Engineering Dept
“The technique of design of all types of automobile bodies is highly developed in Australia. There are four major manufacturers of bodies operating in the country; General Motors-Holden’s Ltd., Woodville, South Australia; Richards Industries, Keswick, South Australia; Ford Manufacturing Co., Geelong, Victoria, and Ruskin Motor Bodies Ltd., Melbourne.
Because of the comparatively low volume, wide range of models, and materials available, Australian body designs depart considerably from those overseas. The Coupe Utility mounted on a passenger car chassis is a typical Australian Body with no overseas equivalent.
From the commencement of local Body Engineering in 1923 to the present day it is estimated that 415 designs have passed through the Engineering Department of Holden’s Motor Body Builders and their successors, General motors-Holden’s Ltd.
The time available for engineering these bodies has usually been limited to four months, due to the short time between the receipt of basic engineering data and the chassis shipments. The three other major engineering groups at Fords, Richards and Ruskins, have also handled numerous designs. It is probable therefore that nowhere else in the world have automotive Body Engineering Departments handled so many designs for quantity production on a relatively limited market as in Australia. The technique of Body Engineering and with it the knowledge of designing pressed and stamped metal parts has been strongly established in Australia.”
(From “Australian Engineering”, published in 1943)
This page is divided into four sections (use links below):
Engineering Personnel Bulletins
| Year | Title | Description | Link |
| 1943 | Australian Engineering | This brochure presents an outline of the Engineering Facillities in Australia in 1943 | |
| 1990 | Holden Product Design and Development | A series of brochures highlighting the capabilities of Holden Product design group to undertake work for outside customers | |
Engineering Personnel Bulletins
- 1976
| Year | Contributor | Description | Link |
| 1887-1957 | Marcus McInnes | The history of Russel Stewart Begg, Chief Engineer for the 48_215 program. | |
| 1911 | Sydney Morning Herald | "Evolution of the Motor". An article comparing the advances in Auto design from the beginning in Australia up to 1911. |
| Contributor | Years | Description | Link |
| Marcus McInnes | 1936/45 | Bill Abbot on early planning for the Australian Car Project. | |
| Marcus McInnes | Mar 1945 | Bill Abbot's first Engineering report on the Australian Car Project | |
| Hugh Healey | May1945 | Australian Seating Buck testing and approvals | |
| Holden | c1947 | Jack Rawnsley Talk on the Origin and Dev of the 48-215 Holden | |
| Holden | 1948 | Details of the Melbourne street Circuit used to test the 48_215 | |
| Marc McInnes | c1948 | "Before Lang Lang" - An account of incidents that occurred while road testing three prototype cars for Project 320 (48-215) - before Lang Lang! | |
| Holden | 1949 | Road Test of the new Holden 48-215, March 1949 | |
| Marc McInnes | 1949 | Short bio of Charles Phillips, Holden Body Engineer in 1949 | JPG |
| Holden | 1951-55 | Proposal from Australian Army for a 'Jeep' type vehicle based on the 48-215 | |
| Holden | 1951 | Specs and Comparisons for Holden 'Jeep' study | |
| Warwick Bryce | 1953 | The true story of how the 'FX' Holden got its nickname. | |
| Neil Pogson | 1956 | Engineering the new Holden | |
| Holden | 1956 | One ton truck proposal specs and preliminay design | |
| Bill Cuthbertson | 1957 | GMH Apprentice Evening Program | JPG |
| Bill Cuthbertson | 1958 | GMH Apprentice Evening Program | |
| Bill Cuthbertson | 1964 | GMH Apprentice Evening Program | |
| Chris Shattock | 1965 | Four young Engineers - and how one became a famous playwrite instead! | |
| Hugh Videion | 1966 | Seat Belt Integrity Demonstration on 1966 Holden HR | |
| Chris Shattock | 1966 | People Magazine extract - various people | JPG |
| S.E.A. | 1968 | History of Auto Engineering in Australia by Ford Motor Co. | |
| Bill Cuthbertson | 1969 | GMH Apprentice Evening Program | JPG |
| Holden | 1969 | Full technical specifications and discussion of the Holden Hurricane. | |
| Holden | 1969 | HT Holden Engineering Presentation overall | |
| Holden | 1970 | Torana GTR_X Engineering Report | |
| Holden | 1970 | Address to the SAE Australia on Holden Hurricane design features and development, by E.G. Taylor, J.E. Hutson and D.D. Webster | |
| Chris Shattock | 1973 | Nullabor - Ivy Tanks as remembered by Hugh Videion and Chris Shattock | |
| Chris Shattock | 1977 | "The Australian" article re Reg Hall retirement | |
| Holden | c1977 | Jack Rawnsley: A Brief Summary of my 50 years in the Workforce | |
| Holden | c1977 | Jack Rawnsley: Thoughts on some other projects. | |
| Harold Ingermells | 1981 | Request for Commercial Vehicle Test Trip to Bourke | |
