Towards the end of World War II, the Australian Commonwealth Government became interested in the idea of a car for Australian conditions and Australian families. GMH responded positively, assessing the potential market for new cars as big enough to support a local car industry. Moreover, Australia already had a sound industrial base with accessible raw materials, supportive secondary industries and a ready supply of skilled labour. 

GMH believed that the Australian market would best support a light weight four-door sedan, low in manufacturing and running costs, but high in performance and aesthetic appeal. Basically, the new Australian car would lie somewhere between what was available on the American and the English markets, and therefore it would offer something entirely new.   

In 1948 the iconic Holden 48-215 (or FX) rolled off the assembly line. Initially 10 vehicles were produced every day but the demand steadily grew as the post-war boom gave average Australians more money to spend.

By 1951 Holden produced 100 cars each day, including the first Holden utility. In 1953 the popular FJ appeared, as did the first panel van.  

Marketed as low cost, economic and low maintenance with high resale value, the sales continued to climb. Manufacturing was so successful that by 1954 one third of all cars in Australia were made by GMH.

The 1950s also launched a new era of advertising for Holden. Radio plays, popular songs, and short films brought the Holden vehicle off the roads and into other everyday spaces, cementing its position as a quintessential part of family life.

'Holdin' You In My Holden' was written by Don Bennett and Norma Hall, and was released around the time of the FC Holden in 1956. Have a listen to the song recorded by Lou Toppano and his Orchestra, featuring Joan Clarke.

'Holdin' You in my Holden', 1956. ZR 1157, State Library of South Australia.

The early 1960s saw the release of the third new model, the FB, followed by the EK, EJ, and EH. By November 1962 one million vehicles had been sold, including cars exported to Africa, the Middle East, South-East Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean.

A 'family car' from its inception, Holden had often included women and children within its advertising campaigns. However, as more women began to drive, more advertisements depicted women behind the wheel. This was especially highlighted in the 1966 television advert 'The Time is Now', as well as brochures and pamphlets.

By the mid-1960s, vehicles became slimmer and more powerful. The HD and HR series were launched between 1965-1968, with the release of the Torana in 1967. The Torana was marketed as a car of the future, fitting for a planet that, by the end of the decade, had landed on the moon.

1968 saw the release of Holden's new major series, the HK. HK models were the first to be fitted with an optional Chevrolet V8 engine, and included the Belmont, Kingswood, Premier, Brougham, and Monaro. Many of these models were successfully re-introduced in the subsequent Holden HT series in 1969.

Much like the moon-landing inspired Monaro marketing campaign, many designers at this time were also interested in futuristic engineering and aesthetics. The 1969 Holden Hurricane concept car was designed as a research vehicle, and has since attained cult status with Holden and vehicle enthusiasts.

The 1970s were an increasingly prosperous time for Australian Holden production, with the arrival of the six more production series. This decade saw the introduction of models that have since become deeply connected to the identity of suburban Australian family life: Kingswood, Monaro, Torana, Gemini and Commodore. 

Various models and advertisements introduced brighter colours to reflect the trends of the era.

After its release in November 1978, the Commodore fast became one of Australia's most popular family cars. The VB Commodore was the first in the series. Its body design was largely based on the German Opel Rekord E, but was fitted with an Australian built engine. Praised for its value of money and engineering sophistication, it won the 1979 Wheels' 'Car of the Year'. Holden went on to release five generations of the Commodore.

With the rise of television and film, this was the decade that Holden firmly ingrained itself within Australian popular culture. The Holden Dealer Team, which first raced in 1969, continued apace, with events televised for for audiences at home.

The Sandman was also prime example of this; popular with beach-goers and young couples due to the surfboard-sized roof and mattress-sized boot space, '70s Sandman culture was encapsulated in movies like Puberty Blues (1981).

With Holden now deeply embedded in Australian suburbia and popular culture, the decade closed with the timely 1979 release of the "football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars" jingle.

Unfortunately, the success of the 1970s was not enough to sustain Holden in an ever-growing market. In the 1980s, faced with much competition from other brands, Holden sales suffered and jobs were inevitably lost.

Nevertheless, production and advertising continued. The decade was largely characterised by the Commodore and its various models, with the popularity of the vehicle somewhat influenced by star motor driver Peter Brock and the rest of the Holden Dealer Team.

Older models were also revamped by their owners to give them '80s flair. This 1969 Holden HT Panel Van, dubbed the 'Midnight Express', began its life as a Radio Rentals television delivery van. Its subsequent owner decorated the vehicle with ornate imagery of trains, waterfalls, and a flamingo, and lined the interior with blue velour.

Despite the lows of the previous decade, in 1990 Holden celebrated the 5 millionth vehicle - a Red VN Calais, from the continuing VN series. The late 1990s, however, saw a resurgence in sales, and the VT series continued to produce Commodores and other consumer favourites.

Holden's reliable reputation also remained intact; the Commodore retained 'safest Australian family car' status, and the Prime Ministerial limousine fleet included a Holden VQ Caprice armoured car.

A new millennium came to pass, and Commodores continued to dominate. The VU ute was also popular with younger Australian markets, and has since become synonymous with Aussie 'tradie' culture.

Additionally, concept cars of the early 2000s captured the imaginations of a new Y2K era. The protypes were based off previous models, and combined the ingenuity of a new millennium with the pride of Holden's past.

The first of these was the 2000 Sandman, a concept design in partnership with surf wear brand Mambo. Its style evoked the 1970s with a modern twist.

Another beloved concept car was the 2005 Holden EFIJY, designed by head of Holden By Design Richard Ferlazzo. His modern take on the first generation Holden has since achieved cult status with Holden fans.

Holden's last concept car, the 2008 Coupe 60, unfortunately also faced a short life, with its release year coinciding with the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Following this, exports fell, new models were not released, and, again, jobs were shed. Only one year later, General Motors filed for bankruptcy.

By 2010, the landscape of the automotive industry was changing. Since 2008, Mitsubishi had no longer built cars in Australia, and in 2013 Ford announced that it would also close. Despite numerous government cash injections over the following years, Holden could hold on no longer and announced that local production would cease in October 2017. 

The last car off the line was a Commodore Redline SSV.