10 Facts you may not have known about the SV-1 Valiant
Most commonly reported issues with the SV-1 Valiant
SV-1 Valiant service part numbers
SV-1 Valiant interior trim codes
The S Series SV-1 Valiant debuted in March 1962, it came just 2 months after the release of the R-series Valiant. Essentially it was a facelifted version of the previous model which was a US design. The design was similar, yet a bit more conservative in nature. The R series Valiant had sold extremely well, better than originally thought so the plan was to get the upgraded SV-1 onto the Australian market as quickly as possible in order to continue with the momentum.
Similar to the RV-1 Valiant, the SV-1 was assembled but not manufactured in Australia. It was introduced to the Australian market as a tie-over while the first Australian manufactured Valiant was in its final stages.
A number of changes were made to the SV-1 Valiant. Some of the main ones included larger brakes, a larger fuel tank and a sealed chassis design which reduced maintenance costs. The floor shift manual was turned into a column shift manual which lead to mixed reactions amongst the Australian driving public. There were also a number of styling changes made.
Mechanically, the SV-1 Valiant was very similar to the previous model.
Demand for a powerful stylish cars were high among Australian buyers and Valiant was filling this need. The market leader at the time was Holden and its approach had been a ‘no frills’ one which intended to put a family car within the financial reach of the average Australian working family. The Chrysler Valiant targeted the family with a little extra expendable cash and found a larger market than most had thought, since it was largely believed that this market did not exist when Holden first started out, just a few short years after World War 2.
The Valiant was seen as the premium family car. It had superior space, power, luxury and a smoother, quieter ride. Like the previous model, it sold quicker than it could be produced. It was also a reliable, durable and quality car. Valiant had hit the ground running in Australia and was a highly sought after car right from the start. The Valiant was adequately able to withstand Australian driving conditions, something the early Ford Falcons which were introduced just a few months before could not.
10 009 SV-1 Valliant’s were manufactured in total. It can be argued that many more could have been sold had they had been shipped out by Chrysler in the USA.
10 Facts you may not have known about the SV-1 Valiant
Most commonly reported issues with the SV-1 Valiant
SV-1 Valiant service part numbers