LAST HURRAH
GT’S SENTIMENTAL COMMO JOURNEY
It was t he opportunit y of a lifetime: An inv itation from Holden in September last year to v isit its now-closed factor y just north of Adelaide to witness some of the last Aussie-built Holdens – and t he last Aussie-built cars in histor y – being built before production ended forever a month later. I pleaded with boss-man Guy to be the bloke to represent Unique Cars magazine at t his specia l last-ever event and he agreed.
Plus, I could deliver my t hen just-sold V W Beet le hill-climb car to its new Adelaide owner.
A road trip ! A ver y specia l road trip !
It’s a long way from my home tow n of Newcastle to Adelaide; I leave one Saturday afternoon and choose t he quicker trek v ia Wagga (not Broken Hill) with the aim of being in the Adelaide Hills on Monday morning. That’s where Garr y, the new owner of my
V W race car lives. It’s a depressingly damp morning when I arrive; Garr y and I both get more-or-less soaked as we unload my now-engine less bright yellow Bug (I retained t he engine and gearbox) from my trailer for t he ver y last t ime.
I’ve owned, developed and thrashed that litt le dak-dak for a decade and in dozens of motorsport events from Leyburn in Qld, to Grafton, Gunnedah, Tamworth, Kempsey, Dapto, Bathurst, Sydney, Canberra, Cooma in NSW and ACT, as well as Geelong and Moe in Victoria. That litt le yel low gia nt-k i l ler has won me trophies and made me (in)famous! I’ve just run my hands over its punchy yellow paint and smiled at it for t he last time. Plus,
“OUR THEN PRIME MINISTER, BEN CHIFLEY, SPOKE THE FAMOUS WORDS ‘SHE’S A BEAUTY!’ SHOWING ‘CHASSIS NO 6’ ON ITS ALLOY BODY PLATE”
I’m in South Oz to see the dying days of Holden’s loca l production so I’m feeling quite melancholy on this grey morning as I wish Garr y success with his new track Vee-Dub and drive away in search of cof fee.
The day does get better. My mate Brad – another Holden nut who I’m stay ing with that evening – has suggested I v isit t he Nationa l Motor Museum in Birdwood. Great idea ! This place has been on my ‘to-do’ list for eons.
When I arrive, Birdwood holds a specia l surprise. Two, in fact: First ly, t he ‘Old Number One’ Holden is on display there. On loan from Holden – t he car usually resides at Holden head of f ice in Victoria – t his sensational Holden 48-215 is a BIG deal. It’s t he actua l car that was paraded to Austra lia’s media and cameras and of course an expectant post-war Aussie public in November, 1948. Our then Prime Minister, Ben Chif ley, spoke the famous words “She’s a beaut y! ” Showing ‘Chassis No 6’ on its a lloy body plate – apparently it’s t he f irst Fishermans Bend-built car af ter five prototypes, t wo of which sur v ive – it’s an incredibly signif ica nt car for me, and I’d like to t hink for any Aussie car enthusiast. I’m gobsmacked to be able to stand wit h it, ga ze at its modestly-hued paint and – by leaning over t he rope – to see inside its a lmost perfect ly preser ved interior.
Secondly, thanks to a compassionate Birdwood staffer who lets me (and a couple of ot her car nuts) t hrough a safet y fence, I’m able to see behind the scenes of Birdwood’s impressive new display representing how our last-ever Holdens were built. Hung in t he air
for eternit y at Birdwood are seven (si x hoisted, one on t he ground) Holdens lifted from t he production line at various stages of t heir f inal assembly. One of t hem is covered in t he signatures of t he people who proudly created it. Ever since I was a litt le k id, I’ve been fascinated by car museums, motor shows and big, ‘rea l’ car displays such as t his (do any Sydney-based readers remember the cut-away Ford XP Falcon at the old Science & Technolog y – now Powerhouse – museum?) and this one captivates grown-up Glenn as much as similar ones did for me as a k id.
But t here is one horrible, tragic dif ference… This display doesn’t proudly show people what Austra lia The Clever Countr y and her industries can do, but what it once did. Standing next to Holden Number One and staring up at t hese last-of-t he-line V FIIs separated by not-quite 70 years, it’s dif f icult to comprehend t hat wit h a tox ic cocktail of market forces, cheap overseas labour (t he ultimate form of racism, if you ask me…) GFCs and poor government policy we’ve now lost t he abilit y to do t his. Bugger!
My mate Brad has offered to drop me at the Holden factor y the next morning in his restored HQ Holden Premier. Awesome! Brad a lso has another couple of cool collector Holdens and I’d love to be able to sneak him into t he factor y for a look, too. Cruising wit h Brad to Holden’s front gate ra ms home t he fact t hat factories like Elizabet h, wit h a ll its workers – and behind the scenes teams of production planners and engineers – have been a part of the foundation of our Aussie way of life for generations: Operating a reta il business (4WD/touring equipment supplier ARB Elizabeth)
Brad relies on people having a bit of spare money to spend on their toys and the shrinking industry means people have fewer toys. Brad expects leaner times a head.
The four-hour tour of the Holden Vehicle Assembly Plant is fantastic. Being as interested as I am in‘ how things work’ – and of course being a life-long Holden fan – I’m fascinated by everything I see. From the fiery sparks of the first spot-welds that affix the front chassis rails to the engine-bay side panels, through to the completed body being prepared for paint, to the those freshly painted shells being fitted with their interior sand dropped over their engines and drive lines, to the completed cars being driven from the production line, it’s a fascinating display of technology and people at work. It might sound silly, but it’s a similar feeling to when I visit Mount Panorama: I get a special buzz knowing my own V N Calais and just-bought V XII Berlina wagon travelled down t his production line, and like millions of ot hers, passed t hrough t his ver y point and were driven away for deliver y to t heir original owners. As a motoring journo, too, I’ve been luck y enough to spend time with the stylists and engineers who designed and tested t hese Holdens, so seeing t he cars being built sort-of completes t he big picture for me… and rams home what we’ve lost.
It also reminds me that my dream of buying a brand-new V8 Holden wagon will now never be f ulf illed. I’m luck y enough to own and enjoy a few classic Holdens, but I’ll sadly admit my life, career and financial choices in t he past few years have not been lucrative enough to a llow me to plonk down the cash on a brand-new one.
After photographer Thomas snaps the last few pics at the factor y and Brad collects me in his awesome Premier, I begin t he long trip home. It’s been an experience t hat I will never forget… but something inside my soul has faded.