Even though you didn't know all the facts and figures, you showcased your enthusiasm and wonder at some of the cars. What a great show. Thank goodness some were unmodified. Cheers.
Hitched the Nullabor in a Sandman in 1987. Such a long hitch it had an overnight stop and the owners let us sleep in the back while they checked into a roadhouse. Big with travellers and backpackers.
I know absolutely nothing of Aus or NZ cars . It's been fascinating seeing all the variety over there. 👍 You can clearly see hints of cars normally seen over here in the UK. They are kind of similar and yet very different both at the same time ? Large engines and wonderful bold colours. Great stuff.
Or the other way around, a hint of Holden in Opel and Vauxhalls. There is a long history of Australians and Kiwis starting at Holden and Ford design bureaus in Oz and being transferred to the UK and Europe and then eventually Detroit. Ford had an Australian CEO, Jack Nasser and GM had an Australian as head of global design, Mike Simcoe. There is a chance it could be the other way around, a whiff of Holden in both Opel and Vauxhalls.
There was a serious intention around 1965 that all three should share designs completely to save costs, but it petered out a bit. But definite interchange of shapes but not often interchangeable parts.
Some really beautiful cars there. I loved how the shapes are completely different with each generation. It's hard to believe that car show was just from one manufacturer!
Ian, the HB Viva, the single spoke steering wheel and the Citroen esque dashboard of the VN all came from the pen of a Mr Leo Prunueau. An American who was working in design at Vauxhall before being sent to Holden in the late 60’s. If he is still going, he would’ve been just down the road from this car meet. Long since retired, living in Melbourne somewhere. Unsure of his current health. Nice video, thank you!
Retired for over 30 years he retired to country Victoria and still does interviews and participated in judging for car awards etc. His retirement present was a 1988 Holden Camira wagon that he's still got in mint condition
I've seen people (mostly Ford die hards) put up pictures of 60s Opel Diplomats/Kapitans and say something stupid like this proves that Holdens are Opel copies because they look like HD/HRs. They look similar because Leo Pruneau and Don Laski did most of the styling on them and many other global GM cars in the 60s.
16:05 You are correct that no Torana came from the factory with that carb setup. However, there was a model offered with triple carbs - the GTR XU-1 - but they came with three Zenith-Strombergs, rather than Webers.
I'd still consider those (the FE, FC, FB and EK) all together as second gen - they all have the same basic shape and design language. Third gen would be EJ, EH and HR to my way of thinking...and I'm unaware of Holden ever really classifying anything back then as "x-gen", so it depends on how you view it, I guess. Either way, some awesome cars to peruse :-)
@@aussiebloke609 Very significant cosmetic changes externally though on the sedans mainly....this is how I view the generations. If you compare with the HK, HT, HG series the cosmetic changes were far less significant yet the underpinnings were basically identical....I'd consider those one generation....as I would EJ/EH on their own and HD/HR the same.
@@aussiebloke609 Inter changeable body parts on 48-215 and FJ also FE and FC then FB and EK next EJ and EH then HD and HR then HK,HT and HG etc. So I would say these are the generations defined by common body parts and some glass parts. Outside these little interchange.
The early Statesmans (replacing the Brougham) were basically Australian Cadillacs, they even licensed the wreath emblem and the Deville and Caprice name to use on those models.
@@steved3702 Ford disguising the origin of the Fairlane so well that I nearly got into a fight with a work colleauge who had Fairlanes in his family. Could not accept it was Falcon width. A much wider car he said. "We know we owned them." Nearly typed Failane twice for some reason, but a real success for Ford.
Thank you again Ian. I have to say the VL is my fave Holden. The one I owned was a great car. It was reliable, drove well and that six cylinder Nissan engine was smooth and powerful.
I owned a VH Commodore that had a 238ci stroker motor with triple carbs that came out of a speedboat (was from a bridge to bridge boat back in the day), we put a Ford C6 trans behind with an adaptor from Dellow Automotive, it used to get up and move once it was up in the revs (and happily sing to 8 grand)
EH goes back to 1962 and is based on the FB model, outward appearance-wise. EH was also the first model available with automatic gears. By 1964 Holden had moved on to HD and HR models. EH was the last of the E's,starting with the EK, then the EJ and finally the EH in 1962.
@@neilforbes416 Lots of errors from you . To start should be "EK goes back to 1962 and is based on the FB model, outward appearance-wise. " EH info would be better to read here : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_EH Quote you "EH was also the first model available with automatic gears." What no EK and EJ autos according to you. HD and HR both in 1964? Really?
The WB statesman at 20:40 dates from the early 80s. The very last of the kingswood body shape. They were all fitted with a 5 litre V8. And initially an American 3 speed auto that was subsequently downgraded to the cheaper Australian trimatic that you saw on the 1970's HQ. As a kid I loved these cars. I thought they looked so cool.
That's Leo P's work again (he's mentioned in another comment). The challenge for the last Statesman (the WB series) was to maximise the visual differences while minimising the tooling costs. Tricks like thin chrome (to disguise the thick window frames) and matching a new front fascia to the old bonnet are examlpes.
Great video mate, I took my 1962 Holden EK Ute to this event many years ago. Loved your video actually enjoy this to many of the other car shows vids. Loved your passion and knowledge and comparing to UK models. Made me giggle some of them and was fascinated by the modelling of our Australian cars. Look forward to more content especially once Covid restrictions are eased in Melbourne.
His NZ and Australia holiday visit ended around the time of the Grand Prix covid collapse, so headed back to Wales. Lots more content since, quite a few recorded here and posted later during UK lockdowns stopping shows. Could be worth looking at the long list of vids on his site.
Wonderful video Ian, some truly lovely old cars there, interesting that your favourite (the VL), was locally referred to as “The best car Holden never made”. German body with a Japanese power plant, GM jammed both ends of WWII together to make a car; the only “Aussie” bits were the faults rust and rattles they fitted as standard in the factory.
