Found this new site, check it out if you get a chance
www.earlyholdens.com
Below is what is on the home page and I have highlighted in red the bit I don't know, question is, why did it start with an F?
Cheers M
Did you know Holden never named the FX a FX? It was actually named the 48-215 and it is believed that Repco were responsible for the FX prefix.
Parts books in 1957 show the first reference to the FX Holden and this seems to have come about by Holden naming it's second vehicle the FJ and than third variant the FE. So why FX? Well the "F" is easy to figure but the "X"? The letter X is used because X typically stands for unknown!
The 'F' in FX came about because the term FX as a name for the 48-215 series only came about after the FJ, FE, FC and FB had already been released by Holden. It made sense for whoever came up with the abbreviation to stick with the 'F'.
There are a few different versions and claims as to who came up with the abbreviation, ranging from used carsalesmen trying to save money on newspaper adverts, used cars salesmen sick of saying '48-215 Holden' to parts catalogue writers and storemen. Holden never adopted the nickname.
Mikey, Are you are aware of the key to why the FJ, FE, FC, FB, EK & EJ got their names and why all the models after that started with H?
Ken
Spill the beans Ken, Let us in on some of your knowledge!!!!!!! ;D
Shayne,
I can see where the X came from but don't know the original reason for calling it the FJ, sounds plausible to call the previous model the FX.
F because it's already there and X for the unknown.
Ken, I love knowing the root cause to little mysteries like this, let loose
Riddle me this Batman, I had a VH Commodore and can't remember if it was in the repair book or on part of the ID plate but the letters were VK or VL.
I remember thinking hmmm that's got to be more than just a pure coincidence. Already had next models names in the back of thier minds?
Heres one for people and don't use Google (well ok then, but think about it first) Why is WD40 called WD40?
Oh I nearly forgot, does anyone know why there was not a VD Commodore!!!!!!!!!
Couldn't help myself.
M
HEHE gonna spoil it all here
The "F" was a part of code used to denote the year of intended release of the vehicle simply put "F" was used to show the 1950's
48-215. 50-2106 etc all pre codes
FJ = 1953
FE = 1956
FC = 1958
FB = 1959 (released in 1960, but INTENDED for 59)
EK = 1961
EJ = 1962
EH = 1963
etc up till the coding changed from the HD onwards I believe??
so using this code system the most correct choice for the 48-215 would have been "GC" (for 1948)
but the other vehicles at the time were all "F" and "X" is s mentioned an unknown quantity
Code:
A B C D E F G H J K (no I used)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Can anyone shed light on the next coding series, ie why the HD wasn't an EF????
Matt you got the numbers round the wrong way
A B C D E F G H J K
0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Now the code works !
The HD was in fact intended to be the EF, but someone cracked the code and announced in the press what the new Holden would be called - so naturally Holden had to change the code system. It has never been officially confirmed, but the HD is supposed to represent the initials of the then GMH managing director David Hegland.
There is a picture of the EF in "The Heart of the Lion" - I can post a pic here if people are interested and don't have the book.
Ken
WD40 stands for "water disperser or water displacer" and I knew that without looking it up as a rep that used to sell the stuff told me that years ago. ???
Guys thanks for that insight, definitely one to keep under the hat.
Really out of a 100 Holden fans (across all timezones that is) how many would actually know that models followed a numbering/lettering scheme, I thought that they pulled them out of "you know where" because they sounded ok.
Ok that is sorted, next on the agenda, where did 215, 225 etc come from? There must be a reason, just a matter of knowing what it was. Did the person in charge of designations read a book that was 215 pages long? Did they weigh 215 pounds? Were someones kids aged 2, 1, and 5? etc, etc, etc. Or did they simply just sound cool on the day?
Cheers M
Just for fun
Ripped straight from Wikipedia,
WD-40 stands for "Water Displacement, 40th attempt"
Mikey,
The first letter stands for the world manufacturer number. GM is number 2
The second letter stand for the luxury level. 1 is standard, 2 is special
The third letter is the body style;
1 means 2 door coupe
2 means 2 door sedan
3 means 2 door convertible
4 not known
5 means 4 door sedan
6 means 4 door sedan/hatchback
7 means 4 door business sedan
8 means 4 door station sedan/2 door hatchback
9 means 4 door station sedan
04 means panel van
06 means coupe utility
Regards Ken
thanks Ken, my dyslexia kicked in transferring it from the paper I scribbled it on to the keyboard!
