Holden FX 48/215 No 2 Found..

[csv8]

BEHIND a small white garage door at the end of a neat, geranium-lined concrete driveway in inner Melbourne sits a grey, nondescript sedan.

Bought for a song from the estate of a former Holden worker, the first clue that it was the missing link in the evolution of the modern Australian automobile was a number ''2'' stamped on a plate under the bonnet.

Aficionados thought the GM Prototype Holden No. 2, one of three shipped from the US in 1946 to develop the first Australian family sedan, was lost forever. But it was one of several old Holdens bought by Damon Donnelly's father, Peter, for about $15,000 two years ago in a job lot from a deceased estate.



Damon Donnolly discovered this rare 1946 Holden prototype among his late father's collection. Photo: Simon O'Dwyer
''We didn't know what it was,'' Damon Donnelly says. ''She's pretty rough. I don't know if she's been indoors all the time, but there's only a bit of surface rust, so she's in good condition.''

Another clue to this car's significance was that the rear vision mirror is up near the roofline - in the later production car it's halfway down the split windscreen. Also, registration papers show ''Chevrolet'' scratched out, and replaced with ''Holden''.

Then there are those squared-off front guards, which lack the graceful curve of what was to become the 48-215 or, more affectionately, the FX.

Underneath, the differential in between the rear wheels still has its set of adjustment bolts so engineers could adjust the gearing. Like Prototype No. 3, No. 2 was thought to have been long lost to the scrapyard.

Prototype No. 1, rebuilt after it was damaged by fire, is packed away in plastic at Canberra's National Museum of Australia, but will go on show in a couple of weeks. According to senior curator Daniel Oakman, so strong is the car's appeal that it is the most sought-after exhibit not on show, alongside Phar Lap's heart.

Unlike its now pristine sibling, No. 2 is no beauty. The paint is patchy and dull, and the hand-welded seams - folded over so the surfaces could be ground flush - jag across panels.


The Holden rarity is now on sale for $1.2 million. Photo: Simon O'Dwyer
The doors and bonnet are an ill fit, and the roof is pock-marked where it curves, revealing the laborious process in which its shape was beaten from a flat sheet of metal.

If the car is officially recognised as one of the original prototypes, it will be ''extremely significant'', Mr Oakman said.

According to Mr Donnelly, records that came with the car show the prototypes arrived in Sydney in December, 1946, and were driven to Melbourne's Fishermans Bend on New Year's Day, 1947, where the original New South Wales registration plates were changed to Victorian ones - JP-480, JP-481 and JP-482.

No. 2 still wears its original plates, although the "GMH" on the bonnet and boot lid were replaced with the more recognisable "Holden" at some stage. It has 76,000 miles on the clock.

''It's the first Australian car,'' Mr Donnelly says. ''Without this car we wouldn't have the Commodore across the street.''

Mr Donnelly's father, a collector of ''anything old'', died about seven months ago, and now the search is on for a new owner for the car. The asking price is $1.2 million, which would make it by far the most expensive ''Australian" car ever sold.

My comment..Now, thats a barn find!!!!

[Polyal]

Its not sold yet....I believe this was on the front page of the Age/Australian..I saw a glimpse of it.

Dont tell the seller that collectable/classic have taken a hit recently.

[Grippy]

What a treasure. Good luck fetching $1.2m for it though.

[flappist]

No no, holdens are Australian not american......it is a dirty rotten Ford trick...

[galaxy xr8]

Either way, I wouldn't mind having that tucked away in my driveway only to be found.

[castellan]

Do we have the first aussie XK or the 2ed 3rd some where.

How about the first low compression 144ci or first auto or the first XK with the big 170ci.
Even though you had to get a XM to get the power pack, 170 pursuit not to mention the 200 super pursuit

[UNR8D]

aursome find, probably wont get the asking price but dont think he would be too concerned if it didnt sell, australia really does have a good history with manufacturing regardless of what team you support.

[2011G6E]

A guy I work with bought a farm outside town several years back, and he has had an FX ute sitting in his shed for years. It was under heaps of junk in the shed, and apart from surface rust and a missing tailgate, not to mention tatty interior, is in very good nick.

He saw that news item and said that he has changed from a "going to do it up one day" guy to a "bloody hell...that old dunger might be worth some money one day...better get to work on it!"

As for Ford, it's a shame the very first Falcons brought here from the USA for evaluation collapsed thier suspension and had to be scrapped after rough road testing. Imagine what one of those would be worth.

