1963 HOLDEN EH Station Sedan

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1963 HOLDEN EH Station Sedan.
The Holden EH was an automobile produced by General Motors-Holden in Australia from 1963 to 1965. The EH was released in August 1963, replacing the Holden EJ series and was the first Holden to incorporate the new "Red" engine, with a 7 main bearing crankshaft instead of the 4 main bearing crankshaft used in the "Grey" engine. The larger capacity 149 ci (2400 cc) engine was first only sold attached to a three-speed manual gear box or the "Hydramatic" three-speed automatic transmission with a (column shift). Although the Controlled Coupling Hydramatic used in the EH was actually a six speed, it effectively worked as a three speed unit except at full throttle. The 179 ci (2900 cc) engine was initially only sold with the "Hydramatic" three-speed. The first EH with a 179 ci engine and a manual gear box was called the "EH-S4", fitted with an up-graded manual gear box, with stronger gears than the 149ci gear box and an up-graded clutch. The three-speed manual (column shift) gear boxes had no synchromesh on first gear, requiring double de-clutching.

A total of 256,959 EH Holdens were produced and sold from 1963 to 1965, when the EH was replaced by the Holden HD series.

The EH heralded the beginning of a new era for Holden when it arrived in 1963. Its styling was clean, crisp and contemporary and proved a huge hit with buyers who snapped them up, in the two years it was on sale. Notably it also brought a new engine family that would power Holdens for the next 20 years.

The new ‘red’ six-cylinder motor was smoother and more powerful than the old ‘grey’ six that had powered all Holdens from 1948, and it gave Holden the performance it desperately needed at a time when it was under serious attack from the Falcon and Valiant.
Both of Holden’s rivals had bigger and more powerful engines which gave them a performance edge that appealed to buyers who were enjoying unprecedented choice of makes and models in an increasingly competitive market.

The EH was also notable for introducing Holden’s first sports model, the S4, which was purposely built to compete at Bathurst.
Forty years later the EH is one of the most fondly remembered of all Holdens. It’s also one of the most popular with today’s classic Holden enthusiasts.

The EH was a facelift of the EJ, but while the family connection was clear to see it was a far reaching facelift. Some panels remained unchanged, but there were new crisp rooflines and an attractive new rear among a raft of detail changes.
There was a choice of three models, the Standard, Special and luxury Premier, which had been introduced with the EJ. Each could also be had as a sedan or wagon.

For the first time Holden offered a choice of engines. The 149 ci (2.4L) was the base engine and that could be ordered in low or high compression versions, while the 179 ci (2.9L) was optional on the Standard and Special and standard on the Premier.
With seven main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, an external oil pump and an oil filter, along with up-to-date designs for pistons and cylinder head the ‘red’ motor was a huge leap forward in smoothness and performance.

Initially the 179 was only available with the Hydra-Matic auto trans, but was later made available with a three-speed column-shift manual trans once the gearbox was beefed up to handle the torque of the bigger engine.

The 149 was available with either the three-speed manual or the optional auto. The manual had synchromesh on second and third gears only, first was non-synchro and needed a deft touch to engage it without crunching while on the fly.

Drum brakes were fitted all round, the steering was rather vague and ponderous, the front suspension still utilised a kingpin, and it had a generator although an alternator was an option.

The S4 was a revelation when it arrived in time for Bathurst in 1963. Ford had won the race, staged at Phillip Island the previous year, with an XL Falcon and Holden was feeling the pressure of competition for the first time. The S4 was the company’s first sports model and was conceived specifically to race at Bathurst.
Power for the S4 was from a standard 179 cubic inch ‘red’ six, but its drive train was beefed up with a stronger clutch and gearbox, larger tail shaft, and a tougher diff carrier. It also had a power brake booster, and sintered iron brake linings for better braking, and a larger fuel tank to go the distance on the track.

Just 120 S4s were built making them one of the rarest Holdens ever built. Six raced at Bathurst, the best finished second behind the winning Cortina GT. Norm Beechey also drove an S4 in touring car races in 1964, finishing second in the Australian Touring Car Championship that year.

CC rating: 3,310cc 202 ci (2.9 L) 6-cyl

NZ First Registration: 24-Dec-1963