Image: Trading Garage
It took 77 bids to determine a winner for this tastefully modified 1978 Holden HZ Premier when it sold for $50,200 this week on Trading Garage.
The last of Holden’s full-size sedans at that time, the HZ was in production for three years until the smaller Commodore was introduced in 1980. As the last of its lineage, the HZ was kept visually similar to its HX predecessor, although Radial Tuned Suspension headlined its list of mechanical tweaks.
While this example shows a hefty 283,405km on the odometer, it was extensively restored and upgraded in 2017, although it still wears its original Atlantis Blue colour.
The most notable upgrade was the switch to a stroked 6.2-litre Chevrolet V8, which is backed by a rebuilt Turbo 700 four-speed automatic transmission which directs power to a rebuilt disc brake rear end with a 3.9-inch differential.
Along with the mechanical upgrades, the HZ’s interior was switched out for one from a Statesman, bringing with it electric windows and air conditioning. This Premier also rides on a fitting set of 15-inch Retro Mags chrome wheels.
With many examples of the HZ having been modified or used for racing, clean, factory V8 examples like this are getting hard to come by. It looks like whoever scored this example got a goodun.
