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• Auction House:
  Theodore Bruce
• Sale Name:
  Classic Cars Auction
• Sale Date:
  26 Oct 2013 ~ 6.30pm
• Lot #:
  124
• Lot Description:
  1947 Holden Prototype
  1947 Holden Prototype Engine: 1113
• Notes:
  Until after the Second World War large-scale car manufacturing simply did not exist in Australia. Up until 1948 cars were either imported whole or chassis were imported from overseas and would then be fitted with local bodies. It was not until the introduction of the Holden 48 - 215, more commonly known as the FX Holden made at the company's Fisherman's Bend plant in Melbourne, Australia that there was a true Australian motor manufacturing industry. The car offered here is Holden Prototype Four, KJ - 400, Australia's oldest Australian-made Holden. It is Australia's most historically significant car and the oldest Holden in private ownership. Three prototypes were made by General Motors in the USA but this vehicle is the first and one of only two which were hand made in Australia. The second Australian prototype no longer exists making this indisputably the oldest Aussie-made Holden. Completed in August 1947 this prototype car pre-dates by almost a year the Holden now known as 'Old Number One' which was the first production Holden manufactured using production line body number six, and which is still owned by Holden. Whilst Prototype Number Four is the oldest Australian-made Holden, it is also the second oldest Holden in existence. Just one of the three US made prototypes still survives in the National Museum of Australia. Purchased by its current owner, one of Australia's foremost car collectors Peter Briggs, in 1980, it has been on Museum display ever since. The opportunity is now available to purchase what then Australian Prime Minister Ben Chifley termed, "Australia's own car". This car has many unusual features which set it apart from production Holdens. For example the bonnet has been made out of three pieces of steel and the door lock knobs are in a different position to the production cars, whilst the production cars never had fabric seats like Prototype Four. Prototype Four, last registered in Victoria as KJ - 400 comes with a voluminous amount of documentation, historical files and provenance. This vehicle is emblematic of the rise not only of the Australian motor industry but also of the post-war regeneration of the country itself. This Holden symbolises the emergence of Australia as a manufacturing economy. It is the iconic car of an Australian icon. It is simply THE Holden, it is Australia's first car.
• Estimate:
  A$0 - 0
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Automobiles & Accessories

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.