Holden – The First 25 Years

This is the story behind the 25th anniversary of the Holden — a name synonymous with Australia’s car manufacturing industry — and the part Holden has played in the industrial growth of the nation.

The manufacture of Holden, the first all-Australian car, resulted from a combination of many factors: the decision of pioneer James Alexander Holden to set up a leather and saddlery business in Adelaide; his firm’s move into the infant motor car body building business in 1917;
the merger of Holden Motor Body Builders Limited with General Motors (Australia) Limited in 1931 to become General Motors-Holden’s Limited; the growth of Australian industrial capacity during World War II and, in the latter stages of the war, a pledge by the Australian Government to see early establishment of a self-contained automotive industry with a car almost entirely manufactured in Australia.

GMH decided to accept the Government’s challenge and began planning the design of an all-Australian car. At the same time it began the modernisation and expansion of its plants throughout Australia for car manufacture.
Its efforts and planning were rewarded when the Holden made its public debut on November’29, 1948. Success of the project and the contribution Holden has made to Australia’s industrial growth has been of national significance. Unpaginated, illusts. #1219 SCARCE