Thanks for the info on the HD, I for one would be interested in piccies.
Was there a new coding system put in place then on for the rest of the "H" series cars??
Matt
Ken,
That info is absolutely gold, jeez I do love that sort of background on things, I find it fascinating to learn something new about something you have had for ages.
Cheers M
Actually, that story about the X in FX meaning "unknown" is something of an urban myth.
There are original Holden blueprints that refer explicitly to an "FX" model, so the story that a dealer in Melbourne (or Repco - both have been claimed) coined the terminology is wrong.
[logged]
Here's a piece I wrote for our club magazine
Sideplate with help from Don Loffler on the subject. As you can see it was written with reference to earlyholdens.com...
TECH: ETYMOLOGY of the name "FX"I was reading the front page of earlyholdens.com:
QuoteDid you know Holden never named the FX a FX? It was actually named the 48-215 and it is believed that Repco were responsible for the FX prefix.
Parts books in 1957 show the first reference to the FX Holden and this seems to have come about by Holden naming it's second vehicle the FJ and than third variant the FE. So why FX? Well the "F" is easy to figure but the "X"? The letter X is used because X typically stands for unknown!
So is it true? Who knows! but it sure makes a good story.
Think you know a better reason? Send it to us and if it sounds viable we will include it on the web site somewhere.
So I thought, I'll take that challenge!
According to the letter codes introduced by Holden sometime after the 50-2106 (probably in late 1950), the 48-215 should by rights have been retrospectively named the "GC". The identifiers FJ, FE, EK and so on are a simple letter code based on the planned year of introduction. A=0, B=9, C=8, D=7, E=6, F=5, G=4, H=3, J=2, K=1 (the letter "I" was skipped). So FE=56, EK=61 and so on. The FJ and FB models both slipped their release dates, from 52 to 53 and 59 to 60 respectively. So on that basis the 48 should be the GC model.
The codes were dropped in 1965, with the introduction of the HD. By this time, both Ford and Chrysler had become serious local competition to Holden, and it had become necessary to maintain much better secrecy about planned changes to the vehicle. The letter-code was more or less common knowledge in the trade, which meant that Ford and Chrysler would quickly know that if Holden planned to introduce a new engine with their EH model - which of course they did - then it was going to be done in 1963. So the H series was introduced, with a random second letter. (There are photos of a clay model designed by Alfred Payze that was to replace the EH, identified as the EF series.) The code "HD" was chosen for the reversed initials of the Managing Director of Holden at the time, David Heglund.
I have read the claim that Repco introduced the FX nomenclature, and also that it originated with the used cars department of a dealership in Melbourne. I don't believe either to be true. I have a Repco Holden parts book from 1961, and there are no "FX" references in it. I also have one from 1970, which has hundreds of references to 48-215, and one single reference to "FX/FJ" in all of its 746 pages, which seems more likely a lapse in the standards than anything. In any case, the term "FX" was commonly appearing in second-hand vehicle classifieds by 1970, so wherever else the term originated, it wasn't at Repco.
[/logged]
story continues... (too long for one post)
[logged]I cannot claim credit for this research, for it is the work of my friend the respected Holden historian Don Loffler, author of She's A Beauty (new enlarged 2006 edition soon to be available!), Still Holden Together and The FJ Holden. He unearthed original documentation from GM-H that explicitly refers to the FX. It is in relation to the first model Holden, but not in the sense that most people assume.
It was a code originally used by GMH engineers to refer to the revised front(F) cross(X)-member, introduced in conjunction with a new suspension design for both 48 Series sedans and 50 Series utilities in February 1953. These new suspension (N/S) Holdens are commonly referred to now as the Air Ride models, and GMH used them to pre-test the changes before introducing them on the FJ model in October 1953. FJ-style bumper bar overriders were added to distinguish the N/S model from the O/S (old suspension) model.
