[ Retro Car Mania ]

The Kingswood sedan and wagon were released as part of the new HK series of Holdens in January 1968 (commercials: March 1968). This was an all-new body design, larger and heavier than the previous HR series. The HK series carried over the same local six-cylinder engines, but introduced the first V8 into the Holden range, the fully-imported 307-cubic-inch (5.0 L) Chevrolet small-block engine.

The Monaro and the Brougham were introduced mid-year of 1968, thereby broadening GM's range of locally built full-size cars in Australia.

The HT series launched in May 1969. Soon after, the introduction of a new locally manufactured Holden 253-cubic-inch (4.1 L) V8 engine was then followed by a larger displacement 308-cubic-inch (5.0 L) version. The 307-cubic-inch (5.0 L) Chevrolet V8 engine had remained an option for all HT series cars up until the local 308 engine was introduced on the HT Brougham sedan.

The range of three six-cylinder engines carried over to the HT series, however the transmission options for the V8 engines were many and varied. Initially, the 253 V8 only came with either three-speed column- or four-speed floor-mounted manual transmissions. The 307 V8 was only available with two-speed Powerglide automatic. This arrangement continued until the 307 stocks were exhausted, following which the 253 and 308 locally built V8 engines could then be ordered with any manual or automatic transmission across the range, excepting the Holden Brougham which was always specified as a 308 automatic. A new locally manufactured three-speed automatic transmission, the Tri-Matic, was introduced late in the life of the HT range, except on HT Brougham which retained the two-speed automatic Powerglide transmission.

The HG series of July 1970 was a minor refinement of the existing formula, adopted as the marketing platform for the new three-speed automatic transmission option called Tri-Matic. The first of these locally-made transmissions actually found their way into the last of the HT series cars. These transmissions were later criticised for unreliability and became colloquially known as the Traumatic. Only the HG Monaro GTS350 retained the Powerglide transmission if an automatic preference was optioned.