City cavalcades, nationwide displays to salute
Holden’s 50th anniversaryThis weekend, Holden will wind
the clock back 50 years to re-enact the historic 1948 debut of the first Holden.
The first car to be fully built ‘by Australians, for Australians’, the 48-215
Holden inaugurated the local automotive industry. It was launched on a wave of national
pride on 29 November 1948. Principal speaker at the public announcement ceremony was the
Prime Minister of the day, Mr Ben Chifley, who echoed popular sentiment when he said
simply: "She’s a beauty!".
Sunday’s re-enactment is to take place at the site of the original unveiling, a
heritage-listed building at Holden’s Fishermens Bend headquarters in Melbourne. The
Number One Holden will play a starring role, before an audience that will include the
Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, and Victorian Premier Mr Jeff Kennett.
Following the 1948 launch re-creation, a cavalcade of historic Holden vehicles will parade
through Melbourne city streets before joining a 700-strong Holden Car Clubs’ display
- the biggest-ever gathering of privately owned Holdens - at Albert Park.
Nationwide, over 65,000 people are expected to participate in a wide range of Holden 50th
anniversary commemorative activities on 29 November, and that evening many more
Australians will tune in to the Seven Network at 6.30 pm for the one hour special: Greg
Norman’s 50 Years of Holden.
In Sydney, a Holden Heritage Cavalcade will make its way across the Harbour Bridge to the
Powerhouse Museum, where Holden is hosting a Free Family Day. Highlights include
appearances by motor racing legend Peter Brock, displays of rarely exhibited Holden
experimental cars and archival film screenings.
In Queensland, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth, Holden fans will attend specially organised All
Holden Days and related events.* Open Day activities have also been planned for an
anticipated turnout of 20,000 Holden employees and their families at the company’s
Fishermens Bend operation and its Elizabeth manufacturing facility in South Australia, and
Holden dealers across the country have arranged special commemorative events.
On Saturday 28 November, Holden’s Lang Lang (Vic) Proving Ground will host an
invitation-only gathering of almost 2,500 Holden Car Club members from all over Australia.
Enthusiast Robin Tripp is travelling 3,767 kms from Darwin to include his 1960 FB station
wagon in the once-in-a-lifetime line-up of 766 Holdens of all ages and descriptions, many
of which will join up to spell out ‘50 HOLDEN’ in a giant aerial photo
opportunity.
Holden chairman and managing director, Mr Jim Wiemels, said the golden anniversary
presented a great opportunity to celebrate Holden’s distinctly Australian heritage
and character.
"We’re very much aware that the pride we take in the Holden heritage - in
particular the spirit of strength, ingenuity and adaptability symbolised by the Holden
brand - is something that thousands of Australians share right along with us," he
said.
"Over fifty years, Holden’s ability to pass on to generations of employees
specialist skills and an enduring belief in its capacity to remain a leader and a strong
competitor in an increasingly competitive market has contributed significantly to
Australia’s reputation as a world-competitive nation.
"Holden has shown great flexibility and tenacity during these fifty years - a
determination that has ensured the company can now participate in the greatest revolution
of them all - forging a place in the global industry. That Holden is set to be part of a
future global industry says everything about Holden’s unique spirit," Mr Wiemels
said.
The Fishermens Bend re-enactment will mirror the events that surrounded the 48-215
Holden’s ceremonial introduction. The Melbourne Herald of 29 November 1948, described
it as a ‘Hollywood-style premiere...complete with distinguished guests and newsreel
cameras whirring beneath the canvas-awninged entrance to a flower-bedecked hall. There was
a string orchestra, attractive hostesses and refreshments, to provide the right atmosphere
for the presentation of the new Australian car to the 1000 guests."
Australians took the new Holden immediately to their hearts; demand was so strong that the
waiting list stretched through 1949 and beyond. With the release of the evolutionary and
now-iconic FJ Holden in 1953, the love affair deepened. These cars could cruise
effortlessly on the speed limit and return brilliant fuel economy figures. Low
maintenance, ruggedly reliable and comfortably accommodating, they met the demands of a
unique driving environment and represented unbeatable value for money.
This popular formula - and the spirit endures to this day - was applied with increasing
sophistication to successive Holdens. It resulted in a total domination of the sales
charts that endured for almost 30 years. The vast majority of family sized Holdens - and
today’s top-selling VT Commodore is no exception - have claimed the title of
Australia’s most popular car.