| Holden | 1981 | A GMH update Bulletin on the then current development of Electric Cars. | |
| Chris Shattock | 1991 | March X Magazine pages: Borrett, Koran, Mele, Roberts & Brooks | |
| Neil Pogson | 1994 | GM EV1 Electric car specifications | |
| Marc McInnes | c1994 | Recording of a discussion with Charlie Patterson | |
| Marc McInnes | 1998 | Jack Rawnsley's comments on draft copy of "Heart of the Lion" book, including interesting comments on 48-215 design, | |
| Marc McInnes | 1998 | Marc conceived and outlined the "Heart of the Lion" book, | |
| Holden | 2007 | Jack Rawnsley: A Talk on Some Unrecorded Items of Holden History | |
| Contributor | Year/s | Content | Link |
| Holden | 1946 | J Rawnsley with No 1 Prototype of the 48-215 at Milford Proving Grounds | |
| Erne Ivanyi | 1958 | Mechanical Drawing Office December 1958 | JPG |
| John C Leigh | 1959 | Aug. People magazine Holden Engineers at GMI | JPG |
| John C Leigh | 1959 | Seven young Holden Engineers leaving for GMI | JPG |
| Marc McInnes | 1957 | Body Drafting group in September 1957 | JPG |
| Marc McInnes | 1961 | GMH Drawing Office Xmas 1961 | JPG |
| Holden | 1962 | Jack Rawnsley in an EK Sedan 22 February, 1962 | JPG |
| Roger Gibbs | 1963 | Wayne Brown (Chief Engineer) (L) and Bill Gibbs (Dir Manufacturing) (R) study a La Buire with owner at F'Bend 1963 | JPG |
| Holden | 1964 | Holden's Environmental Wind Chamber, viewed from the Control Room | |
| Chris Shattock | 1966 | Five new GMI Students - Amato, McDermott, Shattock, Sparke, Weir | JPG |
| Doug Mennie | 1969 | GTR-X News Item | JPG |
| Doug Mennie | 1969 | The Holden Hurricane, code named RD-001-1 | JPG |
| Doug Mennie | 1969 | The Holden Hurricane, code named RD-001-2 | JPG |
| Doug Mennie | 1969 | Assembling The Holden Hurricane, code named RD-001-1 | |
| Doug Mennie | 1969 | Assembling The Holden Hurricane, code named RD-001-2 | |
| Doug Mennie | 1969 | Assembling The Holden Hurricane, code named RD-001-3 | |
| Doug Mennie | 1969 | Assembling The Holden Hurricane, code named RD-001 -4 | |
| Doug Mennie | 1969 | Assembling The Holden Hurricane, code named RD-001 -5 | |
| Doug Mennie | 1969 | Assembling The Holden Hurricane, code named RD-001 -6 | |
| Holden | 1969 | Holden Hurricane with named Engineering Team | |
| Doug Mennie | 1969 | The Holden Hurricane, code named RD-001 - Cartoon of Assembly 1 | |
| Doug Mennie | 1969 | The Holden Hurricane, code named RD-001 - Cartoon of Assembly 2 by Hurrican Designer, Don Daharsh | |
| Doug Mennie | 1969 | The Holden Hurricane, code named RD-001 - Cartoon of Assembly 3 | |
| Barry Park | 1969 | Engineering 1969 Christmas Party | JPG |
| Doug Mennie | c 1970 | The Pattern Shop Open day | |
| Doug Mennie | 1970 | GTR-X at Lang Lang 1 | JPG |
| Doug Mennie | 1970 | GTR-X at Lang Lang 2 | JPG |
| Holden | 1970 | GTR-x on the circular track | JPG |
| Holden | c1972 | Matec Apprentice Training Area | |
| Chris Shattock | 1974 | Cartoon by Des Johnson: Chris Shattock being transferred to the PG | JPG |
| Norm Darwin | 1977 | Reg Hall's retirement function | |
| Barry Park | 1977 | Body Drawing Office group, August 1977 | JPG |
| Russ Little | c1978 | Durability Drivers at Lang Lang - three shifts | |
| Chris Shattock | 1980 | Cartoon by Jack Vandenberg - Leigh Maguire's Timing Gear problem | JPG |
| Holden | c1980 | Holden Hurricane body stripped for restoration | |
| Holden | 1981 | VC Commodore Cut Away Drawing | |
| Holden | Group celebrating the 25 year watch for Barry Dundas. Group named on photograph. | JPG | |
| Linsey Siede | 1981 | Engineering Christmas BBQ | JPG |
| Linsey Siede | 1981 | Engineering Christmas BBQ | JPG |
| Linsey Siede | 1981 | Engineering Christmas BBQ | JPG |
| Phil Stirling | 1986 | Central Laboratory Staff, just prior to the group being split into HECC and HMC | JPG |
| Holden | 1988 | Staff group who were employed at GMH at launch of 48-215 | JPG |
| Russ Little | 1988 | Armoured cars built for the PM and Aust Government | JPG |
| Doug Mennie | c 1990 | The Pattern Shop Crew | |
| Doug Mennie | c 1990 | The Pattern Shop Crew 2 | |
| Chris Shattock | 1992 | Frank Pound's Retirement photo with Engineering colleagues | JPG |
| Holden | c.1994 | John Lindell conducts air flow test in wind tunnel | JPG |
| Holden | 1997 | Jack Rawnsley and Syd Holmes | JPG |
| Roger Gibbs | 1997 | Tony Hyde presents Fred Jamison with a watch on his retirement on 1st Sept.,1997. | JPG |
| Doug Mennie | Ted Walmsley retirement function -1 | ||
| Doug Mennie | Ted Walmsley retirement function -2 | JPG | |
| Doug Mennie | Eric Preswell retirement | ||
| Doug Mennie | Eric Preswell retirement 2 | ||
| Doug Mennie | Fred Eaton and Vic Jacobs | ||
| Doug Mennie | 2002 | Retirement Lunch group, June 6, 2002 | |
| Russ Little | 1993 | Body Drawing Office, Ex- and current members | |
| Holden | 2015 | Fishermens Bend Staff in 191 Salmon St foyer for VFii Launch | |