Holden (automobile)

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Holden
Holden HQ Kingswood Wagon (1971-1974)
Overview
Manufacturer	Holden
Also called	Holden Standard Holden Business (Taxi) Holden Belmont Holden Special Holden Kingswood Holden Premier Holden Monaro Holden One Tonner Holden Sandman
Production	1948-1984
Assembly	Victoria Fishermans Bend Dandenong New South Wales Pagewood South Australia Elizabeth Woodville Birkenhead Queensland Fortitude Valley Acacia Ridge Western Australia Mosman Park
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size car
Body style	2-door coupe utility (1951-1984) 2-door cab chassis (1971-1984) 2-door hardtop (1968-1977) 3-door panel van (1953-1984) 4-door sedan (1948-1980) 5-door station wagon (1956-1980)
Layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Related	Statesman Holden Brougham
Powertrain
Engine	Holden straight-six motor Holden V8 engine General Motors small-block engine Chevrolet Turbo-Thrift engine (ZA) Mazda Rotary engine (Japan)
Chronology
Successor	Holden Commodore

The Holden was a full-sized car produced by the company of the same name across 5 generations from 1948 until 1984. The Holden is also commonly referred to by their model designation (e.g., HQ) and also the H Series. The Holden was introduced to be Australia's car, being the first full scale produced automobile exclusive to the country. Prior to which, General Motors Holden's Ltd. assembled imported CKD kits from overseas General Motors subsidiaries such as Chevrolet, Buick, Vauxhall and more. And the only other cars built in the country being Ford and Chrysler vehicle bodies fitted to imported chassis. The Holden was an instant success among Australians, being the first production car built solely for Australia's unique, rough roads.

The Holden Ute was derived from the Holden. Until 1971, the Ute retained the rear floorpan of the sedan, although it was beneath the Ute's tray floor.

The Holden was produced in all states (excluding territories and Tasmania) of Australia at varying stages of its lifetime.

Between 1960 and 1968 Holden vehicles were able to be modified to left-hand drive for markets such as Hawaii. Right-hand drive Holdens were exported all throughout its lifetime to countries such as South Africa where they were rebadged as Chevrolets.^[1]

Some versions of the Holden ended up in Japan and were sold as the Mazda Roadpacer, powered by a 13B Rotary engine.

Upon its introduction the Holden was available in a single trim level, however it soon adopted the naming of Holden Standard, Holden Business and Holden Special. The Holden Business was soon phased out due to being unpopular due to its awkward mid-range position. In 1963, the Holden Premier was introduced, placed significantly higher than the Special, with many more luxury focused components. In 1968 with the launch of the HK series, the Standard and Special were replaced by the Holden Belmont and Holden Kingswood respectively, along with Holden's first coupe model, the Holden Monaro,^[2] and also the first Long-wheelbase model, the Holden Brougham, to compete with the wildly successful Ford Fairlane. In 1971, the Brougham was replaced by the Statesman upon the launch of the fully redesigned HQ series, this model was now devoid of the Holden name, however remained essentially the same car. Also along with the HQ came the cab chassis Holden One Tonner. The Holden remained essentially unchanged throughout the 1970s, with only minor style changes, and the coupe model ceasing production after the HX series, until 1980 with the introduction of the WB series when the sedan and station wagon models were both also dropped, leaving only the ute and panelvan in the range, which gained the Statesman WB front clip. The Holden was discontinued as a whole in 1984, as Holden turned its focus entirely to the Holden Commodore.

By the time production of the Holden ceased in 1984, total production of the Holden reached 3,330,401.