Midstate Mopars highlight – 1960 Valiant Suburban

Midstate Mopars marked its 18th edition in 2025, with the Central Victorian Chrysler Club Inc. running the event to a formula that combines a cruise of the Bendigo region on one day and a show ‘n’ shine in Bendigo’s Town Hall precinct on the following day.

Held over the King’s Birthday long weekend in June, this year’s Midstate Mopars was impacted by rain, but the show ‘n’ shine still attracted more than 150 cars, including some genuine rarities, like this early Valiant wagon.

Australia was introduced to the Valiant in 1962 in the form of the ‘R Series’, but the model had made its US debut more than two years earlier in response to imported “compact” cars that were growing in popularity. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Q Series’, the first Valiant was pitched as a standalone brand in North America for the 1960 model year before being reclassified as a Plymouth model from 1961.

In Australia, a four-door sedan was the only body style offered across both the R and S Series, with a wagon not coming here until the AP5 Series in late 1963 – six months after the AP5 sedan was released. It was a different story in the US, with a station wagon was available from the Valiant’s debut. Being “one that never was” in Aussie terms, this wagon turned a lot of heads at Midstate Mopars.

The early Valiant wagons were available with the same trim levels – V-100 or V-200 – as the sedans in the US, while ‘Suburban’ was the same suffix applied to Plymouth’s full-size wagons of the period. A 170ci Slant Six was the only engine offered for the Valiant in 1960, although two power ratings were available. The 225ci Slant Six that’s more familiar to Aussie Valiant buffs was added to US-market Valiants for 1962.

Mostly authentic and in good condition overall, an RHD conversion on this very rare classic makes it more practical for Aussie roads.

To see JUST CARS’ report from the 2025 Midstate Mopars, click HERE.