I enjoyed this video and have never seen so many Holdens' in one spot on one day in such a small space. Enjoy my motoring all the more in my SV6 for seeing this vid. Brings back memories. Had a Premier 253 V8 SW with a 4 speed Saginaw gearbox when first married. It had a huge pulling power, excellent brakes and is the thirstiest car I ever owned.
i'm not usually a fan of one make shows. but it made me realise how many holdens had sunk into my brain without realising. Bathurst might have something to do with it, as I have every race from the beginning until 93. And then of course, you have Australian tv. which was everywhere here in the uk for a long time. not so prevalent now. i'm right in thinking a sandman had a starring role in early neighbours episodes. a shame you didn't make it to Bathurst. maybe next time.
Cool look around, Statesman have a slightly longer wheelbase. The second generation Holden is the EK. The GTR Toranas came factory fitted with triple carbs. The blue Statesmen is a WB, they were the last of the steel cars
The 4 cylinder TA Torana, from 74, had the resemblance to the early 6 cylinder Toranas. They were the then current model when I was working in the Holden dealership in Hobart. Along with the 1300 cc engine they also came with a larger 4 than the common 1300. It was, if I recall correctly, a 1760 cc OHC engine. The earlier LC was offered with a 1600 cc version of the 1760. I was in the Truck and Torana division of the dealership and got to see and drive a lot of Toranas from the lowliest HB to the SLR5000. Got to play with a lot of Bedford, Chev and Isuzu trucks too.
24:37 I like these. 20:40 that's a WB Statesman Caprice -the higher spec over the DeVille version. In production from 1980 to 1984. Holden also built the WB Kingswood ute, one tonner tray body ute and panel van in this period. The utes came with a square head light front as well as the once commonly seen single round headlights version which looked a bit odd but purposeful. I think must owners fitted the more attractive flush rectangle headlights front on those or a Statesman front.
Just found this 3 year old video. You showed 2 of my dream cars. The completely original HQ Statesman de-ville and the not quite original WB Statesman Caprice. One day!! ❤️❤️
5:50 Whoo back Mate, You just went passed a HR Premier, my first car. I wish I still had it. 11:02 "Second Gen'". I am not picking on you mate I but do wonder who told you that. I would have thought second generation referred to the "Red Motor" replacing the "Grey Motor" often referred to as the "Sludgee". The red motor started in the EH with the choice of a 149 cid or the 179 cid. 15:57 That mate is the FJ. 23:29 That is the 48-215 ( I think thats its designation) but later known as the "FX". This is the first Holden. Great show mate. I know I couldn't go to England and identify all your cars. Well done.
I really enjoyed this video even though the world of Holden is a complete mystery to me. I enjoyed playing "that looks like a random Vauxhall". There were some lovely cars at the show. Thanks for sharing this with us!
Classic HubNut, parking in the competition area, fantastic. Not the sort of car meet to wear a "Real Men Drive Fords" T shirt I think. Also Ian mentions the lovely car colours then declares the beige Holden as the most HubNut. Great stuff Ian as usual. Thanks.
I'm Canadian and I don't know too much about Holdens. Not surprisingly, the company used the same names for cars in different countries. What I am surprised at is the resemblance to Oldsmobiles in some of these cars. The name Calais is the same as some. Sunbirds were Cavaliers, but Pontiacs. I really enjoyed this walk around. You are very knowledgeable automotively.
If I were Austrailian my hat would be firmly thrown in the Holden camp, a bit like I am here in the UK, Vauxhall/Opel over Ford's any day. Really like the Gemini Coupe, hints of the Opel Kadett Coupe and the Sandman's are fabulous vehicles.
@@IntrospectorGeneral There were a multitude of cars all round the world based on the GM T-Car Platform. We here in the UK had both the Opel Kadett and the Vauxhall Chevette based on the platform. The Chevette being the better car but it didn't come in the Coupe body style which was the one that always appealed to me. We didn't get a diesel version of either here and to be honest I think, similar to Australia it would have been a rarity even if it had been sold here with diesel technology at the time.
Some fascinating cars, what a fabulous selection and variety too. I saw so many links to 70's and 80's UK GM vehicles too, bits of VX4/90, Carlton, Royale and Senator. An absolute tragedy that GM pulled the plug on Holden. Fords only involvement was to serve ice cream, how fitting 🍦😂🍦😂
This was great to watch, my friend in Perth has a VE Commodore and it’s so cool. I particularly love the UTEs too, wish so much they were sold in the UK! And totally agree about the awesome use of colour there like the grey and white misery we get here. Awesome video Ian
Good to see we have the same rivalry between Ford and Holden (Vauxhall) that we have in the uk Also just at the end of the video was that one of the badge engineered Insigna models
Great video full of strange cars for european. I liked a lot also that beige VL, it's like some base model Opel Rekord with V8 and different front end and dash... Other what caught my attention was Statesman with wrap-around rear window. That rear end design looks little bit like Daewoo Espero and that's a good thing, because i think it's very nice looking car too (am i strange?) And we even didn't get Esperos in Finland just spent too much time surfing in the internet looking cars we don't have here. 😄
You’ve done quite well in identifying most of the Holden models considering it’s all foreign to you commented many times on your videos now always very entertaining never had a Holden myself driven plenty though I’m partial to fords had 3 falcons over the years I must say that was a good and impressive show
The FX ute wasn't actually an FX *unless* it had telescopic shocks. These were introduced in 1953. Any sedan before that was designated a 48-215. The ute was designated a 50-2106 coupe utility. Even then the FX moniker was only an internal Holden unofficial one to differentiate the later 48-215 with telescopic shocks from the earlier 48-215 lever action shock equipped units. It has, over time, become the moniker for anything that predates the FJ.
Absolutely smashing! The VL Commodore looks somewhat similar to the Cavalier, at least it does to me. Such a great mix! And I see a lot of US GM in these vehicles while they remain distinctively Australian 🇦🇺. The sky reminds me of ours the past few days, stunning, absolutely glorious! Well done!
Cheers. VL Commodore is larger than a Cavalier, but Aussie did get the Cavalier as as the Camira. An uttter disaster, but I was still sad not to see one.
5:08 is a Holden one tonner. Produced from 1971 to erly 1980's. The blue cab version is in HZ Monaro trim level. The cab shell remained the same throughout, so it is possible to fit any production year front clip, and interior. Has a full chassis, and can be fitted with a flat bed, drop side tray, camper, and even ambulance bodies were built on them. A very customisable vehicle.
