The Holden HD 50th Anniversary 02 June 2015 07:26 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareFifty years. Half a century. That’s a long time in anybody’s language. A significant milestone to be sure. Halfway to getting a Birthday card from the Queen herself! When we hit the big five o, it’s usually accompanied by celebrations with friends and family, party poppers and champagne. Well, put the bubbly on ice because the Holden HD turns 50 this year! Released back in February of 1965, the HD was described as Holden’s first true six seater sedan. Wheels Magazine called the HD “A dash of Buick, a scoop of Pontiac, just a whiff of Opel and lots of Holden. 1965’s HD Holden retains its Holden character while getting a glamorous new styling for the swinging sixties.” The new wider and longer kid on the block had a host of new improvements compared to the recently superseded EH. Upgrades to the chassis, suspension and equipment came as standard. There was also significant improvements to both passenger and load space. However most importantly and for the first time for Holden, disc brakes were offered as a factory fitted option. Also optional was the new 2.95 litre ‘X2’ engine, delivering an extra 19kw over the standard 2.45 litre ‘179’ power plant, which produced 86kw. This was courtesy of a new sports exhaust, twin carburettors, a modified camshaft and new ignition. A more reliable two speed Powerglide automatic transmission replaced the outgoing three speed auto, however a three speed manual transmission was still an available option. The list of models was also impressive. Not content with offering just a 4 door Standard sedan, Holden also offered the HD as a Special and Premier sedan. The 5 door station wagon also came in Standard, Special and Premier variants. There was even a Premier Panel Van and Ute option available. As a result of all these improvements and options, the HD was a sales success and the new model flew out the door at Holden dealers around the country. Such was the demand that it broke the previous sales record, held by the Holden EH, making it the company’s biggest seller to date. In spite of this sales success, the HD was never the most favourably remembered Holden. However, it is still an absolute Australian classic with pristine examples fetching well in excess of $20,000. That’s almost ten times the original asking price of $2320 which makes the Holden HD extremely collectable. And if you’re lucky enough to own one of these classics, but it’s in need of some love and attention, then Rare Spares has you covered. Rare Spares has literally hundreds of parts available for your HD restoration. To find out more about Rare Spares and for a full list of parts, visit www.rarespares.net.au