Comments by "John D" (@johnd8892) on "Ed's Auto Reviews" channel.

  1. By the time of the LTD the disarded a Cleveland 5.8 litre tooling was sent to Australia to enable Australian Ford Falcons, Fairmont, Fairlane, LTD and Landau to have cheaper locally produced V8 options. Australia produced a 351 and 302 version of the Cleveland V8. Late production De Tomaso Pantera cars had these Australian engines qualifying them for cheaper import duties for the Australian content.
    2
  2. On the road versions of race cars being stopped by the government. They said make these cars and you won't get gov fleet sales for your make. Good to see your interest in our Valiant Charger. The 302 hp E49 265 cui model triple Weber 6 packs were sold with a few hundred examples. Would out accelerate the Falcon 351 GTHO but lost out just a bit on top speed. What was cancelled was the next faster version with a 340 V8 four speed aimed to be sold Bathurst race. Got that part slightly wrong.
    2
  3. He missed the Toyota plant at Altona North in Victoria that ceased making cars in 2017. Much more success at exporting cars than Holden or Ford but component suppliers folded without the volumes of Ford and Holden. What started up in Adelaide was manufacture of the Brabham BT62 supercar.
    2
  4. 1960 to 1964. Assembled by AMI as he touched on. Assembled alongside the Toyotas. Get the feeling Toyota learnt a few things from those Mercedes 220s. My father bought a 64 one in preference to a new 70 Valiant he was considering.
    2
  5. Australian made 1948 year model Chevrolet utes in right hand drive for Australia. Made by general motors Holden in their fishermen's bend factory since the mid thirties. https://youtu.be/QHp3uCxuIVc Well before the El Camino. Even before the local Holden cheaper smaller ute.
    2
  6. Did the 1950s UK built Ford Zephyr ever get sold in the US? A six cylinder smaller car with McPherson strut front suspension, it was not quite as tiny and low powered as most European fifties imports. The mark 2 cars from about 1957 were often used as six seater cars or five with three kids with more comfort. Lots of similarities with the early Ford Falcon but earlier and superior in a few aspects. A similar six cylinder UK compact car was the GM Vauxhall Cresta. I would be interested to know what was the status of these larger class of compact cars from the fifties in the US.
    2
  7. Sometimes a stone , but more often a loose wheel nut. So giving some s warning at least and not losing the wheel nut. Don't how a stone would get in a basic dog dish hubcap that most cars had.
    2
  8. Dodge trucks in Australia used IHC bodies to keep up local content. Maybe the chassis too.
    2
  9. And manufactured Toyotas up to a few weeks before Holden closed. About half or more of the Toyota cars were exported. Something Holden and the rest never achieved Add Studebaker, Renault, NSU and Peugeot to the list. All these at the same Heidelberg West factory over the years.
    2
  10. VW lost market share in many countries due to the Golf/Rabbit being so much more expensive than the Beetle and being a lower quality more disposable product.
    2
  11. Yes smaller car with a 2.2 litre six. Holden EK the top selling car in Australia in 1961 with near half of new vehicle sales.
    2
  12. Around 1964. First significant Toyota assembly outside Japan in partnership with AMI Australia at their Port Melbourne plant. Some Toyota Tiaras assembled from 1963. The AMI plant also assembled Triumph, Rambler and Mercedes Benz. Later Toyota bought the company and manufactured cars at Altona North. Last cars made 2017, just weeks s before Holden closed. Most found export markets unlike Holden and Ford.
    2
  13. And the Oldsmobile version of the 215 , with the extra head stud for turbocharging , was the engine block chosen by Jack Brabham and Repco in Australia to develop the Repco V8 that helped Jack Brabham win the 1966 F1 championship and was further developed to help Denny Hulme win the 1967 F1 championship in a Repco Brabham. Pretty good for a rejected GM engine basis.
    2
  14. Two door local cars were rare. With low volumes the pillarless hardtop cars were much more expensive and Australians were reluctant to pay more for less so after initial sales burst later declining sales had them dropped from manufacture. We also needed usable back seats.
    2
  15.  @coover65  yes I did mention the conversions, but that high cost is keeping those out of the top 100 models sold per year in Australia. Swamped by the vehicles already in right hand drive and below the luxury car tax limit.
    2
  16. Holden advertisement from 1960 promoting the export levels achieved including LEFT HAND DRIVE versions exported to Hawaii among other LHD markets https://youtu.be/I5YReuF6BVA Possibly GM head office and US auto workers unions would prefer these markets to be supplied by Detroit later. Would love to know how the cars were received. In 1980 my brother travelled in Greece in a 1967 Holden Taxi that the driver was very happy with.
