Holden (automobile)

Holden

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Automotive
Founded	1948
Founder	General Motors Holden Ltd.
Defunct	1984
Headquarters	Australia
Area served	Australia, export markets including Hawaii, South Africa, Japan
Products	Automobiles (full-size cars, utes, panel vans)
Parent	General Motors Holden Ltd.

The Holden represents a full-size automobile manufactured by the Australian firm Holden over five generations spanning from 1948 until 1984. Also recognized by designations such as the H Series, it holds the distinction of being Australia's inaugural fully domestically produced car. Before its debut, General Motors Holden Ltd. assembled vehicles from imported CKD kits supplied by GM subsidiaries overseas, including Chevrolet and Vauxhall. The Holden rapidly established itself as a market frontrunner, being the first production vehicle tailored specifically for Australia's challenging road conditions.

The Holden Ute originated from the sedan chassis, sharing the rear floorpan up to 1971. Its manufacturing took place across several Australian states, including Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, and Western Australia.

From 1960 through 1968, select Holden models were converted to left-hand drive to serve export destinations such as Hawaii. Throughout its lifespan, right-hand drive Holdens were shipped worldwide, frequently rebadged as Chevrolets in markets like South Africa. Additionally, some variants were marketed in Japan under the name Mazda Roadpacer, equipped with a rotary engine.

Initially available with a single trim level, the Holden range soon expanded to include Standard, Business, and Special trims. The Business variant was eventually discontinued due to limited sales. In 1963, the Premier trim was introduced to offer a more luxurious option. The 1968 HK series replaced the Standard and Special trims with Belmont and Kingswood versions and launched the first coupe model named Monaro. To compete with Ford’s Fairlane, Holden added the long-wheelbase Brougham. When the HQ series was introduced in 1971, the Brougham was succeeded by the Statesman—a model that omitted the Holden badge but shared mechanical components. The HQ series also debuted the One Tonner cab chassis variant.

Throughout the 1970s, only minor design revisions were made to the Holden; coupe production ended following the HX series. By the time of the WB series in 1980, sedan and station wagon variants were discontinued, leaving solely ute and panel van models featuring Statesman WB front-end styling. Production ceased in 1984 as Holden redirected its efforts entirely toward the Commodore.

By its discontinuation, total output exceeded 3.3 million units.

First generation (1948–1956)

The inaugural generation of Holden drew significant influence from a pre-World War II Chevrolet design, bearing close resemblance to the discontinued Chevrolet Fleetline, which had been considered undersized for the American market.

48-215 & 50-2106 (FX)

Production volume: 120,402 units

The Holden 48-215 marked Australia's first vehicle designed and built domestically, inspired by an unreleased Chevrolet model. It utilized a 132 cubic inch Inline-6 engine manufactured by Holden and was exclusively produced at their Port Melbourne headquarters.

FJ

Production volume: 169,969 units

Second generation (1956–1962)

The Second Generation Holdens initially embraced a European-influenced design language reminiscent of Vauxhall Motors styling. Later iterations transitioned towards a more American appearance closely aligned with the celebrated 1957 Chevrolet models.

FE

Production volume: 155,161 units

FC

Production volume: 191,724 units

FB

In the FB series, Holden confronted its primary domestic rival, the Ford Falcon. Nevertheless, Holden secured a substantial lead in 1961, capturing 49.6% of the market and outselling the Falcon by a wide margin.

Production: 174,747 units.

EK

The EK represented a subtle update to the FB model, with modifications largely confined to new badges and chrome detailing.

Production: 150,214 units.

Third generation (1962–1968)

The Third Generation debuted a uniquely angular grille design and introduced the top-tier Premier trim, which added bucket seats and upscale features to Holden's range. The latter part of this generation drew significant influence from the 1963 Vauxhall FC Victor, integrating advanced safety elements such as front disc brakes in the HD series and seatbelts in the HR models. During the HR production phase, Holden explored coupé variations by creating several prototypes; however, these designs never proceeded to mass production and their ultimate disposition is unknown.

EJ

Production: 154,811 units.

EH

While largely a modest facelift of the EJ, the EH introduced the modern red motor, replacing the older grey engine. It also marked Holden’s first homologation special with the 'S4 special', of which only 126 units were manufactured.

Production: 256,959 units.

HD

The HD model underwent a significant redesign featuring a sleeker grille and lengthened front fenders, reflecting design contributions from GM’s Detroit design center.

Production: 178,927 units.

HR

Building on the HD, the HR featured shortened front guards and indicators mounted on the grille to create a quad-headlight appearance, enhancing its premium image. This model introduced the 186 cubic-inch red motor alongside a sportier 186X2 engine option available on Holden Special and Holden Premier variants.

Production: 252,352 units.

Fourth generation (1968–1971)

This generation marked considerable advancement with the debut of the Holden Monaro coupe, formal introduction of V8 engines into the lineup, and expansion into the luxury segment through the long-wheelbase Holden Brougham, designed to compete with Ford Fairlane models.