Come to that, Valiant had a test mule before the E38 and E49 Chargers...it was a plain-Jane Valiant VE ute, fitted with the magnificent 265 Hemi with triple Webers, which was shipped to Italy to be properly set up by Weber at thier factory. It was never scrapped but was sold to a private buyer.
Imagine what that thing wuld be worth now!!

[johnno3]

Quote 2011G6E:Come to that, Valiant had a test mule before the E38 and E49 Chargers...it was a plain-Jane Valiant VE ute, fitted with the magnificent 265 Hemi with triple Webers, which was shipped to Italy to be properly set up by Weber at thier factory. It was never scrapped but was sold to a private buyer.
Imagine what that thing wuld be worth now!![/QUOTE]


I met an engineer some time back that worked for Chrysler R&D back in the day & he told me that they built 4 utes with E-55 running gear. Now wouldn't that be something to find!

[aussie muscle]

i believe geoghagen (valiant race driver) said the ute with the e55 running gear was a horrific mess and undrivable.

[Bossxr8]

Just think of some of the awesome classic cars or racecars you could buy for $1.2 million, why would you buy a cruddy old Holden prototype. I understand its significance but $1.2 mil is ridiculous.

[Olbucko]

Originally Posted by castellan

Do we have the first aussie XK or the 2ed 3rd some where.

How about the first low compression 144ci or first auto or the first XK with the big 170ci.
Even though you had to get a XM to get the power pack, 170 pursuit not to mention the 200 super pursuit

We do!
I understand this is the first XK made at the Broadmeadows plant in 1960. It is owned by Ford. It has 236 miles on the clock. Photo taken at the 50 year anniversary party last June.

[BHDOGS]

I heard arnold has been sent back in time by fordnet to destroy the prototype and crush the resistance

[fakegt]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

A guy I work with bought a farm outside town several years back, and he has had an FX ute sitting in his shed for years. It was under heaps of junk in the shed, and apart from surface rust and a missing tailgate, not to mention tatty interior, is in very good nick.

He saw that news item and said that he has changed from a "going to do it up one day" guy to a "bloody hell...that old dunger might be worth some money one day...better get to work on it!"

As for Ford, it's a shame the very first Falcons brought here from the USA for evaluation collapsed thier suspension and had to be scrapped after rough road testing. Imagine what one of those would be worth.

Come to that, Valiant had a test mule before the E38 and E49 Chargers...it was a plain-Jane Valiant VE ute, fitted with the magnificent 265 Hemi with triple Webers, which was shipped to Italy to be properly set up by Weber at thier factory. It was never scrapped but was sold to a private buyer.
Imagine what that thing wuld be worth now!!

One of these does exist, I saw the body shell at Chryslers on the Murray in Aulbury earlier this year, its getting a rebuild.
A bit about them and a photo on this link.
Cheers, Dave
http://forums.autosport.com/lofivers...p/t118568.html

[Big Bird 17]

Originally Posted by RPI

We do!
I understand this is the first XK made at the Broadmeadows plant in 1960. It is owned by Ford. It has 236 miles on the clock. Photo taken at the 50 year anniversary party last June.

Is this the car from the Ford Museum at Geelong?

[Big Bird 17]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Its not sold yet....I believe this was on the front page of the Age/Australian..I saw a glimpse of it.

Dont tell the seller that collectable/classic have taken a hit recently.

It does'nt matter what the sale price is,i'm pretty sure the family will make a huge profit on the original $15,000 outlay.

[nb_351]

pretty awesome in any respect, one of the first of its kind, would people be so negative if it was the first xw or whatever with the ho motor?
or the first xr gt prototype?
im sure ford scrapped everything, they seem to be masters of hiding things that may be important...

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by nb_351

pretty awesome in any respect, one of the first of its kind

my parents didn't keep my first dump, and i will not keep my baby's first one - so i cannot get into the spirit of this vehicle. good luck to who ever has it and buys it, but it does absolutely nothing for me

[Pedro]

They might have found 48-215 numbers 1 & 2 but there's a few missing numbers out there ... I used to write them off with monotonous regularity. Don’t know how I survived (with no seat belts). LOL

[nb_351]

certainly not saying its worth anything near 1.2 mil, but its historic nonetheless... in saying that a phase 3is not worth close to a mil either, its only worth what someone is willing to pay for it...

[gossy]

Who's in the front passenger seat?

[2011G6E]

Phht...V8 Valiants were glorified truck engines...the 340 in the E55 was the only V8 worth a damn in the lineup...unfortunately it was never a performance engine, more a grunter.
Now back then (and even today in some cases...) you could wipe the floor with anything else with a 265 hemi E49...

