The first new car I owned was an orange 1976 770 Valiant Charger, 3 speed manual on the floor with a hemi 245 engine and mags. I absolutely loved that car and so have a real soft spot for Valliant’s and as they were known as then, Chrysler Valiant.
So, when I first read Rob Margeit’s recent article on drive.com.au ‘The last Valiant; Bulky, bloated, boring”, I took it personally and thought it was bit harsh. Although when I rationally think back to 1981 and the CM Valiant GLX (of which my father had one), Rob is right that sadly it certainly wasn’t one of Chryslers best offerings.
I do take solace from the fact that it wasn’t really a Chrysler, as over a period between 1979 and 1980 Mitsubishi bought the Australian arm of the company, and although they continued to build the Valiant, they didn’t want their name associated with it, I guess for obvious reasons. However, let’s not forget that Mitsubishi did build the mid-sized Mitsubishi 380 between 2005 and 2008 and wasn’t that a sight to behold!!
Anyhow enough of my bitterness, to rekindle a few memories, here is Rob Margeit’s drive.com.au article: