In the local Coles car park the other day and I came across what I thought was a TJ Solara in the same "riversand" duco as mine. Upon closer inspection it was a TH. Anyway...the owner came along and was wondering why I was nosing about his car but we struck up a conversation when he saw my car and understood my interest. He reckons that the very last of the TH Magnas were virtually identical to the TJ, bar the tail-light assembly and the front grill.

Any ideas? Was there a "transition" model before the TJ?

Externally all THs (both the start and finish) were the same as TJ apart from front grille, bonnet, bootlid and taillights (and probably wheel covering/alloys).

Externally all THs (both the start and finish) were the same as TJ apart from front grille, bonnet, bootlid and taillights (and probably wheel covering/alloys).

I thought as much but the car I was looking at had the reversing light section in the tail-light in a different position plus the "cleft" of the original TH tail-lights was not evident.

The lack of changes from TE to TL is probably one of the reasons MMA lost it's market share.

I thought as much but the car I was looking at had the reversing light section in the tail-light in a different position plus the "cleft" of the original TH tail-lights was not evident.
TE and TF had different taillights to TH, if that's what you're referring to?

The lack of changes from TE to TL is probably one of the reasons MMA lost it's market share.

Very true , really no more changes than Chrysler had with the VH-CM Valiants in a similar time frame, and Chrysler was criticised for that back in the day.

TE and TF had different taillights to TH, if that's what you're referring to?


Yep...

As to other comments. I would have to agree that the lack of any real change beyond the bonnets and tail lights was not good for the Magna in the sales race. The buying public were all wrapped up in the constant tooing and froing between the Falcon and Commodore. What saddens me most is the poor treatment dished out to Magnas by so-called motoring journalists. They just didn't really understand the car and neither did they point out the superior fit, finish and ride of the car to the public.

In my case I had been a Holden man all my life but once I had driven my Magna for a couple of weeks I was so glad I left the Lion well behind. In every respect the Magnas I have owned have been superior cars of which Australia should rightly be proud.

The lack of changes from TE to TL is probably one of the reasons MMA lost it's market share.

If you updated each time a new model came out you'd have to get a different colour so the neighbours would notice.

Yep...

As to other comments. I would have to agree that the lack of any real change beyond the bonnets and tail lights was not good for the Magna in the sales race. The buying public were all wrapped up in the constant tooing and froing between the Falcon and Commodore. What saddens me most is the poor treatment dished out to Magnas by so-called motoring journalists. They just didn't really understand the car and neither did they point out the superior fit, finish and ride of the car to the public.

In my case I had been a Holden man all my life but once I had driven my Magna for a couple of weeks I was so glad I left the Lion well behind. In every respect the Magnas I have owned have been superior cars of which Australia should rightly be proud.

I couldn't agree more Stroppy. I too had many Toranas and Commodores when I was younger. I seem to remember Magnas being the butt of many jokes. I was probably just as guilty of pulling the p**s out of Magnas, until I drove one.

You can pull a Magna apart 10 times and put it back together in the knowledge that everything will fit. Try that with a commodore and see what result you get.

Having said that, we should probably keep it to ourselves. If everyone realises how good magnas are they'll all get snapped up and that will bugger it up for the rest of us!

TE http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/fordfalcongt/Magna/TE_Altera.jpg

TFhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/fordfalcongt/Magna/TF_wagon.jpg

TH http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/fordfalcongt/Magna/TH_Executive.jpg

TJhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/fordfalcongt/Magna/TJ_VRX.jpg

Just not enough changes ....... until the TL. At least the VT/VX/VZ all got different Headlights .....

Maybe the lack of changes worked out in favour for Mitsubishi.
I mean, look at what happened when the L series came out.
No change must be better than a change for the worse?

TH was the last model to have the 3.0 engine in the exec ( I owned one), TJ and onwards, the 3.5 was standard on all models. There was no transition as such.

Maybe the lack of changes worked out in favour for Mitsubishi.
I mean, look at what happened when the L series came out.
No change must be better than a change for the worse?

