Nostalgia

It’s been 70 years since Holden launched its first car

Nov 29, 2018

Car enthusiasts across the country celebrate 70 years since the first Holden vehicle rolled off the production line. Source: Instagram/ Holden Australia

It has been 70 years since iconic Aussie company Holden placed itself on the map as a significant car manufacturer with the rollout of its first vehicle.

The historic Holden 48-215, or more commonly known Holden FX, was launched out of the garage and onto the road in November of 1948, exciting car enthusiasts across the world and putting Holden in the spotlight.

Around 400 guests gathered with anticipation as the silver curtains parted to reveal the cream-coloured vehicle before it was finally released for sale to the public at Port Melbourne in Victoria.

https://twitter.com/DavidBromage/status/1067902041060597760

The mid-sized sedan gained many of its features from the Chevrolet as the original design was penned by the company in United States. However, it never came to be in the United States as it was apparently too small for the market there.

This was good news for Holden with the steep price not even deterring Aussies from emptying their pockets and purchasing the vehicle. Thousands of orders were made following the unveiling and within no time Holden vehicles were dominating Australian roads.

Of those most remembered and loved were the EH Holden, manufactured from 1958 to 1968, the Holden HQ Monaro GTS and the Holden VB Commodore.

Holden HQ Monaro GTS pic.twitter.com/ZPiJfHnPe5

— Pix of Cars (@pixofcars) January 17, 2016

The EH is known as one of the fastest selling Aussie cars created, with more than 250,000 sold over the period of 18 months. Meanwhile, the HQ Monaro 350 GTS was made famous for its 5.7 litre Chevrolet sourced V8 engine and optional racing stripes.

As for the VB Commodore, that was the first Holden to be based on a European car rather than an American one. It was this car that helped Aussie legend Peter Bock reach success in the Australian Touring Car Championship.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BepMsGHFhQu/

Sadly, Holden closed its doors for the final time just over a year ago, marking an incredibly sad day for the Australian car industry. On the last day of business the factory in the Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth held a private ceremony for Holden workers past and present.

The last car produced by the Elizabeth factory was a red Commodore V8 sedan. Pictures of the vehicle topped with a “Last Car” sign, emerged on social media the day before the factory closed its doors.

From someone who has never owned anything other than Commodores Farewell to Holden ManufacturingAustralia- last day/ last car
no words ☹️ pic.twitter.com/3hTMxX4GDa

— Jacqui Sanders (@Ela_Dara_) October 19, 2017

The post received many comments from Holden fans who shared their experiences owning the popular vehicles.

“I want to thank all the Holden employees past and present for building the best cars in the world,” one person commented.

Another added: “Between my grandparents, parents and I, my guess would be we owned 60.”

And a third said: “An extremely sad day indeed”.

At the start of 2018, Holden cars began to be manufactured overseas. While some still make their way back to Australian shores for purchase, the quintessentially Aussie aspect of the brand is a thing of the past.