10 Facts you may not have known about the RV-1 Valiant
Most commonly reported issues with the RV-1 Valiant
RV-1 Valiant service part numbers
RV-1 Valiant interior trim codes
Chrysler Australia Ltd was first created in mid 1951.
The RV-1 Valiant was considered by some to be the first Chrysler Valiant built in Australia, in actual fact it was re-assembled from a Completely Knockdown Down (CKD) car that was originally manufactured in the USA and reassembled in South Australia. Some confusion can be found in the terms ‘manufactured in Australia’ and ‘Assembled in Australia’. It was introduced in January 1962. It was introduced to the market as a mid size family sedan to compete with Holden and Ford, the latter which was introduced just a couple months before the release of the RV-1 Valiant. It was based on the Plymounth Valiant with numerous revisions made to ensure its suitability for Australian roads. A lesson perhaps learned from Ford and its alleged shortcomings in testing its American version against Australian conditions.
Plans had been in place to produce a local Valiant and was still a few months off and had been delayed. The RV-1 was put in place to tie sales over until local manufacturing was up and running. The early 1960’s were an optimal time in Australian history to introduce a more lavish family car. World War 2 was now far enough in the rear-view mirror and the baby boomer era was upon us. This first model served as a taster for the Australian public and got the ball rolling for Chrysler manufacture in Australia.
The RV-1 was praised for its power and performance, being more powerful and faster than its competition, but was let down due to poor fuel efficiency numbers (which were not as big a deal as they are nowadays). Its ride and comfort were also far superior, this was also reflected in the price. It was a step ahead in technology too as it was the first Australian car to be fitted with an alternator, instead of a generator. Only 1 008 were imported and assembled in total, not a high number, in fact the small number was done on purpose to get the ball rolling for Valiant in Australia. These 1 008 models sold out in just a few weeks, rumour has it there was a second hand market for the RV-1 Valiant where they were selling for higher than their brand new price.
It was seen by many as more stylish and was undeniably a better performing car. To make a comparison, the EK Holden and the XK Falcon inline sixes were producing 55kW (75hp) and 67kW (90hp) respectively, where as the R Series Valiant was producing a whopping 108kW (145hp) out of its 225 cubic inch ‘slant’ 6, which was essentially an inline 6 at an angle so it could fit beneath the bonnet.
With the Holden now looking very outdated (mechanically and cosmetically) and Ford suffering from teething issues that the Valiant didn’t, they were able to quickly make a name for themselves in the Australian car market.
The Valiant featured a floor mounted 3 speed manual as opposed to the column shift transmission offered by Ford and Holden. This was well ahead of its time, as was the styling, inside and out, which blew buyers away. The R series Valiant (or RV-1) was more expensive than its competition however this did not deter buyers as demand outstripped supply right from the start.
All in all the R series Valiant received plenty of praise from the Australian motoring press and motoring public, but like any new car, it was not without its criticisms. Some found the styling of the car to be a little too controversial and a little bit ‘over the top’. One of the main concepts behind the science of engineering is compromise, a significantly more powerful car meant that it used significantly more fuel (12.3L/100k) than its competitors. It also had a relatively small fuel tank at 48 litres with a range of less than 400km out of a tank.
10 Facts you may not have known about the RV-1 Valiant
Most commonly reported issues with the RV-1 Valiant
RV-1 Valiant service part numbers