Very interesting, Ian, thanks for that. Holden is my family name so I've always had a fascination for them, but they're so rare here, I don't think I've ever seen one. thanks. Mart.
Great video. You walked past the HR Holden a couple of times and I was expecting a comment about it looking like a Bigger Vauxhall Victor 101, but maybe 101's are so rare in the UK that You haven't seen one for so long You may have forgot? Holden put the Nissan 6 in because the old Holden 6 was too outdated to attempt to run it on Unleaded fuel which became compulsory in January 1986. I had a VL Calais, that Nissan 6 was still perfect at 300000 k's on the clock. The 70's Statesman You mentioned more like a 1980 model, they continued making these for a while as well as the utes after the Kingswood sedan was discontinued in 1980.
The first car I ever rode in was my Dad's '66 101 Deluxe Saloon ,silver grey colour, with bench seat & manual column change . By around '75 (I was 6) ,it failed it's mot due to severe structural corrosion and he sold it to a neighbour that owned a black '66 101 Estate which was astonishingly rust free but had a blown head gasket. My Dad's old engine lived on in that car until the late 80's when the guy sold the car. I was always looking for a good 101 Deluxe for myself after I passed my test but never found one that wasn't knackered in some major way even if it had just passed an mot lol. If I had the money I'd track down a roadworthy one and enjoy it . 👍
I am disappointed that you didn't find a Trax. I love my Mokka, someone has to like them! Great video and if in another life I had been an Ocker, I would have been a Holden man. They are fabulous.
Great to see the different variations of Holden’s. Real shame that they have stopped manufacturing them. Maybe you ought to set up a Just Giving page to get a beige Commodore over here. Would love to see more vids of those cars. Totally agree with you that the Beige Commodore was just spot on 👍
11:03 The Second Generation Holden was the FJ which followed on from the original First-Gen. model, 48-215. Then came the Third Generation, the FE, then the FC(4th Gen.). This body design ran through the the FB, EK, EJ and EH models(5th through to 8th Generations), the last of which being the first(as mentioned before) to be available with column-mounted Automatic gears. Prior to this they were all "3-on-the-tree" manual.
Wow - great show, especially for those of us who are quite unfamiliar with Holdens. This makes me miss going to car shows a lot - my favorite show of the year would have been this weekend, sadly cancelled like everything else... Also - i totally agree we are seeeing too few coloured cars these days, but I think I can see a trend for more colours coming; Renault have a vibrant orange and a nice turqouise on the new Clio, the new Golf is shown in yellow, as is the new Kia Céed and Peugeot 208 and a lot of german cars are available in green again. Hopefully the greyscale-trend is soon over...
Someone has probably already educated you, but not all panelvan's are Sandmans, they were a special package available in utes and panelvans :) Oh, and the Ford RTV utes had a locking rear diff, not just an LSD, and were actually very capable offroad because of it :)
Whats really good to see is all these people that appreciate these vehicles[like you] not just in Australia but all over the world, preserving these cars for years to come and there might be a time when you can say during a car show "This runs on petrol,and some on Diesel, believe it or not" Good luck,Farewell and take care.😉😉😉🚗🚓🚕🚙.
The yellow turbo VL's were almost always highway patrol cars. You did well with your identification by the way. The brougham had a Brocade interior you would have liked.
An earlier vid had very detailed comment from an owner who made the mistake of trading his very good T car to an R car. Went from one of the best cars to one of the worst in his experience. Quite a list of horror stories. R car soon dumped by GMH for rebadged Corolla as a Holden Nova.
@@johnd8892 We also got the Corolla as the Chevrolet Nova, starting in 1986, which became the GEO Prism. Both were built at the NUUMI plant in California, until that was closed, then sold to Tesla, where they manuf their electric vehicles. I think when Isuzu came to the US market, the I-mark was called something else, but I cannot remember the name!
@@frothe42 Interesting. I thought the GM Toyotas were just an Australian thing but apparently not. Another version was the Camry badged as the Holden Apollo.
@@johnd8892 I saw the Camry as a Holden on Old car brochures website, we got the Corolla due to the partnership with Toyota at the NUUMI plant, which also built what became the Toyota Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe. Because of partnerships or controlling interests, it is why we, here in the US, the Opel Kadett sold through Buick until 1975, and for several years it was Isuzu, owned by GM. SAAB at one time sold the 92X which essentially was a Subaru Impreza. And, of course, we got the Monaro and Commodore which were rebadged for our market, both of which were excellent vehicles, but too little, too late. This is what happens when you put profit above all else.
I'm kind of surprised there wasn't the Efigy (sp) there, which was a wild experimental car some people who worked at Holden cooked up. Based on Corvette underpinnings, it was made to look similar to an old FG, only hot rodded and lowered. You can google for it if you're interested.
I wonder where the years have gone wihen i see a VL with "Historic" plates. Then I realise it's been 34 years and one month since I bought my brand new VL SL sedan for anout $14,500. Getting a new Holden was difficult in the first few months as government and car rental companies bought the first lot. Mine was one of the first SL sedans made too. Still have a stack of VL brochures too. Novel cars because they were the first unleaded Commodores and had a Nissan motor! After six months I traded it in on a VK Calais.
@@steved3702 The trim specs on the VK and VL were similar, so going from a base SL to a Calais was a big step up. But the 202 in the VK was sluggish, noisy and thirsty compared to the VL. I ended up selling the VK and bought another new VL! After the VL were Toyotas, which after owning a lot of Holdens proved to be much more reliable and better built. I drove EA and EB police cars, and VS, VT, VY and VZ ambulance wagons (supervisor units) over the years.
@@doncoleman4938 Yeah, I remember there was a big step in specification from VH to VK. Digital dash if I recall, too. And the silver on the lower body.
@@steved3702 Now you're bringing back memories! The digital dash was always a conversation piece. And I thought that by 1990 all cars would have digital dashboards! You could always tell the model VK by the grill. A three bar grill, with the "Holden" name on the top bar on an SL/Executive, middle bar for a Berlina and bottom on the Calais.
That car with the HLA-643 Victorian registration is the FB model. It doesn't have the extra decoration on the rear panels(from rear passenger door to rear lights) that appeared on the EK to EH models.
