Founded by British immigrant James Alexander Holden in 1852 as a leather works and saddler, by 1910 the company would be trimming motor vehicles and, in 1914, they manufactured their first one-off car body fitted to an imported Lancia chassis. The company would go from strength to strength when, in 1917, the Australian government placed an embargo o n fully assembled vehicles.
Became the exclusive GM body builder in 1924, and was subsequently acquired by GM in 1931 during the depression. Sir Laurence Hartnett was sent to Australia from the US with a view to making it profitable, or closing it down. Holding the Australian work ethos in high regard, he was able to increase production and efficiency, and court the Australian government with the idea of building an entirely Australian car.
Assisted by the Commonwealth Bank, Hartnett and Jack Horn made a pitch to the Detroit headquarters for the …”Manufacture of Complete Motor-Cars in Australia”. The resultant 48/215 would go on sale in 1948, and the name Holden would be indelibly etched into the Australian motoring landscape for all time.
Also see: Holden Heritage