It is thought that people in GMH's NASCO department first of all adopted the term FX for the new suspension components only, but later began to use the term for all 48 and 50 Series spare parts. It does not take much imagination to believe that the Repco people picked up the term from the NASCO people.
To dispel another commonly repeated myth, the suffix "215" has nothing to do with the size of the engine. Although it is true that the original grey engine's capacity of 132.5 cu. in. is quite close to 2.15L, this is simply coincidence. After all, neither USA (where the motor was originally designed) nor Australia were using the metric system then; it wasn't introduced in Australia until much later, and has never been adopted in the US. The digits 21 are one of the General Motors international codes for an Australian vehicle, and 5 refers to a sedan body-style. Subsequently the prefixes 22 and 23 were introduced, identifying the "Special" and "Premier" levels of vehicle. Hence 215/219 = Standard Sedan/Wagon, 225/229 = Special Sedan/Wagon, and from EJ on, 235/239 = Premier Sedan/Wagon. 06 is the code for Coupe Utility, and 04 for Panel Van (or Sedan Delivery as they were known by GM). The odd one out is the Business Sedan, which was originally stamped 48-215-257, as a variation (or "Regular Production Option") on the regular sedan. This was reduced to simply FJ-217 with the next release, and the model was discontinued during the FC's model run.
by Richard Thomas and Don Loffler
Interestingly, I see Ken's previous reply corrects an error in the last paragraph of that article. The codes aren't 21, 22, 23, but 2, with 1, 2, 3 following. They ultimately mean the same thing.
[/logged]
cheers
RET
Great stuff guys, very interesting to see the different theories. One small correction Richard, 239 (Premier wagon) was introduced with EH, not EJ. EJ Prem was available as a sedan only.
Cheers,
Graham
;)Hey!!!! Great work Guys. Thanks!!!!
Pic of the never released EF Holden
Ken
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/mcl1959/efholden.jpg)
Looks a bit like a Vauxhall cresta
g'day all
that car is bloody ugly!!! ::),and everone thought the hd was bad!
i think all holdens are a in between of vauxhalls and chevs, the ef looks very vauxhall, it was so pommie looking i think that they had to can the project and throw the HD together, wich was hastilly designed and as a kid i was told the HD stood for "hastilly designed" by GM becuase holden stuffed up on the design for the model after the EH.
When i was a kid there was this show on tv with a man and a dog, think it was called simon townsends wonderwolrd and they explained the holden code thing on there, i wrote it down as then i used to sit infront of the tv drawing alot, I thought it was real cool and tried to use it in the playground but none of the other kids were that into it and didnt want to learn my code
The FX was styled in the USA as we all know and the FE was entirely designed by the Holden engineers in Australia although the body does look a little similar to the 52 Chev. Thereafter the designs were strongly influenced by the Americans once again with a heavy Chevrolet theme (1955 Chev for the FB/EK). The EJ was styled in Australia but the people at GM did not like it at all and it received a radical change to the front to bring it into line with "Current GM thinking". The EH was further refined by the Americans and this can be seen by the way the EH looks far more like a 1961 Chev than the EJ did.
The Australians began work on the EF with heavy OPEL influence whilst the US were working on the HD with Buick and Oldsmobile influence. (Early 60's Buick and Olds themes are very obvious in the frontal and taillight treatments). The EF was canned by the US as soon as they saw it and the HD was approved. Although the HD front guards have been heavily criticised over the years, the truth of the matter is that the HD was the fastest selling Holden of all time.
Ken
g'day all :)
long live the HD!...the first model .AVALIABLE with factory disc brake front end,ball joint! twin carbies,headers,full dash instumentation wow the X2 :) ....who said that this car was thrown together by the Gen??,.........the front gaurds ,well ya love em or simply hate em.....still a very cool car 8)and gettin a bit hard to find a good one now days
Very impressive. It would be great, if you could put some of all this knowledge on www.ClassicCarBase.com so that the whole world can enjoy.
So, Ken, was that car a mock up or was it drivable? If it was a complete car, does it still exist?
;) I think I have one just like it in my Grandads shed and think it might be worth something ;) ;D
Paul,
I'm pretty sure that's a clay model. If you have a look at the front view you can see there's no interior to the car.
So what's in your grand-dad's shed, I wonder? ;)
RET