4 1934 Ford Coupe Utility
This is
the truly Australian car. The genesis was a letter from the wife of a Gippsland pig farmer who wrote to Ford asking them to build a car that they could use to drive to church on Sunday, and take the pigs to market on Monday. In 1932 banks would lend a farmer money for a working vehicle only, so it also had to double as family transport if required. The “church on Sunday” part of the “brief” is easy to underestimate from today’s perspective – in those times in small rural communities the Sunday church service was one of the main social events and you wore your “Sunday best” – turning up in a truck Beverly Hillbilly style would be demeaning.
Ford put designer Lewis Brandt on the task, and he looked at the existing buckboard (poor comfort & weather protection without a solid roof) and pickup (with separate cabin and tray) vehicles which were too unrefined and workmanlike. The coupe utility was based on the Ford passenger car, with a third roof pillar behind the doors providing additional body strength at the join between the cabin and tray, and a stylish appearance. When Brandt was asked what it was on a trip to Ford head office in Detroit, he said it was a “kangaroo chaser”.
This started off a continuous line of vehicles, including Mainlines, Zephyrs and Falcons to the current day where their comfort and performance advantages over the more basic pick-up opposition is still appreciated.
http://www.fastlane.com.au/Features/First_ute.htm
5 1948 Holden 48-215
The right car at the right time, the Holden struck the ideal balance between the small, economical British cars and the large, powerful American cars that were available on the market. With a rugged yet light body that had enough room to cram in six passengers, a 138ci (2.3L) 6cyl engine that gave strong performance and remarkable economy the car was not particularly technically advanced but this only helped make it cheap to run.
Established in 1857 as a leather goods manufacturer, and later branching into coach and then truck body building, Holden was building 20,000 car bodies per year when it was contracted by GM to body all of its imports. In 1932 the effects of the great Depression led GM’s local arm to merge with Holden Motor Body Builders to form General Motors - Holden's. The Holden car’s genesis was in the Australian federal government’s request for submissions for the manufacture of an Australian car. Ford also submitted a proposal for a V8-powered car to be produced in a range of bodystyles but Holden’s proposal of a more economic sedan was successful.
http://www.fxfjholden.com/models.htm
http://www.ehholden.com.au/infhis2.htm
6 1962 Chrysler Valiant
The Valiant had a real impact on the local market, offering something that was distinctly different from the fairly basic alternatives, yet was much more accessible than the next level of larger, more expensive luxury cars. It had style, performance and a certain amount of prestige. The contrast is illustrated most vividly by a simple comparison of horsepower – 145hp for the Chrysler against 75 for Holden and 100 if you went for the larger engine in the Ford.
As with many local versions of overseas-originating vehicles, the Valiant adapted and evolved to its new environment with subsequent models. The 1963 AP5 was the first to be fully manufactured rather than assembled from CKD kits, and it had some changes from the US model. It took years for Ford and in particular GM to respond effectively, for although they introduced larger engines and more luxurious trim, Chrysler yet again got the jump in 1965 by introducing a V8 before the opposition.
http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au...er_valiant.htm
http://www.valiant.org/ausval.html