A while ago, I made a new rule: I wouldn’t photograph cars in undercover parking lots anymore. The photos never turned out all that great, rarely meeting my standards for Curbside Classic or for my Instagram. This beautiful, blue ’65 Chrysler Valiant wagon, however, defied all photographic odds.
This is an AP6-series Valiant. For the first few months of production, the AP6 Valiant wagon used the same rear pressings as the US/Canadian Plymouth Valiant wagon. Shortly thereafter, Chrysler Australia made some changes: vertical taillights, revised side windows, and new rear quarter panels and a new rear bumper, among other modifications.
For comparison’s sake, here’s a ’66 Valiant wagon. Personally, I think the original rear end looked better.
From 1963 until 1971, Valiant wagons used the Safari nameplate. The AP6-series Safari was available in regular Valiant and fancier Valiant Regal and Valiant V8 trims and with either the Slant Six or the 180-hp 273 cubic-inch V8. This was the first series of Aussie Valiant to have a V8 option, as well as the first to be available in ute form. The utes are hard to come by nowadays, well-maintained or restored wagons being the most common 60s Valiants on the roads. The metallic blue paint may or may not be stock as the AP6 series also heralded the introduction of metallic paint as an option.
Here’s another AP6-series Safari I spotted in the wild. The AP6-series was an evolution of the AP5, the first Valiant to be manufactured in Australia instead of just assembled. The AP5 also saw some meaningful differentiation from its US cousin, including a different trunk and rear window on the sedan.
The big three Aussies of the 1960s – the Holden, the Ford Falcon, and the Chrysler Valiant – were all handsome cars but the Valiant has a special kind of swagger. Remember, Americans and Canadians, that these were considered to be standard or full-size cars in Australia and not compacts. Chrysler did offer some larger vehicles like the Dodge Phoenix but the Valiant was their bread-and-butter. It also beat the Falcon to the punch in offering a V8, if only by a few months; Holden’s V8 option was still a couple of years off.
By the AP6, Virgil Exner’s excesses had been mostly toned down but there were still some creative flourishes. Kudos to Exner for designing a wagon that didn’t simply look like a sedan with a box on the back. Coupled with the glimmering paint of this example, the AP6 Valiant Safari is worth breaking a rule for.
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Looks like Chrysler had used the Safari nameplate a bit longer in South Africa like this 1975 model.
https://www.vintagemotors.co.za/product-page/1975-valiant-safari-by-chrysler
Nice, the wagons seemed to be rarer years ago, I had a AP6 sedan 225 3 on the tree it was an end of life $20 pile of rust but it ran just fine,
The V8 Valiants were the first Aussie car to have any actual performance in NZ and Valiants were a popular car, survivors are thin on the ground in all models now and sought after.
I still have my ultra rare ’77 Pontiac Astre FORMULA Safari (kammback) Station Wagon…
https://www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1977/2826680/pontiac_astre_formula_wagon_2_5-litre_5-speed.html
Were Vega Utes a real thing in Australia?
https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/a5/d5/58/a5d558462259aa1d389cd0f4c2daab0c.jpg
Vegas were never sold here in any form. Holden had their own line of Vauxhall-derived small cars.
Very interesting and a nice adaptation by Australia for this reliable daily transportation. Hmm.. Pontiac Safari in the 1950’s. Valian Safari in Australia in the 1960’s. GMC Safari minivan in the 1980’s in the U.S. Everyone wants to travel south. “Seefer” is the Hebrew word for “south” from which is derived the word for an African Safari. Israelites pre-Christian days would travel to Egypt, thus South. I studied Hebrew in college in my Neanderthal days. Arabic was not being taught, which I preferred.
Not to mention the Citroen DS wagon was marketed as the Safari in the ’60’/’70’s, as was the LWB Landrover with the Safari roof (a second roof about an inch above the main one for shade), as well as the Hillman Hunter Safari wagon of the late ’60’s.
It’s possible that everyone wanted to go hunting wild animals.
Great color! And at least in this case, it photographs well in the parking garage light.
I’m fascinated by the venetian blinds things in the rear windows. I seem to recall seeing such things way back in the actual 1960s, but I’ve certainly not seen any wagon with these in more modern times.
Reasonably common here back then, but they tended to vibrate at idle, rattle over bumps and collect dust.
No, no, they were DESIGNED to rattle, vibrate, buzz, clatter and shake. The dust collecting was a mistake. Hideous idea in a moving, breezy car.
Admittedly, they can look cool. But they bloody well aren’t!
Auntie Grace had a rear window venetian in her Morris 1500. The garage never got the E-series to idle smoothly. Imagine the noise!
I can’t really comment, I mean, I don’t know how voluble your Aunt was.
Some of my old Valiants used to vibrate, rattle over bumps, collect dust, clatter and shake, and I never even had venetians.
Such a beautiful wagon. I wish they still made Valiants today.
While on temporary military duty in Australia during the early ’80s, I had use of an Aussie Army Chrysler. Not a nice Valiant though. I think it was a rebadged Mitsubishi. Probably quite reliable – but not nearly as appealing as the older Valiant design.
Talk about “wow”!
By the time I was driving in the late 1980’s these Valiants and the following VC model had obtained the cool ride vibe shared with the XP Falcon and EH Holden, if you saw one it was invariably driven by a groovy hipster. However from the mid 70’s through the early 80’s Valiants were driven by a very different sub culture and as such were tagged as “wog chariots” having became the preferred ride of the children of post war immigrants, especially the later Charger model.
Older neighbor had a 66 with 273 v8,was quite fast for his beater car.
So nice to see a ‘real’ Valiant rather then the North American oddities. 🙂
Such common cars once. And this one is such a beautiful colour. Perfectly restored to sixties-spec, just as I remember them.
Older neighbor had a 66 with 273 v8,quite fast for a beater car.
I thought by 1965, the designs were by Engel, rather than Exner. . .
Why do those taillights remind me of a Chevy of some kind?
Really nice looking car
Always have been good lookers. The full rear wheelarch and 14 inch wheels give a surprisingly large lift to the looks of the US original.
I rode in one a bit in the early to mid ’80’s, and it just felt miles ahead of the contemporary Holdens and Fords, even from ten years later (’70’s cars). Very decent seats, that famous slant six, and Torqueflite. How sweet.