By Tania Phillips
They don’t make them anymore but that hasn’t made Holdens any less part of the Australian way of life.
The FX-FJ Holden Club of Queensland Inc still has more than 80 members from Brisbane to Toowoomba and as far south as Inverell in NSW and hold meetings throughout the year.
Growing up in Australia you were either a Ford or a Holden fan and though the last Holden rolled off the assembly line in 2017, fans are still passionate.
They are also pretty generous too according to FX-FJ Holden Club committee member Michael Ross.
The group is currently going full tilt to present their first Holden Out For Cure All Holden Day in two years at the Redland Showgrounds on Sunday, 28 November.
“It’s a Holden Show for cars from 1948 to 2017 – Holden cars only – all makes and models of Holden and modified and stock – whatever way your vehicle is,” Michael explained.
“We’re raising money for the Queensland Cancer Council.”
The show was a long-standing part of the Queensland car calendar for many years first being held back in 1992 but with several members losing battles to cancer it went by the wayside until the group decided to restarted it back in 2019. Car enthusiasts from all around Brisbane and beyond take part in the event with up to 250 Holdens expected to take up residence at the Showground for the day.
The 2019 plan to hold the event annually again hit a little snag called Covid in 2020 so it’s take two for the restart on 28 November.
Michael said getting involved in the day was pretty simple.
“As long as you own a Holden car you can enter or the general public can come along and pay their $6 for general entry and come and view all the cars,” he said.
“We closed our pre-entry form – a 188 cars had pre-entered but we are still getting entries.
“We’ve had a good spread of cars from FX Holdens all the way though to a 2015 SS Commodore I think. We’ve got Toranas, there’s all the F Series cars, there’s HR Holdens, there’s utes and everything.
“There will be lots to see and also because we’re doing it at the Redlands Showgrounds the museum there is also open as well so when you pay your general admission entry you’ll have free access to the museum. Then the Rotary Club are doing food, the Touch Football Club are doing food – because they all base out of the Showground. The Cancer Council Ladies are coming, they’ve got a stall as well, the museum is doing scones, jam and cream with tea and then we have some other food vendors. Everything is covered -what ever you want to eat or drink.”
So, if he’s on the committee then he must have a Holden of his own?
“I’ve got a 1954 FJ Holden – it’s stock it hasn’t been modified at all – it’s still got its original Q plates (it’s registration plate from 1954,” Michael said.
“I can’t tell you why I went for a Holden, it’s just the way it happened. It’s always been Holden vs Ford, I just picked a Holden I don’t know why. I suppose dad and my grandfather always had Holdens. Did have a couple of Fords but my grandfather, all my memories of the cars he had were always Holdens so that’s probably where it came from.
“I just liked the shape of the FJ Holden so I think that’s why I gravitated towards it. It’s got all the nice curves to the car!”
HOLDEN OUT FOR A CURE ALL HOLDEN DAY
Open to Holden’s from 1948 to 2017
Redland Showgrounds , Long St, Cleveland
Sunday 28th November, 2021 8:00am – 2:00pm
Supporting The Cancer Council Queensland
Admission is $6 for adults, children under 12 are free. Purchase tickets online https://events.humanitix.com/holden-out-for-a-cure-all-holden-day
https://www.facebook.com/holdenoutforacure https://www.instagram.com/holdenoutforacureahd/
