Thread: The Holden Story

So sad to see ford and Holden go. But, you build cars that few want and sadly that's what happens.

Be a lot of really interesting stories out there with olde businesses.

Just thinking of some of the manufacturers no longer out there or ones that have changed direction..

We had to buy a new pressure pump the other day... We usually buy Davey due to parts backup being so good... Davey are still made in Australia.. Interestingly talking of Davey, I have a 2kva 240V Davey generator...

Southern Cross/Toowoomba Foundry another businesses that made a lot of things.. I saw a 32V Southern Cross made generator coupled to a YB 4hp Southern Cross diesel..

It is totally mind boggling what was made here throughout the years... Have an old old PYE radio set here... The electronic components like resistors and capacitors have Made in Australia on them...

Of course I have no romantic visions of yesteryear... Working back then was bloody hard stuff, then you retired, then you died... Overall today we have much easier lives, but much more complicated with less freedoms and many more rules and regulations to follow.... Take your pick as to what you would prefer..

Some more recent Australian innovations:

WiFi
Altium (originally Protel) PCB design software <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altium>
The world's fastest ferries.

Not all hopeless!

Jordan

Originally Posted by nadroj

Some more recent Australian innovations:

WiFi

That was more of a contribution then an outright invention.. What CSIRO contributed to wifi, but was not wifi on it's own..

Originally Posted by nadroj

Some more recent Australian innovations:

Altium (originally Protel) PCB design software <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altium>

Jordan

Sadly now based in China, been that way for a few years now.
Certainly supporting Aussie jobs

I see little point in lamenting the loss of GM in Australia.I was not aware until I watched the U tube that GM put nothing into the start up. GM treated Australia and later Hartnett like crap.

They sat back and allowed the Australian government to fund the start up and have been taking fat profits right until the present day where they are still subsidised to this day by the government. GM treated Hartnett abysmally and in doing so lost a amazing intellect who could have advanced them significantly.

Little wonder they lost huge sums in their own country in misreading what the automotive requirements of the population are.

Certainly the jobs lost in the supply side are terrible but this is change and people and businesses need to change with the times.

During my years as an apprentice at Tech doing Coach/Motor Vehicle Building the history of Holden was brought up often by the ex-head teacher who was much into restoration. One story was of a plant along Parramatta Rd in Auburn now long gone but while at Tech you could still see the Holden name on the side of the building. The teacher had actually worked there at some stage.


I did find this http://www.australia.gov.au/about-au...ory/holden-car

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden

http://www.cavemencustoms.com.au/blo...-holden-symbol

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

They sat back and allowed the Australian government to fund the start up and have been taking fat profits right until the present day where they are still subsidised to this day by the government. GM treated Hartnett abysmally and in doing so lost a amazing intellect who could have advanced them significantly.

That is the fault of the government though.

It is not the loss of car manufacturing, it is the loss of the skills.

As I have said before, never before have so few made so much, and never before have so many leeched off so few..

There quite a few Australian inventions, funded by taxpayer dollars, that this country never saw any real benefits from.

One of the real biggies was the xerographic copying proces, largely developed at DSL (Defence Standards Laboratories) in Finsbury - Adelaide by Harold Baghurst and Joe Boroky. It was sold from under them for a pittance and Australia never saw any real benefits, Xerox did though!

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

I see little point in lamenting the loss of GM in Australia.I was not aware until I watched the U tube that GM put nothing into the start up. GM treated Australia and later Hartnett like crap.

They sat back and allowed the Australian government to fund the start up and have been taking fat profits right until the present day where they are still subsidised to this day by the government. GM treated Hartnett abysmally and in doing so lost a amazing intellect who could have advanced them significantly.

Little wonder they lost huge sums in their own country in misreading what the automotive requirements of the population are.

Certainly the jobs lost in the supply side are terrible but this is change and people and businesses need to change with the times.

I am quite sad about the loss of Holden, for several reasons. 1. The loss of an historic Australian brand. 2. The impact to those who work there 3. The impact to those who supply the indusrty, many of whom are small businesses.

I think its a little unfair to say GM did nothing.

When Holden got sick in the 80s, (IMHO a misread of the market by introduction of the VB Commodore to counter the "energy crisis") it was GM that bailed them out with gob loads of money. At the time they said "no more bail outs - be profitable or we shut it down".

Well, that led to the birth of the VN and the subsequent winners that got them back to #1.

Unfortunately, the SUV market, along with foreign brands through tariff reductions, and they can't compete.

Not surprising ... Who owns a Holden eh? Anyone who bitches about the loss of the industry and doesn't own a locally built car should keep their fat mouths shut as far as I am concerned.

And yes ... I own a VE SSV.

I too am saddened by the loss but am doing my bit for nostalgia by rebuilding this...20150809_162813.jpg

Restoring an old Holden will be quite an achievement.

Is it an FX or FJ? Not too sure about incorporating a microwave oven into the mix!

My late uncle Tom, a fleet mechanic for Qantas, owned an FX up until his demise. I can tell you that car was expertly maintained and never missed a beat.

My former wife had an FJ. It had been resprayed in grey to match the red leather seats. That was a mighty old car until it was pinched. Found unscathed, it survived for many more years.

Ken

Yeah its a work in progress. I have done most of the rust repair and am doing panel work alongside motor rebuild etc. That's an interesting story about your wife's one getting knocked off. This one is an fj...1955 sydney built car.

My selfish regret about the disappearance of Holdens and Falcons, is that they are rear wheel drive cars that I can afford.
In future, I'll be forced to drive horrid front drive cars.
All the elite and expensive car makers use RWD, but I'm unlikely to ever have one. There's always tradies' utes I suppose.

Jordan