Publisher's Synopsis
On 29 November 1948, the first all-Australian Holden rolled off the line at Fishermens Bend. All who were there, Prime Minister Chifley included, believed they were witnessing the emergence of an independently strong industrial nation. The mass produced 48-215 was everything its backers had hoped for, and supply never really caught up with demand. From then on, the Holden car stood for far more than four wheels to carry the clan.;There have been 26 models of the family Holden since the 48-215, as well as the smaller Sunbirds, Toranas, Camiras, Astras, Barinas and endless variations of each. Like the 48-215, each was a statement of its age - the Station Sedan bringing all the leisure opportunities of a continent to a mobile family; the HK Kingswood converging power and grace with an image of Australian manhood; the Commodore linking the fragmented industry to the global economy.;This volume tells the story of each, their significance to the motoring public and to the nation's consciousness, and of the company that brought them to be. In a story spanning from the 1890s to the 1990s, the author recounts the history of the company of a proud Adelaide coachbuilder which has grown, with the backing of General Motors, to be a brand which defines Australians.
