Just when you think that all barn, garage and let's not forget, dealer lot finds, have been unearthed, along comes another story to prove you wrong.
This past Sunday saw the unearthing of a 1979 Holden Kingswood HZ saloon in Adelaide, Australia. Warren Edwards, a photographer from Adelaide and a family friend of the car's current owners, was on hand to snap the pictures you see posted here.
The mid-size Aussie sedan, which is powered by a 4.2-liter V8 rated at 120kW/161hp, had been bought brand new but due to the owner's sudden illness at the time, it was parked in his garage after covering a little over 900km (~560 miles).
It had been taken out only once in 1985 to replace its alternator before heading back to its resting place where it remained until a few days ago.
"On Sunday morning, I was present at the unearthing of a 1979 Holden HZ Kingswood. Belonging to the family of a friend, the car was last on the road in 1985. The car has done 998.2km from new. It's like a time machine. Hopefully, the pictures show just how good the condition of the car is. Inside is as close to brand new as you'll ever see.
The current owner's father loved the car but became too ill to drive it. Apparently, he used to love just looking at it. When he died, the girls left the car in the garage.
When we saw the car on Sunday, it was the first time it had seen daylight in many years. I was surprised that the tyres still held air and that it moved when we pushed it outside. I was expecting brakes, bearings to be seized.
It was picked up on Monday and they are having a report written on the overall condition and what would be necessary to get the car drivable again."
For those of you unfamiliar with Holden's model range and history, the Kingswood along with its lesser Belmont and more luxurious Premiere siblings formed Holden's mid-size offerings in the late 1960s through the 1970s before they were replaced by the Commodore.
The HZ range (1977 to 1980) was essentially the third facelift after the HJ and HX of Holden's popular HQ series introduced in 1971.
Photo Credits: Warren Edwards, whom we thank for the pictures and the story!
13 Comments:
That is one atrocious looking car, I rather it stay in the time capsule and be forgotten like those 80's glitter covered starlet wannabes that sings and dance only to shitty disco songs
Thanks for sharing the pics and history Warren!
Argh ... Put it back!
Sorry Jackson, the Kingswood is an Aussie classic and (especially the final HZ model) a great car itn its day
My first car was a HQ Holden Ute (El Camino to you Yanks), the thing was older then me but was great. To find a HZ is this condition is near impossible. They were all hooned out by young men over the years, especially those with V8's.
What I meant by the starlet allegory is that not that it is not a good car, is just that it is trying to hard to look like an American car especially Ford, they must have been so obsessed with what Ford is doing that their cars becomes so similar to Ford, in the end they failed to come up with anything distinctive or innovative.......thus Holden is a wannabe.
That looks nothing like what Ford was doing in the late 70's in America. I thought it was a Chevy Monte Carlo at first from the mid-70's not the late 70's. Those tailights are pure 1975 Monte Carlo.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carphotosbyrichard/3152964032/
I wonder if his extended warranty has expired.. Looks like a great CPO
Check out Ford Fair lane and Ford Fairmont and Ford Falcon and you will know what i meant. especially the Fairmont.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ford_Fairmont.jpg
Check out Ford Fair lane and Ford Fairmont and Ford Falcon and everybody will know what i meant. especially the Fairmont.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ford_Fairmont.jpg
belleza por dios........
I owned A Hz from new it was a great car and looked great they looked nothing like a Ford .there was an article written i think it was in Modern Motor magazine or Wheels and they described the HZ as bullet proof .I dont know where you starlet and glitter from maybe you prefer a Datsun 120y
Well i dont know what you meant nothing like the Ford you better see them in the flesh and you will know what i and other readers mean
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