1. FJ Holden in 1955
This great photograph shows a '50s Holden, FJ I think, parked up near the shore on Australia's coastline.
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On the reverse of this black & white picture, are the following notes: "This is it .... Botany Bay in the distance .... 1955". These old Holdens look great, this one is finished in two tone, with a nifty sunvisor.
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2. A Holden FJ outside a Golden Fleece dealership.
This next shot was kindly sent over by Brian in 2010, it shows his father's FJ Holden, the first of many Holdens he'd go on to own. Brian adds the following about this particular car:
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"This was the first of dad's many Holdens and it was a very good car. Like all the early Holdens it had a three speed gearbox with the lever under the steering wheel and on the steering column. The shift from first to second was a heck of a long travel. You pushed the lever up, and when you reached neutral, pushed down and then up to get second. Top gear was easier. It was straight down from second. It was a "H" pattern. The FJ had heaps of room with big front and rear bench seats. You could seat six adults easy and the boot was huge. The motor was easy to work on with so much air space around it you could almost stand in the engine bay. Its achilles heel was overheating in the Australian summer, and it was a common sight to see FJ's pulled up beside the road going up mountains with overheating problems. We soon learnt that the trick was to take the thermostat out when going on long trips. Because of where this was placed, it was a very easy job. It was a very good car. It looked good, went well, was comfortable and suited the roads of the day. You will note in the background that there was a *Golden Fleece dealer located next to our house."
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| (Please click the thumbnail to view full-size image.) |
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In a separate email, Brian sent over a photo of another FJ Holden parked in virtually the same spot as the car above. The occasion was his sister's wedding in 1961. The colourful petrol pumps in the background can clearly be seen.
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(* Golden Fleece was a petrol company operating in Australia at the time, the distinctive Golden Fleece ram adorning many service stations across Australia. Just visible in the background of Brian's photo is a collection of old petrol pumps, each sporting glass globes in the shape of the ram. Needless to say these globes are very collectable now!)
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To read more about old Holdens, have a look at the UK Holden Register or the Holden Sporting Car Club (Victoria).
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Return to Page 2 of motoring related photos.
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