Random # 337: a 1979 HZ Holden Overlander 4WD Station Wagon

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This seriously tough, Western Australian-registered four wheel drive HZ Holden station wagon is a long, long way from home!  Or is it ... ?


If the car's what I believe it to be - and it very probably is, there not being huge numbers of 4WD HJ - HZ Holden manufacturers out there - it may have actually made a home-coming to the island state where it was built.  And yes, I mean Tasmania.


I won't bog you down here with the finer details (there are two links attached that provide more detail if you are interested) but in the 1970s, a bloke named Arthur Hayward - owner of Tasmanian company Vehicle Engineering and Modifications (VEM) - started building 4WD Holden Overlander vans, utes and one-tonners in his Launceston factory.  Later on, he expanded his range to include wagons.


To my inexpert eye, this looks like Arthur's work, in that it's running beefy leaf springs all round with solid axles.  It sits high and is certainly solidly engineered, but otherwise there's no badging or other identifiers to confirm this to be so.


There's also an anomaly: the car featured here's a manual whereas the two articles I referred to when researching this piece - https://www.tradeuniquecars.com.au/1978-holden-overlander-aussie-4x4s-part-1/ & https://www.streetmachine.com.au/features/holden-overlander - state that all Overlanders were V8s fitted with auto-transmissions.  However, there may be an explanation:  towards the end of production, GMH ceased their supply of base-vehicles, so VEM began converting customers' cars rather than building from brand new stock.  It might be that this is one such car and was a manual at the time of its conversion.    


Of course, it doesn't really matter if this is an original Overlander or not; it's a great looking car, anyway.  The panels and paint are in good nick, as is the brightwork.  The interior is nice, too.  And as an example of Aussie ingenuity and automotive history, it's right up there with the best!


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U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

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