Every time I am in the car on the highway or on the rails driving a train, I go past farms with remote old half-fallen-down sheds and always wonder: "Hmm, wonder what's shut away inside there...?"

[FG XR]

Good find but wishful thinking that Holden themselves will buy it for that price. Anyway they have number 1 why would they want a number 2?

[castellan]

Originally Posted by FG XR

Good find but wishful thinking that Holden themselves will buy it for that price. Anyway they have number 1 why would they want a number 2?

I think they are on about the 3 Chev 1946 prototypes.
There is so many FX holdens around that they are worth nothing much.

[johnno3]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Phht...V8 Valiants were glorified truck engines...the 340 in the E55 was the only V8 worth a damn in the lineup...unfortunately it was never a performance engine, more a grunter.
Now back then (and even today in some cases...) you could wipe the floor with anything else with a 265 hemi E49...

Every time I am in the car on the highway or on the rails driving a train, I go past farms with remote old half-fallen-down sheds and always wonder: "Hmm, wonder what's shut away inside there...?"

I was thinking more in terms of its rarity as a prototype more so than its performance, however this particular fellow told me that they had no problem hosing all aussie performance cars of the day....

I know what you mean about looking at old farms & sheds on farm properties, & wondering what treasures might be hidden inside them

[Mesa]

I can't see Holden being interested at all. This is the company that denied the exsistence of the 3 American made prototypes in the first place. They refused to acknowledge the first one (plated as a Chevrolet) had survived when it was found a few years back. As for good ol' no. 1, it's a historical fact that there were up to several 48/215's wearing that tag...... One in each state. The myth of the 'Aussie' 48/215 is more baseball and apple pie than football and meat pies. Just read the book 'Special, The Untold Story' by John M Wright.

[itsmee]

All I can say is don't believe everything you read in the papers or hear on the news............the guy that owns the car is known to stretch the truth just a little.
He is a little bit hesitant to let anybody who knows anything about these cars even look over the car or check records to substantiate his claim to fame.

[ianmac13]

Well I can tell you all that Holden would not buy prototype No 2. They didn't even want want the number 1 prototype and showed no interest. Likewise they showed no interest when I tried to learn more about the first Holden sold, which belonged to Essington Lewis who was Chairman of BHP at the time and who made sure they got they steel for the cars. At the time they wanted to give him the first Holden but he wouldn't take gifts so asked to buy the first Holden. It was delivered the day before they went on sale to his house
Having said that, the National Motor Musuem at Birdwood in SA had NO interest in Holden No 1 prototype and were rude to me about the Essington Lewis Holden
Likewise the guy at Echuca who runs a Holden collection was also rude to me about Prototype No 1 when I was looking for a home for it
The Musuem of Victoria didn't even bother to reply about these cars. Quite amazing actually
Happy to say both cars, prototype no 1 and the Essington Lewis now form the centre piece of the National Museum in Canberra, where they belong
As Ford fans, this will make you all laugh. Both the above 2 cars were towed in their special trailer by, you guessed it, a Ford ute
Holden didn't even care about that!!!!!!
Everytime I pulled up people would comment on the fact that Holden No 1 was being towed by a FORD.......what great advertising for FORD at the expense of Holden

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by gtxb67

my parents didn't keep my first dump, and i will not keep my baby's first one - so i cannot get into the spirit of this vehicle. good luck to who ever has it and buys it, but it does absolutely nothing for me

I'm with you...never liked 'humpies' and never will and I guess I will never understand the fascination with them either

[jixel 78]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Phht...V8 Valiants were glorified truck engines...the 340 in the E55 was the only V8 worth a damn in the lineup...unfortunately it was never a performance engine, more a grunter.
Now back then (and even today in some cases...) you could wipe the floor with anything else with a 265 hemi E49...

Every time I am in the car on the highway or on the rails driving a train, I go past farms with remote old half-fallen-down sheds and always wonder: "Hmm, wonder what's shut away inside there...?"

Hahaha. Fords too. Only the six was the engine they kept casting wasnt it.And look what it turned into. Nobody wanted any of the truck derived Ford engines either,(Cleveland, Modular 5.4) yet Ford Aus delivered plenty right up to FG. Boss came from good old F Truck didnt it?Not that its something to dribble over.They didnt want the better lighter 4.6. 318s werent bad,the VG 4BBL Fireball my uncle had in the 80s certainly didnt hang around. God I wish that car was still in our posession.