Holden out no longer...

[tones]

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/...dium=pushnotification&utm_campaign=pushengage

Although I was never a fan (the 1960-1980s Holdens with which I was familiar during my time Downunder were generally (if you'll pardon the expression) frightful cars), it's sad to see such an icon of Australia disappearing. But that was always the problem with Australian manufacture - with such a small country (population-wise) and the resulting lack of economies of scale, the car industry in Oz was living on borrowed time as soon as the tariff walls were removed. Ford Australia stopped producing locally in 2016 and Toyota and Holden followed suit in 2017. Apparently it's part of a retreat by GM from all RHD markets (UK, Japan, S. Africa).

 

[PaulMB]

There was an old TV series, set in Australia, a cops-and-robbers, in which the good guys all drove Holdens and the bad guys Mercedes. Anyone remember what it was called?

 

[Tony Lockhart]

Cops and Cobbers?

 

[deebster]

Sheila's Wheels?

 

[SteveS1]

There was an old TV series, set in Australia, a cops-and-robbers, in which the good guys all drove Holdens and the bad guys Mercedes. Anyone remember what it was called?

Did they ever catch any?

 

[PaulMB]

Yes! Every time!

 

[PaulMB]

Found it! It was called "Special Squad" and starred Anthony Hawkins as Detective Greg Smith. Hawkins is the spitting image of Jack Hawkins, but there is no reference that I've found to his being his son. All it says is "English born, 1932". I wonder.....

 

[tones]

There was an old TV series, set in Australia, a cops-and-robbers, in which the good guys all drove Holdens and the bad guys Mercedes. Anyone remember what it was called?

The two most popular when I was first arrived were Homicide and Division 4. There were some others, but I confess never to have watched any of them, so I can't comment on the cars.

 

[tones]

Did they ever catch any?

Like the Mounties... Although I vaguely remember most of the cast of Homicide being assassinated at the end.

 

[tones]

I thought John Cadogan would have something interesting to say...

 

[Nero]

I thought John Cadogan would have something interesting to say...

That's brilliant. I have added some suitable phrases to my lexicon

"barbed wire enema"
"sandpaper covered di1do"
"they have been running with scissors for 20 years"

Clarkson, eat your heart out.

I did rather lust after one of those Holden Monaro VXRs with the 6 litre V8 engine. They also made the block in one of the Alfa Breras I had, although Prodrive did turn it into something quite decent

 

[deebster]

When travelling in Oz I met up with some guys who had a vomit yellow Ford Somethingorother estate car and hooked up with them for a road trip.

They kept referring to the car as the Moss Side so I had to ask why.

'It's a big f***ed estate'.

 

[tones]

I did rather lust after one of those Holden Monaro VXRs with the 6 litre V8 engine. They also made the block in one of the Alfa Breras I had, although Prodrive did turn it into something quite decent

My brother-in-law's pride and joy is one of these:

https://www.shannons.com.au/library...8-holden-hk-monaro-gts-327-bathurst-coupe.jpg

an HK Monaro GTS, one of the first Monaros, and in this silver colour. I had the job of driving his bride to the wedding in it. He had modified it a bit, and it was truly awful - uncomfortable, noisy and gear changes were almost two-handed jobs. It was so truck-like in its behaviour that I used to refer to it as the Bedford (Vauxhall's then commercial vehicles division, also present Downunder).

 

[Arkless Electronics]

There was an old TV series, set in Australia, a cops-and-robbers, in which the good guys all drove Holdens and the bad guys Mercedes. Anyone remember what it was called?

In TV world good guys in Fiat Pandas or Transit vans can easily catch (or escape from) bad guys in Ferrari's!

 

[Nero]

My brother-in-law's pride and joy is one of these:

https://www.shannons.com.au/library...8-holden-hk-monaro-gts-327-bathurst-coupe.jpg

an HK Monaro GTS, one of the first Monaros, and in this silver colour. I had the job of driving his bride to the wedding in it. He had modified it a bit, and it was truly awful - uncomfortable, noisy and gear changes were almost two-handed jobs. It was so truck-like in its behaviour that I used to refer to it as the Bedford (Vauxhall's then commercial vehicles division, also present Downunder).

I was thinking more like one of these

I sold an amplifier to someone who turned up in one of these. Slightly agricultural and brute force, but the noise, the noise...

Actually, looking at that picture, either the body bends like a good 'un or the panel fit on the bonnet and door is suspect. Probably the latter.

 

[richardg]

That's brilliant. I have added some suitable phrases to my lexicon

"barbed wire enema"
"sandpaper covered di1do"
"they have been running with scissors for 20 years"

Clarkson, eat your heart out.

I did rather lust after one of those Holden Monaro VXRs with the 6 litre V8 engine. They also made the block in one of the Alfa Breras I had, although Prodrive did turn it into something quite decent

Grab one while you can, the Lotus Carlton seems to be going for 50-90k now!

 

[Barrymagrec]

In TV world good guys in Fiat Pandas or Transit vans can easily catch (or escape from) bad guys in Ferrari's!

I`ve owned a couple of Transits, so yes, absolutely.

If you are driving a battered rusty Transit in central London the smart cars all give you a wide berth.....

 

[MJS]

I know not of the cars but I've got a song stuck in my head now.

Holden wrecks and boiling diesels
Steam in forty-five degrees

 

[Tim Jones]

I hoped this would be a thread about William Holden.

But it isn't.

 

[tones]

I hoped this would be a thread about William Holden.

But it isn't.

That Holden snuffed it long before this one!