"THE HOLDEN LION SYMBOL STORY"

The first Holden emblem was a life-sized wooden horse would you beleave,which stood above the entrance of the Holden and Frost saddlery and carriage works in Adelaide, South Australia.
As an emblem, the Holden Lion relates to the time when coach builders engraved their company name or trademark on the door sill, or on a plate fixed to the instrument panel.
In the 1920s, Holden’s Motor Body Builders used a large brass plate embossed with a winged figure representing industry against a background of factory buildings.
In 1926, the company decided to ‘downsize’ the brass plate and emulate the practice of Fisher Body in the USA, which attached a neat replica of its coach trademark to the lower part of the cowl.
Because the existing emblem was too detailed to be embossed on a small plate, a new design was commissioned, to be based on the Egyptian-style ‘Wembley Lion’ symbol of London’s 1924-25 British Empire Exhibition. Fashion themes of the time, from clothes to furniture, films and songs, were influenced by Egyptian antiquity.
According to fable, the principle of the wheel was suggested to primitive man when observing a lion rolling a stone. Thus inspired, the pre-eminent Australian sculptor of the day, George Rayner Hoff, created the ‘lion and stone’ sculpture, which was replicated in a rectangular pressed metal plate that was fixed to all bodies built by Holden’s Motor Body Builders from 1928.
More than 75 years later, the evolution of the lion and stone symbol can be traced through a series of badges proudly worn by a cavalcade of cars – some recognised by early GM model enthusiasts, but most dear to the hearts of generations of Australians since the 1948 advent of the FX or 48-125 Holden. (The chrome-winged surround on the FX/FJ grille badge was Cadillac-inspired.)
The classical Egyptian lion design unfortunately gave way in 1972 to a more modern interpretation of the symbol, which in turn was replaced in 1994 by the powerful Holden symbol we are familiar with today.

                                       

Take a look at the number plate and you'll notice the playground monument is a see-through FJ. Commemorates the site of Australia's first drive-in theatre, Burwood Skyline Drive-In,in Melbourne. Closed in 1983 after 29 years of operation. The tube steel FJ sits in the park next door as a reminder of pre-video times.

  

 

My son Benjamin Moy in his first car on his first birthday May 2003.Just like his dad loves the Holdens.That's my boy.

 

 

Benjamin entering his first Car Show being at Mackay Easter City Heart Show 2004.

  

FJ Holden Ute ,running a Supercharged 20B Rotary Engine.Runs 8.70.

 

 

48-215 Holden drag car fitted with :Engine 403 ci..sb Olds, 750 Holley/high rise single plane manifold, big bore custom headers. Transmission - 400 TH, Olds pattern tricked. B&M Shifter, high stall with full manual valve body. Diff/RearEnd; 9" Ford shortened tubbed with 4:11gears. Chassis - Fully Boxed Full Chassis. Half roll cage, rack & pinion steering, disc brakes, 5 point harness. Wheels 15x10 & 13x5.

     

 48-215 Drag Car "WILD BITCH".N.S.W

  

FJ Holden ute drag car ,from New Zealand.

  

FJ Holden sedan drag car.

  48-215 Holden Drag car ,being a fiberglass body.

 

    

Greg Ford. FJ Holden From Sydney NSW

 

On the 29th November 1953 the FJ Holden was launched.This brings the FJ to it's 50th Anniversary celerbration. The picture beside was bought out for this special occasion. 

 

1951 the first Holden Ute was manufactured being a 48-215 model. 2001 was the 50th Anniversary of the Holden Ute which this sticker represents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                 

             

            

             

Seeing the HOLDEN EFIJY at the "Brisbane Motor Show" on the 5th March 2006 is a day I will never forget .A reborn model of the 50's "FJ Holden", sadly never to be put on the production line. It was better then I thought it looked from pictures I had seen in magazines. It was beautiful - with cream leather interior , 2.5 inch dual exhaust , 22"x10" aluminium wheels, 381mm grooved ventilated brake rotors front and rear, LED touch screen, 480 KW, supercharged 6 litre V8 motor and air adjustable shockies. All this sitting on a lengthened (5.2 mtr) Corvette Chassis with a beautiful "Soprano Purple' paint job. What can I say........."I WANT ONE".

