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.

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 VX.

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.)