I agree, from what i've heard sales started to drop off through the production of the TF, people were obviously realising how dated the shape was, especially compared to the AU/VT.
Along with the fact that there wasn't much interesting in the Magna line up, yes there was the Xi, but what else? A sports magna looked very similar to a normal magna. However, a AU1 XR6 is different, ugly but different, and this is coming from a Ford man. People could tell the difference between Holden and Ford models, whilst magnas all looked the same. By the time the TJ came out, we had an AWD, VRX and a GTV, all awesome cars, however the writing was already on the wall. Supposedly there was lots full of TJ/KJs that couldn't be sold even whilst the TL was in the showroom, creating an ever long backlog of lost money.
I personally believe the TL/TW was a great addition to the magna line up, the VRX and GTVi were some of my favourite models MMAL put out. I remember going to a dealership in year 11 to look at a TW VRX and falling in love with it, unfortunately I just couldn't get the dealer down enough and it ended up being snapped up. The interior was updated nicely and everything just felt nice, not saying the TJ wasn't but it's just felt like it was more refined.
People just didn't like that model as it looked like a big lancer, that's what people that I grew up with thought anyway. I liked it, and still do, I may never buy a TL/TW but I hope one day I get to take one out and discover what could of been.

TH was the last model to have the 3.0 engine in the exec ( I owned one), TJ and onwards, the 3.5 was standard on all models. There was no transition as such.

it wasn't until the TJII that the 3.5 was standard, MAGEVO had a 3.0 TJ

TH was the last model to have the 3.0 engine in the exec ( I owned one), TJ and onwards, the 3.5 was standard on all models. There was no transition as such.
That wasn't true as far as I can determine: there were definitely some 3.0 auto TJs (both wagon and sedan, I have 2 sedan ECUs) and there were supposed to be some manuals as well (sedan only). They were dropped at the first running update though...

I agree totally with the comments above about the quality, after owing many Falcons and Holdens, which I had to change every two years as they were crap I have owned a TR for 9 years with no trouble and a TJ for 12 years, again with virtually now trouble( the trouble I had was caused by a dealer not doing services properly) My car had done 270thousand Ks and I'm not changing it for the world.

I agree, from what i've heard sales started to drop off through the production of the TF, people were obviously realising how dated the shape was, especially compared to the AU/VT.
Along with the fact that there wasn't much interesting in the Magna line up, yes there was the Xi, but what else? A sports magna looked very similar to a normal magna. However, a AU1 XR6 is different, ugly but different, and this is coming from a Ford man. People could tell the difference between Holden and Ford models, whilst magnas all looked the same. By the time the TJ came out, we had an AWD, VRX and a GTV, all awesome cars, however the writing was already on the wall. Supposedly there was lots full of TJ/KJs that couldn't be sold even whilst the TL was in the showroom, creating an ever long backlog of lost money.
I personally believe the TL/TW was a great addition to the magna line up, the VRX and GTVi were some of my favourite models MMAL put out. I remember going to a dealership in year 11 to look at a TW VRX and falling in love with it, unfortunately I just couldn't get the dealer down enough and it ended up being snapped up. The interior was updated nicely and everything just felt nice, not saying the TJ wasn't but it's just felt like it was more refined.
People just didn't like that model as it looked like a big lancer, that's what people that I grew up with thought anyway. I liked it, and still do, I may never buy a TL/TW but I hope one day I get to take one out and discover what could of been.

If you ever come over to WA, send me a PM and you can borrow my TW VRX for a day. Hopefully it'll take you back to Year 11 as your manually shifting your way around Perth

I got a brand new TL company car back in the day, hated the headlights and front end look (seemed a polarising styling change), but I was very impressed with the overall package.

I got a brand new TL company car back in the day, hated the headlights and front end look (seemed a polarising styling change)

Big eye Boulay look... everybody stopped complaining about TJ's giant "beak".

Don't hear any "Barbra Streisand" comments anymore today eh? ;)

You can pull a Magna apart 10 times and put it back together in the knowledge that everything will fit. Try that with a commodore and see what result you get.


I noticed that. Daughter needed a new manual window winder mechanism in the driver's door on her Commodore.
Pretty much a nightmare of broken, poorly fitting bits, but I don't know how many times that door has been apart.
1950's American design and manufacturing at its worst, I thought at the time.

If you ever come over to WA, send me a PM and you can borrow my TW VRX for a day. Hopefully it'll take you back to Year 11 as your manually shifting your way around Perth

That would be awesome mate!