HK

The HK series launched the new Monaro, including the popular GTS trim and introducing the powerful 327 cubic-inch Chevrolet V8 engine in the Monaro GTS327.

Production: 199,039 units.

HT

The HT was a slight revision of the HK, replacing the GTS327 with a GTS350 variant. It also introduced Holden’s own Holden V8 engine, which supplanted earlier 305 and 307 cubic-inch Chevrolet engines. The 308 cubic-inch Holden V8 initially appeared exclusively in the HT Brougham as GMH phased out smaller American V8s.

Production: 183,402 units.

HG

The HG closely resembled previous models but made the 308 engine available in lower-tier trims and debuted the TriMatic 3-speed automatic transmission. This gearbox provided an affordable automatic option compared to imported alternatives. The Turbo-HydraMatic 350 transmission remained offered alongside both Holden’s 308 and Chevrolet’s 350 engines.

Production: 155,787 units.

Fifth generation (1971–1985)

Debuting in 1971, the fifth generation represented Holden's first comprehensive redesign since 1948. This iteration adopted a semi-monocoque structure for the coupé, sedan, and wagon variants, whereas the ute, panel van, and the newly introduced one tonner continued utilizing body-on-frame construction. The Brougham model was phased out and succeeded by the upscale Statesman, which notably omitted the Holden badge.

HQ

The Holden HQ drew significant inspiration from Chevrolet styling cues, bearing resemblance to models like the Camaro and Chevelle. It was the final Holden vehicle to incorporate a Chevrolet Small Block V8 engine until the Series II VT Commodore arrived in 1999. The HQ Monaro launched the LS trim, paralleling the Premier sedan and wagon, providing a more luxury-oriented choice as Holden redirected its motorsport focus toward the smaller Torana.

Production volume: 485,650 units—Holden's highest production figure for any single model

HJ

The HJ generation featured design elements influenced by Cadillac, including prominent chrome grilles. While the Monaro retained taillights from the HQ series, the One Tonner underwent dashboard revisions but remained mostly unchanged otherwise.

Production volume: 176,202 units

HX

With the HX, engines compliant with ADR27A emissions standards were introduced. This generation is also recognized for the Monaro Limited Edition—a limited run of 580 vehicles with identical specifications marking the end of production.

Production volume: 110,669 units

HZ

Major enhancements in the HZ included the implementation of Radial Tuned Suspension (RTS) technology, initially developed for the LX Torana. The coupé body style was discontinued, and the Belmont trim was dropped, leading to simpler Holden branding.

Production volume: 154,155 units

WB

The WB series ceased production of sedan and wagon body types, concentrating solely on ute, panel van, and cab chassis models. It introduced the new Blue motor, replacing the longstanding Red engine after 17 years. Upon completion of WB manufacturing, Holden concluded this model line after a 36-year run to focus efforts on its smaller Commodore lineup.

Production volume: 60,231 units

Variants

• Holden Standard
• Holden Business
• Holden Special
• Holden Premier
• Holden Belmont including its derivative Holden SS
• Holden Kingswood
• Holden Monaro along with its commercial counterpart, the Holden Sandman

Holden Overlander

The Holden Overlander was a four-wheel-drive adaptation of both ute and wagon configurations. It featured a Holden 308 V8 engine paired with a Turbo 400 transmission and utilized Dana-supplied axles and transfer case imported from the United States. Manufactured by Arthur Hayward in Launceston, Tasmania, these vehicles were built using new Holden shells. Although GMH did not offer bare shells for sale directly, factory warranties remained valid for Overlander purchasers.

Sedan

First introduced with the FX model in 1948, this body style consisted of a four-door layout seating five passengers. It included a full-sized trunk separated from the passenger compartment by the rear seat cushion.

Coupe Utility

Debuting in 1951 as a competitor to Ford Australia's popular Coupe Utility, this variant retained front doors identical to those of the sedan but featured a redesigned rear section. In 1971, alongside the Panel Van, it transitioned from unibody construction to a Body-on-Chassis format.

Panel Van

Launched soon after the Ute, the Panel Van was a commercial model derived from the Ute, distinguished by a fixed sheet metal hardtop.

Wagon

First appearing with the FE Generation, the Wagon utilized front sedan panels but was characterized by a lengthened roofline, a more angular rear design, a lift-back hatch, and a rear seat back that acted as a luggage partition instead of dividing the boot area.

Coupe

Introduced in 1968 as part of the HK series, the Coupé was designed to compete with Falcon Futura and Valiant coupes. It shared only the front section and boot lid with the sedan, featuring redesigned rear panels and longer doors.

Long-Wheelbase Sedan

The Brougham was created to rival the Fairlane, essentially a sedan with an elongated boot and altered rear passenger compartment. It was succeeded in 1971 by the Statesman, which effectively captured market share from the Fairlane.

One Tonner

Debuting with the HQ series in 1971, the One Tonner was a Cab-Chassis variant of the Coupe Utility, featuring the removal of the rear tray and an extended ladder frame.