Hi Hubnut. I've never been to a Holden show, despite being Australian and a car fancier for 50 or more years. I guess I've seen them all on the street or in the wrecking yards over the years. What struck me about this show was the paucity of Holdens from their first 12 years of production. I spotted one FX (48 - 53), one FJ (53 - 56), and one FC (58 - 60), all modified to greater or lesser degrees. I think there may be a cultural divide between those who prefer the later cars and modified ones, and those who prefer original earlier cars. It's a shame that fate didn't put any of the latter your way. On 60's Holden utes and vans, there is an identification trap for the unwary in that Holden cheapened out by retaining the rear panels and lights from superseded models when facelifts came along. The ute you commented on towards the end of the video was a 60 - 62 FB or EK, wearing the rear panels and lights from the 56 - 60 cars. They did the same for The EH and HR models in 63 and 66. Holden never regarded their commercials as anything more than workhorses until the Sandman of the 70's. Cheers.
your 'second' generation is actually the third. first was 48/318 and FJ second was FC FE and third was FB EK. The blue one is an EK. An FB has flash along the side. That yellow turbo looks like it may have been a police special (called a BT1)
Second model, but still first generation, as it's mostly a facelift of the 48-215. Second gen would be FE, FC, FB and EK, where the design language was completely different. And I assume 3rd gen would be EJ, EH and HR.
@@aussiebloke609 If you're going to go by body design, then the FB should be grouped with the EJ, EK and EH as third Generation, as FE and FC, the latter a facelift of the former, were vastly different in their appearance to the FB, and the FB when viewed front-on could be mistaken for the EJ, EK or EH. The HD and HR were another design yet again. Inside the cabin, the HD and HR dashboard(Console) was identical, yet one of the models had a square-ish tail-light and the other had a more slender fin-like tail-light.
I think you've gotten a couple mixed up - the FB and EK both had hooded headlights and tailfins, like the FE and FC - just that the tailfins were a little larger. The EJ, EH and HR were the boxy designs, with flat bonnets and boots, and headlights incorporated in the grille.
@@aussiebloke609 The FE and FC had hooded headlights too but while the FE's headlight hood was basically the same metal as the rest of the "fender"(mudguard), the FC's headlight hood was chrome. Also, the FE's turn indicator lights were circular and not incorporated into the grille(and likely were factory-fitted at the owner's choice), the FC indicators were sort-of slit-like and were incorporated into the grille chromework, plus they were factory standard(my late brother Noel's first car was a Holden FC).
The differences from FE to FC were minor, as were the differences between the FB and EK. In both cases, the grille and parking lights had detail changes. All four models had largely the same architecture and the FE/FC sheet metal was uses for the utility and panel-van versions of FB and EK. However, apart from the commercials, every panel seems to have changed between the FC and the FB including the wrap-around windshield and the C pillar and rear windscreen treatment. The EJ/EH were very different to the EK as Holden went from upright styling in the style of the '57 Chevrolet to a sleeker silhouette to complete with the first generation Falcon (XK/XL/XM/XP).
For a Pom, you did really well at identifying all the Holdens ;-)
I agree !!
Holden Sandman had a reputation as a shagwagon: "If it's rocking, don' t come knocking"
You should have looked in the back of the Sandman!
@@jashugg Not polite when curtains drawn. You'd hear "F off" from inside.
Bernard J Harmsen ... to be fair, the doors were wide open!
@@jashugg The Virgin Conversion Unit was awaiting the next rider....
"Don't laugh, it could be your daughter in here!".
Even though you didn't know all the facts and figures, you showcased your enthusiasm and wonder at some of the cars. What a great show. Thank goodness some were unmodified. Cheers.
Hitched the Nullabor in a Sandman in 1987. Such a long hitch it had an overnight stop and the owners let us sleep in the back while they checked into a roadhouse. Big with travellers and backpackers.
Reads a 10 year old Holden magazine and straight away identifies cars left right a a centre he's never seen in real life. Incredible. Great job.
Yeah, but I made a lot of mistakes...
panel van was also called a virgin conversion unit.
In my confinement, that was a lovely, and, welcome day out. Hats off, and, many thanks.
I know absolutely nothing of Aus or NZ cars . It's been fascinating seeing all the variety over there. 👍
You can clearly see hints of cars normally seen over here in the UK.
They are kind of similar and yet very different both at the same time ?
Large engines and wonderful bold colours. Great stuff.
Opal omegas just bigger version Vauxhall all GM
The whiff of Opel/Vauxhall is so strong in this video i almost fainted!
Or the other way around, a hint of Holden in Opel and Vauxhalls. There is a long history of Australians and Kiwis starting at Holden and Ford design bureaus in Oz and being transferred to the UK and Europe and then eventually Detroit. Ford had an Australian CEO, Jack Nasser and GM had an Australian as head of global design, Mike Simcoe. There is a chance it could be the other way around, a whiff of Holden in both Opel and Vauxhalls.
Some of the Toranas remind me of the Opel Kadett!
The main difference is v8s.
There was a serious intention around 1965 that all three should share designs completely to save costs, but it petered out a bit. But definite interchange of shapes but not often interchangeable parts.
@@frothe42 I kept looking for traces of ascona among the 4 door variants from the 70's
Some really beautiful cars there. I loved how the shapes are completely different with each generation. It's hard to believe that car show was just from one manufacturer!
Ian, the HB Viva, the single spoke steering wheel and the Citroen esque dashboard of the VN all came from the pen of a Mr Leo Prunueau. An American who was working in design at Vauxhall before being sent to Holden in the late 60’s.
If he is still going, he would’ve been just down the road from this car meet.
Long since retired, living in Melbourne somewhere. Unsure of his current health.
Nice video, thank you!
Leo oversaw the HB design in the UK, I believe before coming to Australia.
Retired for over 30 years he retired to country Victoria and still does interviews and participated in judging for car awards etc. His retirement present was a 1988 Holden Camira wagon that he's still got in mint condition
I've seen people (mostly Ford die hards) put up pictures of 60s Opel Diplomats/Kapitans and say something stupid like this proves that Holdens are Opel copies because they look like HD/HRs. They look similar because Leo Pruneau and Don Laski did most of the styling on them and many other global GM cars in the 60s.
