I expect that there are a lot of people who are not aware of Holden’s history before the launch of the 1948 Holden, so let’s have a quick look at what was on show at Motorclassica 2017. As well as the run of the mill sedans there were some rather special cars too.
After some convincing by Don Andreina, I have been working on a history of Holden, and General Motors-Holden, however I recently had a USB stick with a lot of my material fail; so while I attempt to recover the data I thought that I would resurrect this draft on the cars that generated that idea.
Our first car pre-dates the creation of General Motors-Holden however several years after Holden were contracted to build bodies for all GM cars imported to Australia. This 1928 Buick Roadster was a body built by HMBB Ltd probably as a promotional exercise, and early in its life it was sent to England for some hotting up. This sounds unconventional, but a run around the legendary Brooklands oval reportedly saw an unofficial top speed of 138 mph which is very impressive, and well ahead of other production-based race cars. The outright lap record was an average speed of 143 mph by the Napier Railton (powered by a 24-litre aero engine).
It returned to Australia and went to Mildura on the Victoria/NSW border where it was supposedly used to run moonshine (although this seems unlikely to me). Cue a couple of decades sitting at the bottom of a dam before it was dragged out and restored. You would have to agree it looks pretty sharp.
And how about this radiator mascot – have you seen one like it?
Surprisingly the next car chronologically was another boat-tail speedster! This is a 1932 Chevrolet, with a body known as the “Moonlight Speedster”, which was built in 1931. This body is #10, and with a few other unsold bodies was fitted to a 1932 chassis.
The body was built from 17 pieces of aluminium over a timber frame. The cowl and front end panels plus those under and around the chassis including the mudguards are standard 1932 Chevrolet. How do you like the air scoops in front of the windscreen?
The vee-shaped screen in front of the single dicky seat is a unique touch. The ridge along the rear deck runs down between the front seats forming them into individual buckets.
I will follow this with a couple of 1939 cars – La Salle and Oldsmobile, and when I can get the chance a more comprehensive look at pre-1948 Holden history.
Further Reading
Car Show Classic: 2017 Motorclassica – A Hall Of Holden History
Car Show Classic: Commodore Generations At Motorclassica 2017
Very interesting coachbuilding. I wonder if those solid bright red paint jobs are original or a modern interpretation of how cars like this should look.
Hi JP, they were both solid paint (not metallic or pearl, etc), but your guess is as good as mine as to whether they are the original colour!
I’m struggling to understand the purpose of those air scoops on the Chevy roadster. It would seem the last thing that car needs is more airflow into the passenger compartment. But then Australia is a hot country. Curious.
I just loved those roadsters, they are gorgeous.
The Holden history must be pretty amazing.
Those roadsters are indeed gorgeous!
Looking forward to that writeup John.
The Buick history sounds fascinating on its own.
An award winning showcar, shipped to England and raced on one of the worlds most famous tracks, back home again to (supposedly)be a rum runner end up abandoned in a dam and restored back to this!
That would make a pretty good movie!
Very nice!
The Buick mascot was on TV about 2 hours ago on American pickers, very rare worth lots even minus the car, I read somewhere Holdens built a Hurlingham body style usually seen on vintage Vauxhalls on a Chevrolet chassis, they certainly built a lot of Vauxhall bodies Ive seen that the English cars never had some have made it to NZ most havent but I recall an elderly lady driving around Orange NSW in a DX Vauxhall roadster just wish I’d got some pics of it and I hope it survives it could be unique by now.
Yes, the 1932 Chev is the one based on the Hurlingham body; there were some Vauxhalls imported with that body in 1929-30. Good memory Bryce!
Dice que el cuerpo (en forma de barco ) es con un esqueleto de madera y forrado en aluminio. Ahora bien la parte delantera consserva la linea chevrolet 1932. Mi pregunta es…..a partir de donde comienza la modificacion ? A partir del parante del parabrisa? o partir de donde termina la puerta del habitaculo?
Hi, I hope you are going to thoroughly research the history of the “buick speedster” if you are going to include it in a book on Holden history.
I have searched the National Library Archives and haven’t been able to find any information other than recent stories in local newspapers.
You might want to check with other Holden historians who have written books and see if they can help.
Hey, I’m the owner the the buick,
The buick has confirmed body plates from England for when it was reconditioned for road use after the brookland racing, their also is reference to the car in a book(unable to recall the books name at the moment) and also has documented history of the car for running alcohol
Manuel
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-1998/95/racing-buick
I was sent this article of the only known Buick that ever raced at Brooklands in 1928, We would all love to know the name of the book you can’t recall and read the documented history on the alcohol running in Australia.
It really sounds like a fascinating story.
Manuel.