HQ Sandman Van Released date

[GNW1974]

I read in the latest Unique Cars mag a comment that the Sandman vans weren't released until March 74 from one of the journo's. Would that explain the rarity or are there
plenty of HQ vans dated prior to March 74? In a lot of the discussions on this site, I have noticed, are sort of April onwards with build dates. Obviously a Feb made van or ute realistically would have hit the market late Feb/Early March anyway.

[HK1837]

2/74 is the offical release as far as I know.

[GNW1974]

either way it would have cut the sales potential by two months, therefor the Q's would have had only 7 months sales time, extra reason why they are so low in numbers.

[will.co]

And if the end run I'd the q's had j bodies that makes a q bodied even rarer.

As there have been alot turn up without the xx7 but everything else it would mean that one with would be rarer again.

I ask the question that maybe cause Holden realized potential in the market maybe they got a load of the q's packaged them as Sandmans and sold them as such but without the package code so they could clear em out and start on the j ?

Food for thought

[GNW1974]

The other issue is marketing, nowhere as sophisticated as today, a good example is so few brochures, adds e.t.c. we see on this site. Did they ever make tv adds for Sandmans. I lived in the country with ABC only so had Buckleys chance of seeing them around that time.

In the 37 years since 1974 I cannot ever recall seeing a Q Sandman van or ute on the road in SA or WA other than the one I had in the early 80's. Even then unfortunately it had the HJ front put on it. I have spent many years on the road with my work so would have had plenty of opportunity to see one. Seen the odd HJ van but also cannot ever recall seeing a HJ ute.

[will.co]

Well they would have been market testers I suppose and perhaps that's why the stripes and stuff changed as well. Maybe to more suit the youth market so make it bigger bolder and more in ya face!!

I've got copies of all the Sandman brochures and also have press pics of the q's in a car yard. The marketing material certainly got a lot more flashy so probably when they realized they were on to something they picked it up and ran with it. Prior to that the van was always a commercial vehicle and was marketed as one.

Lots of the old panelvan brochures I have are definatelly targeted at youth only the commercial one so it was a huge mission to turn a plumbers van into something cool I suppose.

I'm too young to know but maybe someone here can tell me that maybe there was just a social trend around vans emerging so Holden capitalized and bang here is the Hq sandman?

Far out look out these are selling well and the kids love em, quick badge up the last of those belmonts with the last of that monaro gear, put stripes on em sell em as sandmans and we will get the hj started and really push this sandman craze.

Far out somany old blokes who ask me bout my hq didn't even know they existed but they know a lot about old holdens.

I'll bet my black arse there aren't Many, they weren't meant to be they were just a way to test a market clear out old stock and hence we have a beautiful, rare, highly sort after and classic piece of Australian motoring history a fair dinkum icon.

I've researched my heart out on these cars and even the books and magazines to this day don't have any figures on them or what price they were sold for.
I know how much mine sold for and it's well over what a v8 Belmont sold for so that's another piece if the puzzle.

The figures aren't there cause Holden didn't bother counting till the hj cause the HQ was a trial

--- Updated ---

It's all only the opinion of someone who wasn't even born yet though.

I meant to say the brochures were not targeted at youth market previouslly only a commercial one but can't edit post with iPhone sorry

[mauser]

PM HK1837 with the plate details and he will ask you some questions about the van.

Welcome mate.... HQeys are needed here.. haha


Mauser