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The much anticipated FJ Holden came on the market in 1953. Known at the time as the 'New Look' Holden, the FJ was essentially a revamped version of the first Holden sedan, released in 1948. Rising affluence and the easy availability of credit helped make the FJ one of Holden's best selling models. Today the FJ is one of the most recognisable cultural artefacts of 1950s Australia.
Molly Goodall purchased this Holden Special Sedan in September 1955. For the next 25 years, she drove it regularly between the family sheep farm in Tharwa, New South Wales, and the local town of Queanbeyan. Taking great care of her car, she kept it garaged and covered with a rabbit skin rug and a horse blanket.
Molly found driving more difficult as more people bought cars. She had managed gravel roads and tricky creek crossings but found traffic lights, crowded streets and roundabouts confusing. In 1980 Molly sold the car to Queanbeyan mechanic Albert Neuss, who had performed the very first service on the FJ.
For more images of Molly's FJ Holden view the slideshow.
Interior designs for the FJ Holden, first produced in America, proved unpopular with the staff at General Motors Holden. The Australian stylists judged them too gaudy for Australian tastes and too expensive to produce. They set about creating a more conservative interior for the Australian market. Two of the Australian design drawings for the FJ interior are also on display in the Nation Gallery.
The National Museum of Australia also holds in its collection the Holden Prototype No. 1, the only survivor of three test Holden sedans built by hand in 1946 by American and Australian engineers at the General Motors workshop in Detroit.
> Read about the Holden Prototype No. 1.
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