    2
  17. An XB Ford Falcon coupe, heavily modified.
    2
  18. This gives more on the Mad Max cars : https://youtu.be/cEcfTwonSiw With this four part series a deeper dive into Australian motor vehicles : https://youtu.be/5tC7yP9LmAE From Shannon's who have much more detail on Australian cars like a 160 episode series on cars with motorsport history. Falcon XA and XB included. The 351 option GT was the standout. https://youtu.be/77Uyp0dN-eY https://youtu.be/IJb04RSgjtg
    2
  19. They have also given up on nearly all export markets. On the other hand GM EMD or GMD locomotives are dominating even European freight services. Developed this from the eighties with locomotives fitted to tunnel sizes etc.
    1
  20. Thanks for a good reference vid. Australia got the Honda T500 truck in this from about 1964, then the Honda S600 and S800 sports cars. By about 1969 we got the Honda N360 sedan then a bit later the N600. We were about the only country outside Japan to get the Z360 sporty car as later seen splitting in the film Malcolm. Everywhere else got the Z600 but we did not. Daihatsu sold the two stroke Fellow Max here soon after. By the time Honda sold the Life 360 here , Honda buyers were much more interested in the early Civic cars and the true Kei cars petered out. Earliest would be the Mazda 360 sold here in 62 or 63 although some of the 360 Mazda three wheel trucks were sold here from 1959. Qantas had a few of them for airport use.
    1
  21. Utes from the thirties and forties from this 1949 Australian film. https://youtu.be/EJBtElrbdtw Seen amongst the traffic.
    1
  22. Good to see your interest in our Valiant Charger. The 302 hp E49 265 cui model triple Weber 6 packs were sold with a few hundred examples. Would out accelerate the Falcon 351 GTHO but lost out just a bit on top speed. What was cancelled was the next faster version with a 340 V8 four speed aimed to be sold Bathurst race. He got that part wrong.
    1
  23. Not sure how this rare 1933 Tatra 57 got to Australia : https://youtu.be/y9BeodCjg8Q A few people imported the post war luxury cars after admiring them. Just a handful.
    1
  24. And some of the pre war GM Opel designs made it into the Cadet such as unitary construction. I think these were the first GM unitary construction cars.
    1
  25. Holden advertisement from 1960 promoting the export levels achieved including LEFT HAND DRIVE versions exported to Hawaii among other LHD markets https://youtu.be/I5YReuF6BVA Possibly GM head office and US auto workers unions would prefer these markets to be supplied by Detroit later. Would love to know how the cars were received. In 1980 my brother travelled in Greece in a 1967 Holden Taxi that the driver was very happy with. Would
    1
  26. And the Chrysler Simca Vedette with a Ford V8. But only a tiny pre war side valve design of about 2.3 litres and something like 80 HP.
    1
  27. If you don't count the fifties Ford Customline V8;with about 80% local content. A few other similar examples too like the Chrysler Royal etc.
    1
  28. Australian Chrysler Valiant Ranger base model sedans too.
    1
  29. A few world car versions were made in the US but ended up being the worst made of any in the world. Chevrolet Chevette compared to Isuzu and Holden Gemini, Opel Kadett and Vauxhall Chevette in rough defending quality order. So some US input making it worse. US built VW Rabbits not the best ones. Current US built Mercedes SUVs are the Mercedes to avoid here.
    1
  30. Actually an upgrade of a 1941 Chevrolet experimental smaller car that never got to production.
    1
  31. The SUV onslaught was more significant. GM relying on second rate Daewoo based SUVs lost them the growth in that segment that now dominates. Lucky Ford had the Ranger and SUV version to not disappear like Holden. I do not drive an SUV by choice but millions are making the choice.
    1
  32. From 7:47. These 1948 Chevrolet cars were assembled by Holden, but all I have seen were four door Sedans or utes. My Father bought one in 1968 for $1. When new they were much more expensive than the Holden, so some people bought the cheaper ute version : https://youtu.be/QHp3uCxuIVc Well before the El Camino. Started in the thirties. First car I learnt in. All Chevrolet cars were six cylinder until 1955, but a 3.5 litre six unlike the more frugal 2.2 litre six being the only Holden engine until 1963 red motors. Ford were the main V8 people.
    1
  33. US unions a problem too. Put pressure on US big three not to allow cars from their overseas plants into the US. Saying we should make those cars in the US and for LHD export markets.
