Holden

1880s: The Holden and Frost company was building (horse) carriages and coaches.

1914: The firm started building car bodies.

1924: The firm's name became Holden's Motor Body Builders.

1931: Holden's Motor Body Builders and General Motors Australia merged to form General Motors-Holden's Limited.

1948: The Australian built and designed Holden 48-215 (the "FX") first came off the production line; 6-cyl., 2.15 litres. The price was £733.

1953: Launch of the Holden FJ.

1955 FJ

The Aus. National Museum, Canberra, holds this immaculate 1955 FJ Holden.

 

1955 FJ Holden,

loa 4408mm, width 1702mm, wheelbase 2616mm,

2150cc straight 6-cyl petrol,

3-speed + rev manual gearbox,

price £1023 when new.

1956: Holden FE.

1958: Holden FC.

1960: Holden FB.

1961: Holden EK.

1962: Holden EJ.

1963: Holden EH.

1965: Holden HD.

1966: Holden HD.

1968: Holden HK. Options included a/c, and a V8.

1969: Holden HT.

1969: The Holden 'Hurricane', RD 001, (working) concept 2-seat sports car is 990mm tall, and has a (rear-) mid-mounted 4.2-litre (253 in³) V8 engine, 'Pathfinder' route guidance system, rear vision camera, and a still futuristic canopy that lifts upwards and forwards on parallel arms, rather than doors.

It was shown at the 1969 Melbourne Motor Show but, sadly, went no further. However the prototype did survive and was restored at Holden starting in 2006.

1971: Holden HQ.

1974: Holden HJ.

1976: Holden HX.

1977: Holden HZ.

1978: The VB Commodore marked a move to a more European kind of family car. 2.85 litre I6, 3.3 litre I6 or 5.0 litre V8. Priced from $6,513.

1980: Commodore VC. (A 4-cylinder 1.9 litre option, offered in response to rising fuel prices, was not popular compared to the 6 and V8.)

1981: Commodore VH.

1984: Commodore VK.

1986: Commodore VL. With the introduction of ULP in Australia, the VL had a Nissan-sourced 3 litre straight-6 (also a turbocharged version) which proved popular. Alternatively there was a 5 litre GM V8.

1988: Commodore VN, based on an Opel (.de) design. 3.8 litre V6 (or 5 litre V8), from $20,014.

1991: Commodore VP.

1993: Commodore VR.

1995: Commodore VS.

1997: Commodore VT, the 3rd major incarnation, from $29,760.

2000: Commodore VX.

2002: Commodore VY.

2004: Commodore VZ, 3.6 litre V6.

2006: Commodore VE, the 4th major design, priced from $36,490. (Sportwagon station wagon version in 2008.) A 3-litre V6 became an option in Aug. 2009.  2010 September: VE Series II on sale, 3-litre V6, 3.6-litre V6, or 6-litre V8. The 3-litre and the V8 are "flex-fuel" engines, able to run on E85.

2006: Holden introduced the Captiva SUV (.kr) into .au.

2011: After 15 years as the number one seller in .au, the Commodore was toppled by the imported Mazda 3 (see 5 Jan 2012).

2013, February 10: The 'VF' Commodore was unveiled, going on sale mid-year, and to be exported to the USA as the Chevrolet SS Sports Sedan. "Regular production" began on 20 May 2013.

2016 October 7: "...the final Holden Cruze rolling off the production line at the Elizabeth assembly plant in South Australia. As Holden ... transition[s] from manufacturing to becoming a design, engineering and importing business ... Holden will continue to build the ... Commodore at Elizabeth until late 2017. ..." -- GM Holden.

2017, October 20: The end of Australian car production by last one standing, GM Holden.

2020, February 16: GM announced that it would "cease Holden sales, design and engineering operations by 2021".