"Brave. The ice creams are being served from a Ford." Hahahahahaha
Oh my Lord! ... that gold HQ Statesman at 19:20 ish
So good. Thank you, Ian.
16:05 You are correct that no Torana came from the factory with that carb setup. However, there was a model offered with triple carbs - the GTR XU-1 - but they came with three Zenith-Strombergs, rather than Webers.
For a short time (i.e. warranty period) anyway!
FB/EK Holdens were third generation after FE/FC and 48-215 (FX)/FJ. You got most of them correct though mate....well done.
I'd still consider those (the FE, FC, FB and EK) all together as second gen - they all have the same basic shape and design language. Third gen would be EJ, EH and HR to my way of thinking...and I'm unaware of Holden ever really classifying anything back then as "x-gen", so it depends on how you view it, I guess. Either way, some awesome cars to peruse :-)
@@aussiebloke609
Very significant cosmetic changes externally though on the sedans mainly....this is how I view the generations. If you compare with the HK, HT, HG series the cosmetic changes were far less significant yet the underpinnings were basically identical....I'd consider those one generation....as I would EJ/EH on their own and HD/HR the same.
@@aussiebloke609 Inter changeable body parts on 48-215 and FJ also FE and FC then FB and EK next EJ and EH then HD and HR then HK,HT and HG etc. So I would say these are the generations defined by common body parts and some glass parts. Outside these little interchange.
Even as a Ford man let me just say, niiiice cars!
Great vid mate, love seeing non-aussie's enthusiastic about holdens
Thank you for your interesting comments, now you know why Aussies are proud of our Holden heritage even though it is now a thing of the past
The early Statesmans (replacing the Brougham) were basically Australian Cadillacs, they even licensed the wreath emblem and the Deville and Caprice name to use on those models.
Except they were pure Kingswood beneath. Ford generally disguised the origins better in the '70s, to me.
@@steved3702 Ford disguising the origin of the Fairlane so well that I nearly got into a fight with a work colleauge who had Fairlanes in his family. Could not accept it was Falcon width. A much wider car he said. "We know we owned them." Nearly typed Failane twice for some reason, but a real success for Ford.
Thank you again Ian. I have to say the VL is my fave Holden. The one I owned was a great car. It was reliable, drove well and that six cylinder Nissan engine was smooth and powerful.
I owned a VH Commodore that had a 238ci stroker motor with triple carbs that came out of a speedboat (was from a bridge to bridge boat back in the day), we put a Ford C6 trans behind with an adaptor from Dellow Automotive, it used to get up and move once it was up in the revs (and happily sing to 8 grand)
1:55 1964 Holden EH Special, one of the most popular. My dad had one in NZ: two-tone paint, three-on-the-tree, with 149 6-cyl red motor
EH goes back to 1962 and is based on the FB model, outward appearance-wise. EH was also the first model available with automatic gears. By 1964 Holden had moved on to HD and HR models. EH was the last of the E's,starting with the EK, then the EJ and finally the EH in 1962.
@@neilforbes416 Lots of errors from you . To start should be "EK goes back to 1962 and is based on the FB model, outward appearance-wise. "
EH info would be better to read here :
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_EH
Quote you "EH was also the first model available with automatic gears."
What no EK and EJ autos according to you.
HD and HR both in 1964? Really?
@@neilforbes416
What John D said plus EH's were the first Holden to have the "red" motor.
14:36 1963 Holden EJ pre-dates the EH with low tail light rear treatment and "grey" 6-cyl motor, a 1940s design
The WB statesman at 20:40 dates from the early 80s. The very last of the kingswood body shape. They were all fitted with a 5 litre V8. And initially an American 3 speed auto that was subsequently downgraded to the cheaper Australian trimatic that you saw on the 1970's HQ. As a kid I loved these cars. I thought they looked so cool.
That's Leo P's work again (he's mentioned in another comment). The challenge for the last Statesman (the WB series) was to maximise the visual differences while minimising the tooling costs. Tricks like thin chrome (to disguise the thick window frames) and matching a new front fascia to the old bonnet are examlpes.
Great video mate, I took my 1962 Holden EK Ute to this event many years ago. Loved your video actually enjoy this to many of the other car shows vids. Loved your passion and knowledge and comparing to UK models. Made me giggle some of them and was fascinated by the modelling of our Australian cars. Look forward to more content especially once Covid restrictions are eased in Melbourne.
His NZ and Australia holiday visit ended around the time of the Grand Prix covid collapse, so headed back to Wales. Lots more content since, quite a few recorded here and posted later during UK lockdowns stopping shows. Could be worth looking at the long list of vids on his site.
Thanks, very enjoyable late night viewing
“...and someone has removed the windscreen wipers. I don’t understand such matters.” 😄
No triangle of doom!
Glad you show us the Holden because some of those that I have never see or hear it before Thanks
Wonderful video Ian, some truly lovely old cars there, interesting that your favourite (the VL), was locally referred to as “The best car Holden never made”.
German body with a Japanese power plant, GM jammed both ends of WWII together to make a car; the only “Aussie” bits were the faults rust and rattles they fitted as standard in the factory.
Great video, don't know much about Holdens myself. Some of the video had amazing cloud vistas in the background. Fun times
I enjoyed this video and have never seen so many Holdens' in one spot on one day in such a small space. Enjoy my motoring all the more in my SV6 for seeing this vid. Brings back memories. Had a Premier 253 V8 SW with a 4 speed Saginaw gearbox when first married. It had a huge pulling power, excellent brakes and is the thirstiest car I ever owned.
i'm not usually a fan of one make shows. but it made me realise how many holdens had sunk into my brain without realising. Bathurst might have something to do with it, as I have every race from the beginning until 93. And then of course, you have Australian tv. which was everywhere here in the uk for a long time. not so prevalent now. i'm right in thinking a sandman had a starring role in early neighbours episodes. a shame you didn't make it to Bathurst. maybe next time.
Cool look around, Statesman have a slightly longer wheelbase. The second generation Holden is the EK. The GTR Toranas came factory fitted with triple carbs. The blue Statesmen is a WB, they were the last of the steel cars
The 4 cylinder TA Torana, from 74, had the resemblance to the early 6 cylinder Toranas. They were the then current model when I was working in the Holden dealership in Hobart. Along with the 1300 cc engine they also came with a larger 4 than the common 1300. It was, if I recall correctly, a 1760 cc OHC engine. The earlier LC was offered with a 1600 cc version of the 1760. I was in the Truck and Torana division of the dealership and got to see and drive a lot of Toranas from the lowliest HB to the SLR5000. Got to play with a lot of Bedford, Chev and Isuzu trucks too.
