-speed manual gearbox was introduced.

Production totaled 252,352 units until January 1968 when the HR was succeeded by the Holden HK series. At launch, prices started at A$2,286 for the Special Sedan with manual transmission and A$2,856 for the Premier Station Sedan manual variant.

Notably, the HR was the first Holden model assembled at General Motors New Zealand’s newly established Trentham facility in 1967.

Example of an Australian HR Holden Body Plate:

BODY	HR225MR - 25434M
TRIM	510 - E44
PAINT	585 - 9562
INSERT	120
TOP

BODY	Expand for body code details
Body type	215	Standard Sedan	225	Special Sedan	235	Premier Sedan
	219	Standard Station Sedan	229	Special Station Sedan	239	Premier Station Sedan
	2106	Utility	2104	Panel Van
Trans	M	Manual	A	Automatic		Manufacturing Plant
Driver side	R	Right Hand Drive				A	Adelaide
						B	Brisbane
Build #	25434	25,434th vehicle produced at this plant				M	Melbourne
Built @	M	Manufacturing Plant (M = Melbourne)				S	Sydney

510 Combination number - GMH Colour Code E78 Interior trim combination number (See below) E43 Mephisto Red E61 Dover and Calais Blue E67 Bone E44 Dover Blue E62 Dawson and Alaskan Aqua E68 Black E45 Opera Green E63 Opera and Ballet Green E69 Astoria Red E46 Copra Dawn E64 Copra and Valsand Fawn E70 Samoan Tan E49 Mephisto Red E73 Mephisto Red E71 Bone E50 Dover Blue E74 Dover Blue E72 Black E51 Opera Green E75 Opera Green E52 Copra Dawn E76 Copra Fawn F40 Goya Red E55 Dante and Mephisto Red E78 Mephisto Red F41 Paloma Blue E56 Dover and Calais Blue E79 Dover Blue F42 Honey Fawn E57 Dawson and Alaskan Aqua E80 Opera Green F43 Goya Red E58 Opera and Ballet Green E81 Copra Fawn F44 Paloma Blue E59 Copra and Valsand Fawn E65 Astoria Red F45 Honey Fawn E60 Dante and Mephisto Red E66 Samoan Tan

TRIM	Expand for Trim code details

040 Model Extension - See below for codes 040 161 Manual 148 186 + Discs + LSD 417 161 Low Comp Manual 041 161 Manual 160 186 Manual 1240 186 S 042 161 Manual + Discs 162 186 Manual 1241 186 S 044 165 186 Manual + Discs 1242 186 S + Discs 045 161 Manual + Discs 166 186 Manual + Discs + LSD 1244 186 S 120 186 Automatic 240 X2 Automatic 1245 188 S + Discs + LSD 122 186 Automatic + Discs 241 X2 1246 186 S + Discs + LSD 123 186 Automatic 242 X2 Auto + Discs 1248 186 S + Discs + LSD 124 186 Automatic 244 X2 Manual + Automatic 1742 186 S + 4Speed + LSD 126 186 Automatic 245 X2 Automatic + Discs + LSD 1744 186 S + 4Speed 140 246 X2 Automatic + Discs + LSD 1745 186 S + 4Speed + Discs + LSD 141 186 Automatic 248 X2 + Discs 1746 186 S + 4Speed + Discs + LSD 142 186 Automatic 276 X2 Manual + Discs 1748 186 S + 4Speed + Discs + LSD 144 186 Manual 282 Manual 1782 186 S + 4Speed + Discs 145 186 + Discs 286 X2 Manual + Discs + LSD 146 186 + Discs + LSD 400 161 Low Comp Manual }

Expand for paint code details

PAINT base colour (lower on two-tone cars)

585 Solid Colour

587 Metallic Colour

9562 Paint Number (See below)

TOP colour on two-tone cars.

Colour Code Colour Name Colour Code Colour Name Colour Code Colour Name - 178 Crocus Cream 6904 Spinner Grey 8592 Kurrewa Blue 104 Brigade Red 6905 Calais Blue 8688 Jervois Cream 240 Garrison Grey 6906 Valsand Fawn 8689 Glen Helen Green 583 Holden Engine Red 6914 Reynella Maroon 8692 Sea Mist Jade Met 1703 Savonnah Bronze Met 6946 Geneva Blue 8695 Oasis Green Met 1704 Silver Mink Met 6947 Arno Green 8696 Pyrenees Blue Met 3675 Satin Silver Met 6950 Arklow Aqua 8698 Tarana Turquoise 4706 Minerva Blue 6951 Emden Fawn 8699 Gascoyne Green 4951 Tully Blue 6952 Cardinal Grey 8702 Clinton Sand 5061 Potters Ivory 7111 Sceptre Blue Met 8703 Sandown Fawn 5084 Fowlers Ivory 7112 Diana Aqua Met 8754 Landale Gold Met 5091 Windorah Beige 7113 Caberet Green Met 8771 Mullato Bronze Met 5093 Winton Red 7114 Pitcairn Fawn Met 8773 Dante Red 5156 Sorrel Tan 7115 Gossamer Grey Met 8774 Dover Blue 5384 Royal Umber 7142 Contessa Blue Met 8775 Dawson Aqua 6382 Off White 7143 Florentine Green Met 8776 Opera Green 6664 Corinth Blue 7144 Salient Grey Met 8777 Copra Fawn 6719 Merredin Green Met 7909 Tawny Grey Met 8778 Suva Tan 6812 Ardona Met Blue 8328 Alcazar Brown Met 8816 Pompadour Blue Met 6818 Egmont Maroon Met 8329 Chinook Fawn Met 8929 Holden Engine Red X2 6824 Kembla Grey 8330 Corral Tan Met 8954 Regal Maroon Met 6826 Lismore Grey 8331 Pablo Fawn Met 9562 Grecian White 6833 Narrogin Green 8332 Beaucaire Blue Met 9713 Marlin Turquoise 6847 Seaton Green 8333 Celeste Blue Met 9856 Welland Red 6875 Apollo Turquoise 8334 Etruscan Brown Met 9857 Woodsman Green 6893 Corroboree Red 8335 Cortez Red 9858 Coast Ivory 6894 Hannans Gold 8336 Casbah Red 10099 Burgundy Met 6895 Balmain Beige 8388 Cocos Fawn Met 10317 Cordovan 6898 Taralga Fawn 8566 Finisterre Green 10319 Champagne 6901 Bullfinch Green 8568 Pemberton Grey 10367 Holden Engine Grey 6902 Ballet Green 8569 Sultan Red 6903 Alaskan Aqua 8591 Lurline Blue

Overview of the HR Holden at "The Sixties Holden Archives" Includes sales brochures
Technical details for the Holden HR on uniquecarsandparts.com.au

INSERT	Expand for insert code details (Assembly configurations for HRs built in Melbourne only)