1975 Holden HJ Sandman Panelvan

If any Australian vehicle symbolised the sensational Seventies, it was Holden's Sandman, a sporting package available to customers of the commercial range of utes and panel vans from 1974 until 1980. The Sandman will forever be associated with the thriving surf culture of the day and has since become an Aussie icon. The Sandman offered here was based on the HJ series Holden, an update of the HQ model introduced in October 1974, with improved equipment levels, more options and revised sheetmetal. The Sandman package consisted of bold graphics plus a host of features designed to appeal to a younger crowd, including the sports instrumentation, sports steering wheel, bucket seats and Rally road wheels sourced from the Monaro. Options included automatic transmission, power steering and air conditioning and, as a marketing tool, the Sandman proved immensely successful for GM-H, pushing the final cost of many a panel van or ute well above the basic list price. For additional grunt, the Sandman could be ordered with a V8 (in either 4.2 or 5.0-litre guise) and equipped with a limited-slip diff. Holden's panel vans proved remarkably popular with customisers, who came up with some amazing paint jobs, body modifications and fully decked-out interiors, but these days finding an original Sandman is the dream of many enthusiasts and values have soared in recent years.