24:37 I like these.
20:40 that's a WB Statesman Caprice -the higher spec over the DeVille version. In production from 1980 to 1984. Holden also built the WB Kingswood ute, one tonner tray body ute and panel van in this period. The utes came with a square head light front as well as the once commonly seen single round headlights version which looked a bit odd but purposeful.
I think must owners fitted the more attractive flush rectangle headlights front on those or a Statesman front.
I came very close to buying a Grange WB, but opted for a brand new VL in April '86. Love those WB Caprices.
Saw an immaculate WB Statesman recently parked locally to me. Forget if it was SeVille or Caprice, but gorgeous is an understatement for the interior.
Wot a lot of Holdens. They really love there car shows down there. Very cool.
Just found this 3 year old video.
You showed 2 of my dream cars.
The completely original HQ Statesman de-ville and the not quite original WB Statesman Caprice.
One day!! ❤️❤️
I'm not a massive Holden fan but some of these cars are stunning. Nice to see
5:50 Whoo back Mate, You just went passed a HR Premier, my first car. I wish I still had it.
11:02 "Second Gen'". I am not picking on you mate I but do wonder who told you that. I would have thought second generation referred to the "Red Motor" replacing the "Grey Motor" often referred to as the "Sludgee". The red motor started in the EH with the choice of a 149 cid or the 179 cid.
15:57 That mate is the FJ.
23:29 That is the 48-215 ( I think thats its designation) but later known as the "FX". This is the first Holden.
Great show mate. I know I couldn't go to England and identify all your cars. Well done.
I really enjoyed this video even though the world of Holden is a complete mystery to me. I enjoyed playing "that looks like a random Vauxhall". There were some lovely cars at the show. Thanks for sharing this with us!
Classic HubNut, parking in the competition area, fantastic. Not the sort of car meet to wear a "Real Men Drive Fords" T shirt I think. Also Ian mentions the lovely car colours then declares the beige Holden as the most HubNut. Great stuff Ian as usual. Thanks.
I'm Canadian and I don't know too much about Holdens. Not surprisingly, the company used the same names for cars in different countries. What I am surprised at is the resemblance to Oldsmobiles in some of these cars. The name Calais is the same as some. Sunbirds were Cavaliers, but Pontiacs.
I really enjoyed this walk around. You are very knowledgeable automotively.
If I were Austrailian my hat would be firmly thrown in the Holden camp, a bit like I am here in the UK, Vauxhall/Opel over Ford's any day. Really like the Gemini Coupe, hints of the Opel Kadett Coupe and the Sandman's are fabulous vehicles.
@@IntrospectorGeneral There were a multitude of cars all round the world based on the GM T-Car Platform. We here in the UK had both the Opel Kadett and the Vauxhall Chevette based on the platform. The Chevette being the better car but it didn't come in the Coupe body style which was the one that always appealed to me. We didn't get a diesel version of either here and to be honest I think, similar to Australia it would have been a rarity even if it had been sold here with diesel technology at the time.
Some fascinating cars, what a fabulous selection and variety too.
I saw so many links to 70's and 80's UK GM vehicles too, bits of VX4/90, Carlton, Royale and Senator.
An absolute tragedy that GM pulled the plug on Holden.
Fords only involvement was to serve ice cream, how fitting 🍦😂🍦😂
This was great to watch, my friend in Perth has a VE Commodore and it’s so cool. I particularly love the UTEs too, wish so much they were sold in the UK! And totally agree about the awesome use of colour there like the grey and white misery we get here.
Awesome video Ian
Good to see we have the same rivalry between Ford and Holden (Vauxhall) that we have in the uk
Also just at the end of the video was that one of the badge engineered Insigna models
Great video full of strange cars for european.
I liked a lot also that beige VL, it's like some base model Opel Rekord with V8 and different front end and dash...
Other what caught my attention was Statesman with wrap-around rear window.
That rear end design looks little bit like Daewoo Espero and that's a good thing, because i think it's very nice looking car too (am i strange?)
And we even didn't get Esperos in Finland just spent too much time surfing in the internet looking cars we don't have here. 😄
The Commodore VL was, I feel, the "prettiest" model, with the slimmed down headlamps and the slightest hint of a spoiler on it's tail
Sexiest car Holden made !
The grass there is outstanding and sets the Holdens off well. Liking the coke bottle HB and the Isuzu Chevette.
Excellent, all of the classic HubNut
Brazil is also boring with Black White And Silver cars. Love the brown HD that was beside the beige Commodore. Brings back memories.
Mitsubishi Magna AWD, First Australian built all wheel drive vehicle. Holden later released it's AWD platform.
You’ve done quite well in identifying most of the Holden models considering it’s all foreign to you commented many times on your videos now always very entertaining never had a Holden myself driven plenty though I’m partial to fords had 3 falcons over the years I must say that was a good and impressive show
I think you did very well Ian , great job mate
The yellow VLs are bt1's (ex cop cars) most likely not real ones but you can tell from the vin numbers if it has bt1 in it
The FX ute wasn't actually an FX *unless* it had telescopic shocks. These were introduced in 1953. Any sedan before that was designated a 48-215. The ute was designated a 50-2106 coupe utility. Even then the FX moniker was only an internal Holden unofficial one to differentiate the later 48-215 with telescopic shocks from the earlier 48-215 lever action shock equipped units. It has, over time, become the moniker for anything that predates the FJ.
That Holden was quiet nice- I also liked the Holden- that one Holden was questionable though.
You didn’t do too bad Ian. Good video My favourite Commodores are the VL and the VS and the GTR XU1 Torana
Absolutely smashing! The VL Commodore looks somewhat similar to the Cavalier, at least it does to me. Such a great mix! And I see a lot of US GM in these vehicles while they remain distinctively Australian 🇦🇺. The sky reminds me of ours the past few days, stunning, absolutely glorious!
Well done!
