Meet some classic "Aussies"

I guess like most countries in the world Australia has it’s cultural icons and one of those would have to be the Holden Kingswood.The Kingswood first entered the market in 1968 and exited in 1980, when it was replaced by the Commodore.The Kingswood was immortalized forever with it’s own television show.This guaranteed it’s status as an Aussie icon.The Kingswood was a rugged and reliable workhorse.Most examples of this vehicle are getting somewhat old and tired but are still popular with budget travelers.They offer space for luggage,and if you get a station wagon room to sleep in the back.That's one way to cut down on accommodation expenses.The Kingswood has a large capacity six cylinder motor which by most modern standards delivers poor fuel economy.Factory options included three speed automatic gear box,4.2 or 5.0 litre V8 engine and a 4 speed floorshift manual gearbox.Most Australian cars of this era had a 3 speed column shift and flat "bench" seats.Bench seats were great at the drive-in theatre,or for seating three people in the front but not much good otherwise.The Kingswood came in sedan and station wagon form.The most popular model of the Kingswood was the HQ which came out in 1971 and ceased production in 1974.Nearly 500,000 HQ Holdens left the assembly line during this period.

The Ford Falcon actually preceded the Kingswood,but never the less did not quite gain the same icon status.All the same, it was built to the same rugged and reliable if somewhat crude formula.The Falcon is also very popular with budget travelers as a mode of transport.The Falcon came in numerous forms from the 2 door coupe,Panel Van and the Utility to the four door sedan and station wagon.The station wagon is especially popular with travelers as it offers room for a mattress and luggage.

The car market in Australia has very much been dominated by these two manufacturers for the last 30 years.Both manufacturers have extensive dealer networks throughout the country.Basic mechanical parts for both Holdens and Fords are relatively cheap and easily obtainable from a wide range of both factory and aftermarket outlets.Availability of parts should be a major consideration when buying a car.You don’t want to be stuck at an outback roadhouse waiting for weeks to get a part for an obscure type of vehicle.

Currently there are four major car manufacturers in Australia,Holden,Ford,Toyota and Mitsubishi.Parts for these cars are reasonably cheap and readily available in even the most remote parts of the country.Cars of European origin whilst reasonably plentiful,are less well catered for once you move away from the major centres.Parts for European cars can be quite expensive and hard to get.Also many earlier European model cars have limited ventilation,and cooling,which may be OK in the southern parts of Australia but may be very uncomfortable in the hotter regions.