 

RARE 48-215 ARMY UTE I FOUND NEAR  BOGGABRI N.S.W

 (September 2005)

 

 

 

 

Well what can I say ,I could'nt beleave my eyes when I spotted this old FX Army Ute. I saw the bumperttes on the back , the dash fully enclosed (no speaker grill,ash tray or radio hole) the guttering above the front windscreen , also the holes in the back side guards (for the tarp poles) and also the tie down hooks. As you will see it is Body number 145. What a rare find but sad to say, way to fare gone.(September 2005)

 

FJ Ute found in Nundle NSW in the bushes (March 2003).

  

48-215 (FX Holden) found in the same padick as the fj ute in Nundle NSW.(March 2003)

  

FJ Holden sedan found at Naradri NSW.This was taken after I finished stripping what I needed. (April 2003)

 

 Ivanhoe NSW on a property.Last time it was drivern was 18 years ago (2005).

 

Bought this 1956 FJ special for only $600.(2004)

  

Found this FJ on the net.Looks a little lonely in the middle of no where ????

 

Picture on the right is the FJ Holdens being exported to New Zealand in 1954. Left picture was taken in the 50's of the FJ Holdens ready to be assembled.

 

 

 

 Above is a "original condition" 48-215 (FX) Holden Ute that was at the 50th FJ Holden Anniversary held in Canberra September 2003.

 

FJ Holden in Victoria.May she rest in peace. 

 

FJ Holden Special that my Dad found on a farm WA.

 

 

F.J Holden Cafe. Loction is in Hughenden Qld 385 klms south/west of Townsville Qld.

 

This is a classic old photo of a FJ Holden that is now famous, still there today stuck in a tree from being washed down stream in a flood many years ago. 

 

This picture was taken in Mackay QLD in 1948. This was the first Holden brought to Mackay and sold to Mr Quinn of Quinn's Drapery,in Sydney Street.

  

Old picture of "Clay Modellers" working on the Holden FJ .The modellers shown here are using, amongst other things, gauges to measure height and depth (to balance both sides) and profile guides to ensure the model corresponds to the design. This practice is still common today.

  

FJ Holden turned into a chock pen. If you look in the back ground you can see another as well as one beside it.

 

 FJ Holden Ute I found up in the hills of Werris Creek N.S.W.(May 2005)

 

  

I found this old girl sitting under trees at Braefield N.S.W.
(May 2005)

His was hiding behind a shed in Quirindi N.S.W. I only just saw the rear end sticking out,other wise I would of driven pass another FJ wreck.(May 2005)

 This was a good find,this place had Old Holdens everywere, FC's, FE's, EJ's,EH's,FJ's,FX's ,HG's ect.This FJ sedan was sitting on blocks and if you look closely you will see behind there is a FC and a FJ ute on it's side.I found them on a property just outside of Werris Creek N.S.W.(May 2005)

  

This old 48-215 ute I found on the same property as the one above. Outside of Werris Creek N.S.W.(May 2005)

 

                                                       

I found this on a property just out of Coledale N.S.W, hiden under a tree. From what was left of it ,I could only tell by the speaker grill and the quoter window locks it was a 48-215.
(September 2005) 

FJ Holden Sedan (what's left of it) in Tumut N.S.W.

 

 

2 FJ Utes next to each other in Kyneton Victoria (Aug 2006)

 

 

  

On this property near Warialda N.S.W I found many old Holdens ,but to my interest was the old FJ's and FX's. Two of the utes are FJ's , the other a FX. There was allso a FX sedan there and as you will see a FJ Panel Van (Window-Less)roof top.(October 2005)