Holden 48-215 Reviews

When you drive Number One, the original 48-215 Holden, it's hard to appreciate the impact it must have had in Australia in the 1950s.It's very basic, very slow, and about as roomy as a Kia Rio. I've driven it twice now and it's emotionally brilliant but functionally - by 2012 standards - about as impressive as Fred Flintstone's pedal car.It feels downright scary when the speedometer needle swings around towards 60 miles-and-hour. No crumple zones, no airbags and even the tyres are historic narrow crossplies.But the first Holden really put Austalians on the road and that means it has to top any list of the most significant cars in our motoring history.The rest of the best are a strange mix that reflect changing times and needs, from the muscle cars of the 1960s to the breakthrough front-wheel drive Mitsubishi Magna, the first compact Commodore and now the Territory - a Falcon wagon re-wrapped as an SUV - and the latest locally-made compact, the Cruze.I have not driven a Leyland P76, although it's on my personal Bucket List, but I know it's a car that was well conceived, and should have topped all its rivals on performance and comfort, but was very very very badly built.A pair of retrospectacles always makes it easier to assess a car, and see how it fits into Australia's motoring history, but the really big breakthroughs are obvious from the start. I can still remember clearly my first sight of a Charger, watching Allan Moffat winning Bathurst in a Falcon GTHO, and then driving the VB Commodore as a young motoring journalist.There have been thousands of test drives over 30 years since then and my personal Aussie favourites include everything from the XD Falcon 351 to the locally-tweaked Nissan R32 GT-R, as well as some obvious Falcons and Commodores. But the best car is always the next one, because there are always new technologies and improvements to comfort, quality, fuel economy and safety.Right now I cannot wait to see what Ford has done with the first four-cylinder Falcon, and if the downsized engine and EcoBoost efficiency improvement are enough to save the homegrown Ford.

Holden is breaking out the bubby this year in celebration of the 60th birthday of the first Holden, the humble old 48/215 ‘Humpy’. The 48/215 was launched in November 1948 and quickly became a favourite with motorists who appreciated its ruggedness, zippy performance and economical running.The first Holden, called the 48/215, but more popularly known as the FX, was the product of a desire by the Australian government to have a local car industry and a team of General Motors engineers both here and in the US.Holden sent a team of engineers to the US in 1946 when they joined a group of Americans, who also worked on the project. That first Holden is now a much-loved classic, one much sought after by enthusiasts.MODEL WATCH The first Holden defined the Australian car. Before it was launched Australian motorists were served up a diet of big American cars or small British ones, but the Holden fell between the two available extremes and set the mould for the future Aussie car.It was smaller than the big American models, but bigger than the little British ones. Not surprisingly being built by an American company it had many of the much-admired attributes of American cars. It was smaller and lighter, but was simple in design and tough and reliable, perfect for a developing country with poor roads.Unlike the British cars of the time, which were slow and relatively unreliable compared to the Americans, it could accommodate a family of five in comfort, had good performance and economy, and plenty of ground clearance.It took off like wildfire with local motorists. The problem at first was supply as Holden geared up to meet the demand. It would be a number of years before Holden was able to supply it in the numbers Australians wanted.In no time at all it was the top selling car in the land, setting a pace that would keep Holden at the top of the sales charts for many years to come. At first there was just the one model, the sedan, but that was joined by a ute in 1951, and a Business sedan in 1953.There was just one engine, the great old grey, a 2.17-litre overhead valve six-cylinder unit that was under stressed and as tough as nails. Behind it was a three-speed column shift manual gearbox, again the only choice. Underneath, the old Holden had coil springs at the front and leaf springs at the rear, with drum brakes all round.On the road it would reach a heady 130 km/h, after taking 19 seconds to reach 100 km/h. A standing quarter-mile took 22 seconds or so, but who was counting in 1948. Before it was superseded by the FJ in 1953 Holden had build more than 120,000 ‘Humpys’.ON THE LOT Buying an early Holden is something of a lottery as cars vary from rusty wrecks not worth restoring to untouched originals in pristine condition and lovingly restored beauties worth plenty. A typical 48/215 can be had anywhere from $500 for one in need of a complete restoration to $25,000 for one that’s a good goer in generally good original condition.More rare cars, like early numbered ones can be worth many hundreds of thousands of dollars and it becomes a case of what the buyer is prepared to pay. Business sedans with all of their special features are worth up to double a sedan, as are utes.IN THE SHOP Beware the rusty wreck unless you’re proficient at body repairs, as they will cost a fortune to restore if you have to rely on others for paint and panel. It’s a good idea to buy the best car that fits your budget, that way you have the best foundation for a restoration you can have. The best restorations usually come from the best donor cars. Look for originality. Make sure it’s still got everything it had when it was built, particularly with cars like Business sedans that had some unusual extras the regular sedan didn’t.Mechanically there’s nothing that can’t be replaced or rebuilt. The engine is easy to rebuild, same with the gearbox, rear axle and suspension. Body and trim parts are getting harder to find as time passes, so it’s worth checking with the Holden clubs to find out what’s available and where to get it.Our owner, Phil Munday has a lot of cars and even more parts. They’re mainly for his own use in restoring his cars, but he will help out if someone is really stuck.IN A CRASH Drum brakes, narrow cross-ply tyres, unsophisticated suspension, vacuum wipers, no windscreen washers or demister, the 48/215 wasn’t designed with modern safety requirements in mind so it’s not a car to own if you’re concerned about its crash performance. It does have strong BHP steel, a tough old body and big bumpers, and all of that will work in your favour in a crunch.AT THE PUMP The 48/215 was renowned for its economy in its day. Its lightweight body and torquey low-revving engine proved the perfect combination for low fuel consumption. Tests at the time had it that the 48/215 would do the equivalent of 8.0-9.5 L/100 km, pretty good even by today’s standards.OWNERS SAY They call Phil Munday “Mister Humpy”, he’s got so many cars. He owns up to having restored one of every 48/215 model made, as well as having others in the process of being restored, plus a number of genuine original cars in going order, and a shed full of others he uses for parts.His collection includes a rare Army ute and a sedan, body number 19, which is the oldest registered Holden in existence. He also built the 48/215 Peter Brock drove at the Goodwood historic race meeting in England a couple of years ago.Munday was hooked on them as a kid when he and his dad wrecked them in the backyard at home in the 1960s. He reckons they wrecked 100s over time, something he regrets now he’s chasing parts. They’re great to drive when restored to original condition, he says. “They’re not like a modern car, but restored with new bushes in the suspension and new shocks they’re great to drive,” he says. “I’d drive any one of mine anywhere.”LOOK FOR • Own an Aussie icon• Classic styling• Waterfall grille• Increasing value• Reliable classic car• Modest performance• Simple mechanicsCLASSIC RIVALS • VW Beetle – 1951-1953 – $500-$12,000• Ford Custom – 1949-1952 – $3000-$15,000• Morris Minor – 1949-1953 – $1000-$7500THE BOTTOM LINE A truly collectable Aussie classic that’s affordable and usable now and will grow in value.RATING 80/100