Cheers. VL Commodore is larger than a Cavalier, but Aussie did get the Cavalier as as the Camira. An uttter disaster, but I was still sad not to see one.
5:08 i can't believe you walked right past that flat-bed ting, with the barracuda blue cab.
5:08 is a Holden one tonner. Produced from 1971 to erly 1980's. The blue cab version is in HZ Monaro trim level. The cab shell remained the same throughout, so it is possible to fit any production year front clip, and interior. Has a full chassis, and can be fitted with a flat bed, drop side tray, camper, and even ambulance bodies were built on them. A very customisable vehicle.
Lovely selection of Holden cars here Ian very nice preserved Bedford CF pick up
Thanks for Holden it together! 😂😂
Jag motors fit in the cf too-1987/8 a mate of mine had one-awesome but scary!Can't wait 'til we can do this sort of thing again in UK.
great video, thanks ian, my favourite was the one that looked like a vauxhall royale, one of my favourite cars when i was a lad.
Great show. Thanks for your effort
Very interesting, Ian, thanks for that. Holden is my family name so I've always had a fascination for them, but they're so rare here, I don't think I've ever seen one. thanks. Mart.
Great video. You walked past the HR Holden a couple of times and I was expecting a comment about it looking like a Bigger Vauxhall Victor 101, but maybe 101's are so rare in the UK that You haven't seen one for so long You may have forgot?
Holden put the Nissan 6 in because the old Holden 6 was too outdated to attempt to run it on Unleaded fuel which became compulsory in January 1986.
I had a VL Calais, that Nissan 6 was still perfect at 300000 k's on the clock. The 70's Statesman You mentioned more like a 1980 model, they continued making these for a while as well as the utes after the Kingswood sedan was discontinued in 1980.
The first car I ever rode in was my Dad's '66 101 Deluxe Saloon ,silver grey colour, with bench seat & manual column change . By around '75 (I was 6) ,it failed it's mot due to severe structural corrosion and he sold it to a neighbour that owned a black '66 101 Estate which was astonishingly rust free but had a blown head gasket. My Dad's old engine lived on in that car until the late 80's when the guy sold the car. I was always looking for a good 101 Deluxe for myself after I passed my test but never found one that wasn't knackered in some major way even if it had just passed an mot lol. If I had the money I'd track down a roadworthy one and enjoy it . 👍
Having recently bought an Audi A4 Estate, 2.0 TDI, S-Line, Black Edition, I can honestly say I’m now a big fan of Estates.:
Nice video ian,,thanks...such a shame that another iconic brand is to bite the dust...as a vauxhall man myself this was great viewing..
Hi Ian, at 26:28 someone was being very brave bringing a Ford along.
New subscriber...your appreciation of VLs won me over !
certainly love their autos down under.
The yellow VL Commodores are the "pursuit" or police variant. Some extra Holden magic inside to make them a bit better than the normal :-)
Garry Jacks If I remember correctly they were optioned BT1.
In defence of that Transit, there's a good chance it has a 3.8L Ecotec under the bonnet. It's a pretty common conversion here in AU
I am disappointed that you didn't find a Trax. I love my Mokka, someone has to like them!
Great video and if in another life I had been an Ocker, I would have been a Holden man. They are fabulous.
Great to see the different variations of Holden’s. Real shame that they have stopped manufacturing them. Maybe you ought to set up a Just Giving page to get a beige Commodore over here. Would love to see more vids of those cars. Totally agree with you that the Beige Commodore was just spot on 👍
You can see Vauxhall & Opel showing up in the Holdens. I like Holdens
5.0 V8, peak Holden, so good.
Great ,never knew sinlgle spoke steering `s were in Holdens as well !!
11:03 The Second Generation Holden was the FJ which followed on from the original First-Gen. model, 48-215. Then came the Third Generation, the FE, then the FC(4th Gen.). This body design ran through the the FB, EK, EJ and EH models(5th through to 8th Generations), the last of which being the first(as mentioned before) to be available with column-mounted Automatic gears. Prior to this they were all "3-on-the-tree" manual.
Wow - great show, especially for those of us who are quite unfamiliar with Holdens. This makes me miss going to car shows a lot - my favorite show of the year would have been this weekend, sadly cancelled like everything else... Also - i totally agree we are seeeing too few coloured cars these days, but I think I can see a trend for more colours coming; Renault have a vibrant orange and a nice turqouise on the new Clio, the new Golf is shown in yellow, as is the new Kia Céed and Peugeot 208 and a lot of german cars are available in green again. Hopefully the greyscale-trend is soon over...
Someone has probably already educated you, but not all panelvan's are Sandmans, they were a special package available in utes and panelvans :) Oh, and the Ford RTV utes had a locking rear diff, not just an LSD, and were actually very capable offroad because of it :)
Presumably, with the model designation of your ute steed at the time, that would make it a VUte Holden...
Quite impressive Mr Hubnut. Never knew that Australia and New Zealand was (perhaps is) such a market in itself, thanks to your recent tour.
The highest selling vehicle is the Toyota Hilux. Unlike Europe and North America.
Rodeo is the best Holden ever 😆
Like being in an alternative Vauxhall universe. I especially like the way one of my favourite cars, the Viva HB, 'evolved'.
Whats really good to see is all these people that appreciate these vehicles[like you] not just in Australia but all over the world, preserving these cars for years to come and there might be a time when you can say during a car show "This runs on petrol,and some on Diesel, believe it or not" Good luck,Farewell and take care.😉😉😉🚗🚓🚕🚙.
You'll always find interesting cars in the car park of car shows, sometimes more interesting than the ones in the show.
Love the video. Thanks for the memories
The yellow turbo VL's were almost always highway patrol cars. You did well with your identification by the way. The brougham had a Brocade interior you would have liked.
14:40 was actually an R platformed Isuzu I-mark assembled in Australia for 2 years from 1985 but was a failure compared to the T car model
We in the US got this as the Chevrolet/Geo Spectrum, my sister had the three door and a four door, which was a turbo.
An earlier vid had very detailed comment from an owner who made the mistake of trading his very good T car to an R car. Went from one of the best cars to one of the worst in his experience. Quite a list of horror stories. R car soon dumped by GMH for rebadged Corolla as a Holden Nova.
