any one know what this is ??? as i have never seen one before and was wondering if it is a holden badge or something completely different ;D
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120183383501&indexURL=0&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting
Cheers damo58
Hey damo58
It sure is a genuine Holden badge.
Made of brass and fitted to all cars built by Holdens from the early 20's.
It was replaced by a smaller badge in 1926, that featured the lion for the first time.
Regards
Alex
So what year was the first Holden built? I have seen other stuff from the 30's on ebay but always thought of '48 as the first year. Was Holden taken over by GM after the war or something?
Holden was originally a saddle maker (I have a "Holden & Frost Saddlers and Motor Trimmers" wooden ruler at home)
When cars started coming to Australia they started making bodies for them ie the running chassis was exported and Holden made the body.
I am not sure when GM took over.
yep, holden was a coachmaker making bodies for a whole range of imported chassis, I believe alot of european - wolesely etc, as well as the americans GM.
Just remembered I pinched these facts from somewhere, years and years ago
Milestones
1856 Begins as J.A Holden & Co, saddlery business, Adelaide, South Australia
1913 Produces complete motorcycle sidecar bodies
1914 Produces its first complete custom-made car body
1917 Commences large-scale production of car bodies
1918 Holden & Frost sets up Holden's Motor Body Builders (HMBB)
1924 Opens Woodville, South Australia - most modern production line in Australia
1924 Woodville sole local body supplier for GM vehicles
1925 Produces first closed bodied type cars
1925 Becomes biggest bodybuilding operation outside North America, Continental Europe
1926 General Motors Australia (GMA) is formed
1928 'Lion-and-stone' emblem first used
1931 Merge of GMA and HMBB to General Motors-Holden's
1934 Produces first coupe-utility
1936 New headquarters, Fishermens Bend, Melbourne
1939 Vauxhall 14 J-Type. Its first unitary construction car
1942 First Australian company to mass-produce internal combustion engines including Gypsy Major aeroplane, Gray Marine, and a 4-cylinder radial torpedo
1945 Responds to Australian Federal Government invitation to produce an Australian car
1948 Launch of Australia's first locally manufactured car by Prime Minister Ben Chifley
1953 May. Produces its 100,000th Holden, a 48-215(FX)
1956 January. Produces its 250,000th Holden, an FJ
1957 Produces first Holden station wagon, based on FE sedan
1957 Produces its 1 millionth car body
1957 Operations begin at Lang Lang Proving Ground
1958 October. Produces its 500,000th Holden, an FC
1962 Produces 1 millionth Holden, an EJ
1966 Australian safety first. Fits seat belts on all models
1967 Launches first small Holden, the Torana
1967 Exports its 100,000th Holden
1968 Introduces HK range including Australia's first sports coupe, HK Monaro
1968 Introduces energy-absorbing steering column to Australia
1969 Opens first Australian automotive safety design test centre at Lang Lang Proving Ground, Victoria
1969 Exhibits first Australian-made V8 - the Holden Hurricane experimental car
1969 Produces its 2 millionth Holden, an HT
1974 Produces its 3 millionth Holden, an HJ
1978 October. Launches its first Commodore, the VB
1981 Sir Laurence Hartnett drives 4 millionth Holden, a VC Commodore, off the line
1983 Builds its 200,000th engine, and exports its 250,000th by year's end
1991 VN Commodore retains title of Australia's most popular car
1992 Australian safety first. Introduces anti-lock brakes (ABS)
1993 Australian safety first. Introduces driver airbag system
1994 Unveils new corporate identity under single banner of 'Holden'
1994 VR Commodore tops passenger car market
1995 Introduces new 3800 ECOTEC V6 engine
1997 Launches all new VT Commodore - wins Wheels Car of the Year
1998 Anniversary celebrations to commemorate 50 years since the launch of 'Australia's Own Car' - the 48-215
To give you an idea of how many cars had their bodies made by Holden, here is a list (not a complete list) of makes that had some or all of their production bodies made by Holden
Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile & Chevrolet were the big 4 GM brands plus Oakland, Vauxhall & Cadillac which were also GM vehicles
Other American makes included Hudson, Essex, Dodge, Durant, Dort, Chalmers, Rugby, Chandler, Studebaker and Nash
European cars included Fiat, Austin & Morris
A little known fact that Ford had bodies made by Holden up till 1925
Imagine the irony of owning a Ford with a body by Holden nowadays! ;D
Ken