The 1972 Holden HQ Premier was the best-equipped regular Holden you could buy that year. It sat above the Belmont and Kingswood, below the Statesman, and came as a sedan or wagon with a six or a V8. Today it's one of the easier ways into a well-trimmed HQ, though good ones are no longer cheap.
What the HQ series was
The HQ was Holden's first ground-up redesign since the original 48-215 of 1948, with a new body, chassis and suspension (Wikipedia). It went on sale on July 15, 1971, and ran until October 1974, when the HJ replaced it.
It sold in huge numbers. Holden built 485,650 HQs across sedans, wagons, coupes, utes, panel vans and the new One Tonner cab chassis (Wikipedia, Just Cars). Unique Cars and Parts calls it the most popular Holden ever.
The engineering was a real step forward. The HQ was the first Holden with a perimeter frame, which added torsional stiffness and side-impact protection over the HG (Unique Cars and Parts). Passenger models got coil springs at all four corners, with a four-link rear axle borrowed in concept from the Torana.
Cars were assembled at Acacia Ridge, Dandenong, Elizabeth and Pagewood, and at GM New Zealand's Trentham plant (Wikipedia). South Africa got the sedan as the Chevrolet Kommando.
Where the Premier sat in the range
The Premier was the top of the standard-wheelbase line. The Premier name dated back to the EJ of 1962, when it was Holden's flagship, but by 1971 the new Statesman had taken that role (Just Cars, 2018).
A stock HQ Premier was closer to a Kingswood than a Statesman. Just Cars lists the standard kit as a quad-headlight nose with its own grille, ribbed rocker moldings, wheel trim rings and a boot appliqué. Inside you got carpet, a bench front seat, faux walnut dash trim, glovebox and boot lamps, and full-length armrests with ashtrays.
Shannons' catalog for a 1974 car adds chrome sill plates, leather-grain vinyl trim and high-loop pile carpet. It lists bucket seats, power steering, power windows and cloth trim as options.
That matters when you shop. Many surviving Premiers have buckets, a vinyl roof, a V8 and a floor shift, so people assume they all did. Just Cars says plenty left the factory with a bench and a column-shift six.
There was also a coupe in Premier clothing. The Monaro LS used Premier-style trim and quad headlights on the two-door body (Wikipedia, Unique Cars and Parts). In 1973 Holden sold a silver Premier to mark 25 years of the Holden car (Just Cars, 2006).
Engines and specs
The standard Premier engine was the 202 cubic-inch six with a three-speed column-shift manual (Just Cars, 2018). The 253 V8 was the common upgrade, usually paired with the Tri-Matic automatic and front disc brakes. The 308 V8 also turns up in Premiers sold at auction (Shannons).
Engine | Size | Power | Torque | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Red six, 173 | 2.83 liters | 112 to 118 bhp | 160 to 168 lb-ft | Wikipedia |
Red six, 202 | 3.3 liters | 129 to 135 bhp | 190 to 194 lb-ft | Wikipedia |
Holden V8, 253 | 4.1 liters | 174 to 185 bhp | 247 to 262 lb-ft | Wikipedia |
Holden V8, 308 | 5.0 liters | 240 bhp | 315 lb-ft | Wikipedia |
Chevrolet V8, 350 | 5.7 liters | 275 bhp | 360 lb-ft | Wikipedia |
The ranges cover low and high compression versions. The 350 V8 and its drivetrain were imported from Chevrolet (Wikipedia).
Gearboxes were a three-speed manual, a four-speed manual, the three-speed Tri-Matic automatic, and the Turbo-Hydramatic for the 350 (Wikipedia). Sedans rode on a 111-inch wheelbase and measured 187.5 inches long. Wagons stretched to 114 and 190 inches. A Kingswood sedan weighed about 2,950 lb.
We didn't find the Premier's original price in the sources we opened. For scale, a Belmont six sedan cost A$2,730 and a Statesman De Ville A$4,660 (Just Cars, 2006). The Premier sat between them.
Why it's a classic
The HQ was everywhere. Nearly half a million were sold, and Just Cars called it the most significant Holden since the 48-215.
That ubiquity cuts both ways. Cheap, common cars get used up, and Retro Rides notes that early rust finished off plenty of HQ Monaros. A tidy Premier with original trim is rarer than the production total suggests. The HQ also became the basis of a one-make race series from the late 1980s, using the 202 six (Wikipedia).
The Premier's appeal is the trim. You get the HQ shape with quad lights, woodgrain and extra chrome, and you can still use it every day.
What an HQ Premier costs today
Prices have climbed a long way in a decade. A 1973 Premier 308 V8 sedan sold at Shannons for A$7,250 in 2014. A 1974 Premier 308 V8 automatic sold for A$50,500 in 2020.
Car | Sale | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
1973 HQ Premier 308 V8 sedan | Shannons Melbourne, 2014 | Sold A$7,250 | Shannons |
1974 HQ Premier 202 four-speed sedan | Shannons Melbourne, 2013 | Passed in | Shannons |
1972 HQ Premier sedan | Private sale, 2018 | Asking A$45,000 | Just Cars |
1974 HQ Premier 308 V8 auto sedan | Shannons online, 2020 | Sold A$50,500 | Shannons |
1973 HQ Premier 4.2 V8 auto sedan | Shannons online, 2022 | Sold A$36,000 | Shannons |
All figures are Australian dollars. Single sales are data points, not a price guide. Condition, originality and engine move them by tens of thousands.
The wider market has cooled. Retro Rides' March 2025 auction report described a buyer's market, with even well-documented Holdens struggling to hit high prices. For context, Retro Rides puts average 4.2 automatic HQ Monaro GTS sedans, the sporty four-door built on a V8 Kingswood (Wikipedia), under A$60,000.
US buyers can import one. Any vehicle at least 25 years old can come in without meeting federal safety standards (NHTSA). Every HQ is right-hand drive.
What to check before buying
- Rust first. Retro Rides, writing about the HQ Monaro, calls rust the main concern. Check the bottoms of the front guards, rear quarters, rear doglegs and sills, where Just Cars found rust and old bronze-and-filler repairs on a 1972 Premier.
- Doors and front crossmember. Doors that are hard to close can mean worn or rusted hinge mounts. A sagging front crossmember needs the engine out to fix (Retro Rides).
- Leaks, heat and springs. Look for oil from the rear main seal, overheating in traffic and a drooping nose that points to tired coil springs and bushes (Retro Rides). Electric fans are a common heat fix.
- Brakes on V8 cars. Soft springs and heavy V8s make the nose dive and the rear wheels lock in a panic stop (Retro Rides). Test it.
- Paperwork and trim. Make sure the engine and gearbox match the build plate, since HQ sedans are easy to clone (Retro Rides). Check the trim too. Just Cars reports good front doors, armrests and dash parts are hard to find.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Holden HQ
- Wikipedia: Holden Premier
- Unique Cars and Parts: Holden HQ
- Just Cars: 1971 HQ Holden (2006)
- Just Cars: 1972 Holden HQ Premier sedan feature (2018)
- Shannons: 1974 Holden HQ Premier sedan, 2013
- Shannons: 1973 Holden HQ Premier 308 V8 sedan, 2014
- Shannons: 1974 Holden HQ Premier 308 V8 sedan, 2020
- Shannons: 1973 Holden HQ Premier V8 sedan, 2022
- Retro Rides: Top tips for buying a used Holden Monaro HQ GTS
- Retro Rides: February 2025 auction report
- NHTSA: Importation and certification FAQs
Featured image: 1972 Holden HQ Premier Sedan by Sicnag, CC BY 2.0. Source
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