Rare Spares Blog

History is what happened as soon as you started reading this sentence. It’s a second ago, yesterday, last week, and fifty years ago.

History is a learning experience and a place where a time machine would be pretty handy. Think of Forrest Gump and his travel through time, meeting a President, investing in an “apple farm”. Imagine being able to go back and watch the first moon landing live, first run episodes of your favourite 1960s or 1970s show, or pick up a car for a bargain price.

Australia has plenty of automotive history and potentially, if one start up called H2X Australia gets going, more to come.

Let’s hop into the RS Time Traveller, and hover around 1970. Perhaps one of the most well known cars of the time was the Ford Falcon, in XW and XY GT & GTHO form. One buyer in Perth says he had one on order in 1971. The price? $4,750. Nowadays the most pristine examples command figures of in excess of a half million.

Holden’s HT model was around then too. This came with a garden variety 3.0L straight six, or as it was known then, the 186 red motor. Prices for these were around $1,500. The big brother 350 Monaro, which was available in the HT and HG models, saw one ground up restoration sold at auction in 2017 for well over $300,000.

It was powered by a 350ci, drove the rear wheels through a two-speed Powerglide auto, and new, with a four speed manual, could be found for just under $4,200.

Mini was a popular car at the time, and rode high in 1970 on the back of the film “The Italian Job”. Just a couple of years before a Mini could be had for the then almost-princely sum of $1,689 for a Deluxe, or $2,280 for the more sporty “S”.

Ford didn’t have a Falcon based “tudor” at the time, even though there had been one a few years before, and it wouldn’t be until the coke-bottle hipped XA that a large coupe’ would be available.

Enter the Capri. Built on a familiar British profile of a long nose, mid-mount cabin, and flowing rear window-line, a GT spec car with a 3.0L V6 pumping 144 ponies could be yours for a modest $2,630. In comparison, Holden’s lithe LC Torana in GTR spec packed 125hp from its straight six.

The Australian arm of American goliath Chrysler wasn’t left out. Sir Stirling Moss lent his name to an advertising campaign for their big four door, the Pacer. With lurid colours and blackouts, the Hemi 245 powered machine could be yours, said Sir Stirling, for under $3,000.

Mitsubishi weren’t yet a big name here in Australia. But they did offer a car with a soon to be familiar name. The Colt had a “sizzling”73 horsepower 1100cc engine, came in three body styles, and offered front disc brakes, push button radio, and sports instruments. The two door models were available from $1,785, with the fastback just a little more at $2,285.

British Leyland once had a factory just south of Sydney. Their somewhat awkwardly proportioned Austin 1800 was available and included carpet flooring plus fingertip adjustable “special air vents”. The driveway would see one of these after $2,560 was handed over to a delighted car salesperson.

For those on a higher than the average annual wage in 1970, which was around $6,000, a luxury car seemed out of reach. A Jaguar Series 1 XJ6, with the smaller straight six at 2.8L, would quietly roll out of the dealership for a “mere” $7,968 in 1970, but for those on truly good wicket, a 1970 Rolls-Royce Mk 1 Silver Shadow stood out as a car of choice.

With a huge 6.75L engine pumping out 189 horsepower (or 141 kW) and a three speed TH-400 auto, disc brakes and a proper independent rear suspension, it was a standout of its day.

 The price then?

$26,995.

Have you had your car from 1970, or thereabouts, since new? Do you remember what it cost you at the time? Let us know via our feedback links.