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By
DAVID PIKE
Released in August 1963 the Holden EH was many owners favourite Holden.
Whilst it carried on the overall look of the previous model EJ the
redesign of the rear section including mudguards, tail-lights, roofline
and windscreen to produce a car with classicly simple lines. Many people
consider it to be the best looking of all Holdens.
Things were much the same at the front
except the grille now had a vertical centre bar incorporating a Holden
badge. In GMH advertising its appearance was described as `Power-Swept
styling'. Although it was only on the market for 18 months before it was
replaced by the HD in February 1965 a total of 256,959 EH Holdens were
produced and sold making it the fastest selling car ever in Australia up
to that time.
Whilst the body had a rear redesign
the major change with this model was in the power plant. Up to
this model all previous Holdens used the original `grey' motor but
after 15 years General Motors introduced an Australian designed
version of its oversquare in-line six. Dubbed the `red' motor,
after the colour of its block, it came in two sizes: the
2.442-litre version, in pre-metric times known as the 149 (cubic
inches), developed 75kW whilst the more powerful 2.934-litre
version, known as the 179, developed 86kW, making it 53 per cent
more powerful than the old grey motor.
The 179 was fitted as standard on
the Premier sedan and the all new Premier station wagon which was
launched with the model EH. In other models the 149 came as the
standard fitting but the 179 could be ordered as an option. All
179 motor powered models were fitted with a chequered 179 flag
badge on the bootlid and these soon became a popular item for
teens to steal and wear on belt buckles. The Premier models were
also fitted with the GM Hydra-matic three-speed automatic
transmission as standard equipment whereas other models came
standard with the three-speed manual or the optionally specified
automatic.
At launch the model line-up
comprised Standard, Special and Premier sedans and station wagons
as well as a panel van and utility. The station wagons gained the
same tail light styling as the sedans but as a cost saving measure
the panel van and utility models retained the same rear body as
fitted to the previous EJ models.
About a month after the release of
the EH, GMH launched what was the first hot Holden. Unofficially
called the S4 and featured in some literature as the 179M, it
combined a retuned 179 engine with a manual gearbox and was aimed
at winning the Bathurst 500. Interestingly even though the support
of motor sports was banned by the GM Corporation the Holden boys
found ways to circumvent the ban.
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