Holden HR

The Holden HR is an automobile that was produced by Holden in Australia from 1966 to 1968.

Holden HR
1966 Holden Special Sedan
Overview
Manufacturer	Holden (General Motors)
Also called	Holden Standard Holden Special Holden Premier Holden Utility Holden Panel Van
Production	April 1966 – January 1968
Designer	Joe Schemansky
Body and chassis
Class	Mid-size
Body style	4-door sedan 5-door station wagon 2-door coupé utility 2-door panel van
Layout	FR layout
Powertrain
Engine	2.6 L GMH 161' I6 3.0 L GMH 186/186X2/186S I6 3.2 L Chevrolet 194 I6 (ZA)[1] 3.8 L Chevrolet 230 I6 (ZA)[1]
Transmission	3-speed manual 4-speed manual 2-speed Powerglide automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	106.0 inches (2692mm)
Length	Sedan: 181.1 inches (4600mm) Wagon: 180.2 inches (4577mm)
Width	70 inches (1778mm)
Height	Sedan: 58.3 inches (1481mm) Wagon: 58.5 inches (1486mm)
Curb weight	Standard Sedan: 2601lb (1178kg)
Chronology
Predecessor	Holden HD
Successor	Holden HK

Introduction

The Holden HR range was released in April 1966, replacing the Holden HD series which had been in production since 1965.^[2] In addition to a revised grille, the HR featured a reworked roofline and larger rear window (on the sedans), revised rear lights (on sedans and wagons) and changes to almost all exterior body panels.^[3] Other changes included revised ball joint front suspension,^[4] widened track, improved interior trim and woodgrain interior finish for the Premier models.^[3] Six months after the launch of the HR, all models were given a safety upgrade with the addition of front safety belts, windscreen washers, reversing lights, padded sun visors and a shatterproof interior rearview mirror.^[3]

Model range

The Holden HR passenger vehicle range offered four-door sedan and five-door station wagon body styles in three trim levels with the six models marketed as follows:

• Holden Standard Sedan^[5]             (HR 215)^[6]
• Holden Standard Station Sedan^[5] (HR 219)
• Holden Special Sedan^[5]               (HR 225)
• Holden Special Station Sedan^[5]   (HR 229)
• Holden Premier Sedan^[5]               (HR 235)
• Holden Premier Station Sedan^[5]   (HR 239)

The HR commercial vehicle range was offered in two-door coupe utility and two-door panel van variants, marketed as follows:

• Holden Utility^[7]         (HR 2106)^[6]
• Holden Panel Van^[7] (HR 2104)

• 
  Holden Standard Sedan
• 
  Holden Special Sedan
• 
  Holden Special Station Sedan
• 
  Holden Premier Sedan
• 
  Holden Premier Sedan
• 
  Holden Premier Station Sedan
• 
  Holden Utility
• 
  Holden Utility
• 
  Holden Panel Van
• 
  Holden Panel Van

Engines and transmissions

The two versions of the inline, six-cylinder Holden Red motor were carried across from the HD series, both with increased engine capacity and a higher compression ratio of 9.2:1.^[3][6] The 114 bhp, 161 cu in (2.6 L) six was standard in all models except the Premiers.^[5][7] A 126 bhp 186 cu in (3.0 L) six was standard on Premiers and optional on all other models.^[5][7] The 145 bhp twin carburettor "X2" version of the "186" was initially available as an option on all models.^[5][7] The "X2" was replaced by the 145 bhp "186S" in June 1967 after Holden exhausted the remaining X2 intake manifolds; the new version was fitted with a single, two-barrel carburettor.^[3]

A lower compression (8.2:1) version of the 161 cu in (2.6 L) six was also available.^[6]

The 194 cu in (3.2 L) and later 230 cu in (3.8 L) Chevrolet six-cylinder engine was fitted for the South African market.^[1] This longer engine required the firewall to be scalloped out. This availability began partway through the HR's existence, with the 194 introduced for the 1967 model year.^[8] This was coupled to a fully synchronized, column-shifted, three-speed manual transmission sourced from Opel in West Germany.^[9] The Premier Automatic sold in South Africa retained the Australian engine, at least until 1969. The South African Holden Special had power disc brakes in front as standard from 1967.^[10]

A three-speed manual gearbox with column change and synchronization on the top two gears was standard on the HR, with a two-speed "Powerglide" automatic transmission available as an option.^[11] An Opel^[11] four-speed manual gearbox was offered from June 1967.^[12]

Production and replacement

A total of 252,352 vehicles were produced up to January 1968 when the HR was replaced by the Holden HK series.^[13]
The price at release was A$2286 for the 161 cu in (2.6 L) Special Sedan manual and A$2856 for the Premier Station Sedan manual.^[6]

Body ID Plate Decoder

HR Holden Australian Body Plate example

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	This is the 25,434th Car Produced from the Plant				M	Melbourne
Built @	M	Manufacturing Plant (M = Melbourne)				S	Sydney

PAINT	Expand for paint code details
	PAINT	This is the base colour, on two tone cars it is the lower colour.
	585	Solid Colour	587	Metallic Colour
	9562	Paint Number (See below for codes)
TOP	TOP	This is the 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 lue 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

TRIM	Expand for Trim code details
	510	Combination number - GMH Colour Code
	E78	Interior trim combination number (See below for codes)
	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 Vasland 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

INSERT	Expand for insert code details (Assembly configurations for HR's built in Melbourne only)
	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

References

1. 1970 Holden HT Brougham, Restored Cars #174, Jan-Feb 2006, pages 27 to 28
2. Norm Darwin, 100 Years of GM in Australia, pages 238-241
3. Holden Heritage, Eighth Edition, 1998, pages 34-35
4. Holden HR Technical Specifications at www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au Retrieved on 21 December 2013
5. Turbo Smooth Holden, GMH sales brochure for Holden HR Sedans and Station Sedans, April 1966
6. Bebbington, Terry; Malik, Michel A. (1994). 45 Years of Holden. The Australian Publishing and Printing Company. p. 37. ISBN 0-947216-31-6.
7. New Holden, the Turbo-smooth profit pair!, GMH sales brochure for Holden HR utility and panel van, April 1966
8. Wright, Cedric, ed. (August 1968). "A car owners' report: Holden (1960-66)". CAR (South Africa). Vol. 12, no. 7. Cape Town, South Africa: Central News Agency Ltd. p. 28.
9. "1967 Holden HR Special Wagon". Joe's Golden Gasoline. Leisure Ride Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 5 November 2022.
10. Holden Special (press release), Port Elizabeth, South Africa: GM South African Pty. Ltd., 1967
11. Holden HR at www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au Retrieved from www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au on 24 August 2010
12. Norm Darwin, 100 Years of GM in Australia, page 240
13. Norm Darwin, 100 Years of GM in Australia, pages 240-242

External links

• A Brief History of the HR Holden at "The Sixties Holden Archives" Includes sales brochures
• Holden HR Technical Specifications at www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au