Founded by British immigrant James Alexander Holden in 1852 as a leather works and saddler, by 1910 the company would be trimming motor vehicles and, in 1914, they manufactured their first one-off car body fitted to an imported Lancia chassis. The company would go from strength to strength when, in 1917, the Australian government placed an embargo on fully assembled vehicles. Became the exclusive GM body builder in 1924, and was subsequently acquired by GM in 1931 during the depression. Sir Laurence Hartnett was sent to Australia from the US with a view to making it profitable, or closing it down.

Holding the Australian work ethos in high regard, he was able to increase production and efficiency, and court the Australian government with the idea of building an entirely Australian car. Assisted by the Commonwealth Bank, Hartnett and Jack Horn made a pitch to the Detroit headquarters for the …”Manufacture of Complete Motor-Cars in Australia”. The resultant 48/215 would go on sale in 1948, and the name Holden would be indelibly etched into the Australian motoring landscape for all time.

Also see: Holden History | Holden History (AUS Edition)

		Holden 48/215 (FX) 1948 - 1953 Prime Minister Ben Chifley launched the car 'made in Australia, for Australia' in 1948, and nobody guessed what a runaway success this plain and practical sedan would immediately prove to be. Australians took the Holden straight to their hearts, commencing a love affair that continues to this day. More >>

		Holden FJ 1953 - 1956 The FJ came along after five years of producing the 48-215 (FX) and was basically the same car with a few minor alterations to the body. Nevertheless the FJ proved to be such a marketing success that there were waiting lists at every dealer! More >>

		Holden FE 1956 - 1958 GMH recognised that buyers wanted their cars to be an individual statement about themselves, and so introduced new color schemes and models - in fact seven distinct models were now available including, in 1957, the introduction of a station wagon (at the time referred to as a "Station Sedan"). More >>

		Holden FC 1958 - 1960 As with the introduction of the FJ, Holden had learnt that to revise or "facelift" a model half way through its life would maintain interest and therefore sales. And so the FC was simply an improved version of the FE, and following the FX to FJ formula it sported more chrome and a more elegant grille. More >>

		Holden FB 1960 - 1961 The FB had its engine size increeased from the original 132ci to 138ci which gave it 3kw more but because of the heavier body it was actually slower than the older model. More >>

		Holden EK 1961 - 1962 The EK was the first Holden to offer an automatic ("hydramatic") transmission as an option on all models. This transmission was imported from America, and was regarded as one of the best available in the world. More >>

		Holden EJ 1962 - 1963 The EJ was the last model offered with the popular 'grey motor', which had been in use since the first Holden produced in 1948, albeit with a few refinements. More >>

		Holden EH 1963 - 1965 Holden Motor Company's greatest seller at the time, this model introduced the new "Red" motors using an oversquare design with a seven bearing crankshaft. They were the first Holden to use hydraulic valve lifters, and external oil pump and oil filter for easier servicing. More >>

		Holden HD 1965 - 1966 Dubbed 'Holden's Disaster', this model was considered the ugly duckling after the public's acceptance of the EH's shape. More >>

		Holden HR 1966 - 1968 Basically a face-lift of the previous HD model, GM's US stylists redesigned the somewhat unpopular HD shape and came up with one much more appealing to the Australian public. This was reflected in sales, with many more HR's being sold than HD's. More >>