    1
  34. The Standard Ten, assembled in Australia, was another small car that sold well here but nowhere near Holden levels. https://youtu.be/_twPhKFw9aQ Fuel consumption a selling point along with lower purchase price. Soon had very stiff competition from Australian made VW cars that outsold all Fords until the Falcon started selling better. My uncles new standard ten was the first car I remember travelling in. Seemed fabulous as a kid.
    1
  35. Yes, Studebakers of the later era sold surprisingly well in Australia assembled here from US and Canadian sourced parts and as much local content as possible. Out of a Heidelberg West company that specialised in assembling lots of overseas cars to qualify for less import duties. More common here than Buicks, Oldsmobile, Mercury, Dodge and Plymouth and of course Caddilac and Linciln.Similar assembled success with Rambler. Police in Victoria thought highly of them as police cars. Some police racing enthusiasts bought them at police auctions to go racing at Bathurst. Some of the story of the Australian Studebakers here : https://youtu.be/SHHTPLw-oNM Some of the police highway pursuit cars were two door cars. Standardised on V8s with highest trim level here to justify higher prices and simplify the range.
    1
  36. Vanguard's sold in decreasing numbers here until about 1962. Then the components were put in a new body as the Triumph 2000 and sold at a premium price to cashed up buyers. Standard Vanguard names then dumped.
    1
  37. That was the rejected plan in 1946.
    1
  38. It was a development of 1941 Chevrolet prototype lighter car. Abandoned as felt it was too small for the US. Prototypes built in the US Detroit and first registered in Michigan. Film exists of testing in the US. Then these prototypes sent to Australia for further testing and development under Australian conditions All documented unlike the Opel myth.
    1
  39. Good stuff Ed. Might add that lots of cars on Australian roads thought of as US models were Canadian imports or more commonly assembled from Canadian sourced parts and designs Back to the first Australian model T Ford's from 1926. Kept the names for some like the Pontiac Parisienne and Fargo and Maple Leaf trucks Big part was the tax advantages of Commonwealth preference.
    1
  40. A 65 hp 6 cylinder smaller car with lighter weight unitary construction would have been competitive with most volume selling body on frame cars of the late forties.
    1
  41. The rare top of the line HQ Holden's had the chev 350, so that should be easy to source parts for. Even a six cylinder shell can be converted to the 350. Hot rodders here run more 350 conversion motors in Holden cars than were ever sold off the showrooms.
    1
  42. VW only outsold by Holden in 1960. Even outsold Ford that year. Increasing Australian content as time went on. Perhaps more than Chrysler and BMC.
    1
  43. More on the US Anglia sales starting in 1959 : https://youtube.com/shorts/D3UaqVw9xio?si=mCQhXfA9v58PPm5S
    1
  44. Ford at 0:44 actually deviated completely from the blue oval for quite a long period. I am not an expert but on US Ford's from the fifties and into the sixties the blue oval was not to be seen prominently on their cars but a more rectangular forgettable version with FORD spelt out in normal script and not the cursive script text in an oval that made a comeback later.
    1
  45. Cars that Australians aspired to , but less could afford before the first Holden : https://youtu.be/zovdujN9-GE Note another pre Holden Ute version parked on the road.
    1
  46. Skoda also imported to Australia from the fifties or so. Lots of 1950 model Skoda cars on stats sheets for some reason then dropped of until the sixties. Love to know why 1950.
    1
  47. Local Australian assembly helped Studebakers of the later era sell surprisingly well in Australia. Assembled here from US and Canadian sourced parts and as much local content as possible. Out of a Heidelberg West company that specialised in assembling lots of overseas cars to qualify for less import duties. Also did NSU, Renault, Peugeot and Citroen until Renault took them over. More common here than Buicks, Oldsmobile, Mercury, Dodge and Plymouth and of course Caddilac and Lincoln. .Similar assembled success with Rambler. Police in Victoria thought highly of them as police cars. Some police racing enthusiasts bought them at police auctions to go racing at Bathurst. Some of the story of the Australian Studebakers here : https://youtu.be/SHHTPLw-oNM Some of the police highway pursuit cars were two door cars. Standardised on V8s with highest trim level here to justify higher prices and simplify the range.
    1
  48. Was about to type that comment myself just minutes after you. Likely his farming background helped, but a mystery why it did not go ahead. Maybe did not want to cannibalise truck sales.
    1
  49. He has missed quite a few others made here. Leyland P76 is one.
    1
  50.  @ragnaroni  think ed may have selected info from this series in four half hour plus parts : https://youtu.be/5tC7yP9LmAE Shannon's also have histories on about 160 road cars with motorsport use in Australia. Shannon's Club TV.
    1