@@johnd8892 We also got the Corolla as the Chevrolet Nova, starting in 1986, which became the GEO Prism. Both were built at the NUUMI plant in California, until that was closed, then sold to Tesla, where they manuf their electric vehicles.
I think when Isuzu came to the US market, the I-mark was called something else, but I cannot remember the name!
@@frothe42 Interesting. I thought the GM Toyotas were just an Australian thing but apparently not. Another version was the Camry badged as the Holden Apollo.
@@johnd8892 I saw the Camry as a Holden on Old car brochures website, we got the Corolla due to the partnership with Toyota at the NUUMI plant, which also built what became the Toyota Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe.
Because of partnerships or controlling interests, it is why we, here in the US, the Opel Kadett sold through Buick until 1975, and for several years it was Isuzu, owned by GM. SAAB at one time sold the 92X which essentially was a Subaru Impreza. And, of course, we got the Monaro and Commodore which were rebadged for our market, both of which were excellent vehicles, but too little, too late.
This is what happens when you put profit above all else.
I'm kind of surprised there wasn't the Efigy (sp) there, which was a wild experimental car some people who worked at Holden cooked up. Based on Corvette underpinnings, it was made to look similar to an old FG, only hot rodded and lowered. You can google for it if you're interested.
Icons, every one of them now
I wonder where the years have gone wihen i see a VL with "Historic" plates. Then I realise it's been 34 years and one month since I bought my brand new VL SL sedan for anout $14,500. Getting a new Holden was difficult in the first few months as government and car rental companies bought the first lot. Mine was one of the first SL sedans made too. Still have a stack of VL brochures too. Novel cars because they were the first unleaded Commodores and had a Nissan motor! After six months I traded it in on a VK Calais.
Going 'backwards' with that change, at least in time, if not specification. Do you remember how the EFI Holden motor felt after the Nissan one?
@@steved3702 The trim specs on the VK and VL were similar, so going from a base SL to a Calais was a big step up. But the 202 in the VK was sluggish, noisy and thirsty compared to the VL. I ended up selling the VK and bought another new VL! After the VL were Toyotas, which after owning a lot of Holdens proved to be much more reliable and better built. I drove EA and EB police cars, and VS, VT, VY and VZ ambulance wagons (supervisor units) over the years.
@@doncoleman4938 Yeah, I remember there was a big step in specification from VH to VK. Digital dash if I recall, too. And the silver on the lower body.
@@steved3702 Now you're bringing back memories! The digital dash was always a conversation piece. And I thought that by 1990 all cars would have digital dashboards! You could always tell the model VK by the grill. A three bar grill, with the "Holden" name on the top bar on an SL/Executive, middle bar for a Berlina and bottom on the Calais.
23:20 The blue & white car is the fourth generation FC model and the orange car is the model that started it all, the 48-215!
You don't have to keep moving around, it's just your shadow!
That car with the HLA-643 Victorian registration is the FB model. It doesn't have the extra decoration on the rear panels(from rear passenger door to rear lights) that appeared on the EK to EH models.
Hi Hubnut. I've never been to a Holden show, despite being Australian and a car fancier for 50 or more years. I guess I've seen them all on the street or in the wrecking yards over the years. What struck me about this show was the paucity of Holdens from their first 12 years of production. I spotted one FX (48 - 53), one FJ (53 - 56), and one FC (58 - 60), all modified to greater or lesser degrees. I think there may be a cultural divide between those who prefer the later cars and modified ones, and those who prefer original earlier cars. It's a shame that fate didn't put any of the latter your way. On 60's Holden utes and vans, there is an identification trap for the unwary in that Holden cheapened out by retaining the rear panels and lights from superseded models when facelifts came along. The ute you commented on towards the end of the video was a 60 - 62 FB or EK, wearing the rear panels and lights from the 56 - 60 cars. They did the same for The EH and HR models in 63 and 66. Holden never regarded their commercials as anything more than workhorses until the Sandman of the 70's. Cheers.
your 'second' generation is actually the third. first was 48/318 and FJ second was FC FE and third was FB EK. The blue one is an EK. An FB has flash along the side. That yellow turbo looks like it may have been a police special (called a BT1)
I saw a couple of the Insignia based ones before you asked if there were any 😉
15:27 Now here's your SECOND GENERATION Holden, the legendary FJ!
Second model, but still first generation, as it's mostly a facelift of the 48-215. Second gen would be FE, FC, FB and EK, where the design language was completely different. And I assume 3rd gen would be EJ, EH and HR.
@@aussiebloke609 If you're going to go by body design, then the FB should be grouped with the EJ, EK and EH as third Generation, as FE and FC, the latter a facelift of the former, were vastly different in their appearance to the FB, and the FB when viewed front-on could be mistaken for the EJ, EK or EH. The HD and HR were another design yet again. Inside the cabin, the HD and HR dashboard(Console) was identical, yet one of the models had a square-ish tail-light and the other had a more slender fin-like tail-light.
I think you've gotten a couple mixed up - the FB and EK both had hooded headlights and tailfins, like the FE and FC - just that the tailfins were a little larger. The EJ, EH and HR were the boxy designs, with flat bonnets and boots, and headlights incorporated in the grille.
@@aussiebloke609 The FE and FC had hooded headlights too but while the FE's headlight hood was basically the same metal as the rest of the "fender"(mudguard), the FC's headlight hood was chrome. Also, the FE's turn indicator lights were circular and not incorporated into the grille(and likely were factory-fitted at the owner's choice), the FC indicators were sort-of slit-like and were incorporated into the grille chromework, plus they were factory standard(my late brother Noel's first car was a Holden FC).
The differences from FE to FC were minor, as were the differences between the FB and EK. In both cases, the grille and parking lights had detail changes. All four models had largely the same architecture and the FE/FC sheet metal was uses for the utility and panel-van versions of FB and EK. However, apart from the commercials, every panel seems to have changed between the FC and the FB including the wrap-around windshield and the C pillar and rear windscreen treatment. The EJ/EH were very different to the EK as Holden went from upright styling in the style of the '57 Chevrolet to a sleeker silhouette to complete with the first generation Falcon (XK/XL/XM/XP).
For a clueless pom you managed to sort a brilliant video
Nice 1 Ian 👌