VALIANT VF PACER
CHRYSLER'S TYRE-SMOKING FOUR-DOOR PACER TOOK THE CONCEPT OF 'BANG FOR BUCK' TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL FOR LOCAL MOPAR FANS
Holden stunned the Australian market with its Monaro and in 1969 had its eyes fixed on further dominance of the ‘youth’ market with a six-cylinder version of the Torana.
Ford seemed unperturbed, but Chrysler was vulnerable to any further growth in the market power of its main rival. Then in May 1969 with a price of just $2798 came the product of one of the greatest marketing ploys in Australian automotive history; the VF Valiant Pacer.
To all intents the Pacer was an American Dodge Dart without an optional V8 engine. Chrysler was smart enough to know it would be taking a huge social risk if it targeted an eight-cylinder model at younger buyers.
The engine that launched the Pacer was a high-compression version of the tried and very true 3.7-litre Slant Six. With a two-barrel carburettor and less exhaust restriction than standard Valiants, the Pacer motor produced 130kW or about 11kW more than the stock engine.
Like all good Chrysler Australia products, the standard transmission was three speed manual but in a very different configuration. The Pacer wasn’t ‘three on the tree’ it was ‘three by your knee’ with a hefty gearlever popping straight out of the floor and an odd shift pattern that placed reverse immediately above first where it was very easily snagged when snap-shifting to second.
Reflecting the very tight cost structure that dominated Pacer design, the brakes were finned drums all round with power-assisted front discs an option. Discs would become standard on the VG and subsequent Pacers.
With changes to Australian Design Rules set to include head restraints for the driver and front seat passenger, Chrysler made compliance with the new rule a feature of Pacer marketing. While the company might have preferred its seats to be known as ‘aircraft style’, the tall reclining buckets were dubbed ‘tombstones’ by some commentators and the name stuck.
VF Valiants in common with HK Holdens had no room in their dashboard architecture for a tachometer. Rather than follow Holden’s path and mount the tacho behind the gear-lever where it was invisible and useless, Chrysler put a strange, strip-format device on top of the dash where it just gave the driver eyestrain.
From the outside it wasn’t difficult to differentiate the sporty new Valiant from boring ones driven by bank managers and policemen. There were bright new colours including Wild Yellow and Cosmic Blue contrasted with a black accent stripe. A red grille strip was there to match the redline tyres and accompanying them were unique hubcaps that suggested the appearance of a cast wheel. Completing the sporty imagery were ‘Pacer’ 225’ decals mounted low on both sides and at the rear and a rectangular tip for the exhaust.
Finding a VF Pacer in any condition has become very difficult, with outstanding cars hardly ever seen on specialist sales sites. A handful of VF Wagons were built to Pacer specifications but never officially sold. At least five survive and scarcity suggests they would be worth at least a little bit more than the equivalent sedan.