When the Holden brand disappears from Australia, a little bit of all of us goes with it.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
So says a man who for decades has traded on the iconic nature of the Aussie car manufacturer, Frankie J Holden OAM.
Frankie J does own an FJ Holden - it's currently housed in the Trafalgar Holden Museum in Victoria. Many Bega Valley residents would also recall seeing the well-known local entertainer and businessman driving around in an HR Premier - although he sold that a couple of years ago.
"I echo the thoughts of many others in saying it's a sad day for all Australians," he told Australian Community Media.
"The Holden marque is much more than nuts and bolts, metal and rubber. It's part of the fabric of our culture.
"So many of our memories are made around a Holden car, they are part of the glue that holds us all together.
"Unfortunately it's another victim of economic rationalisation."
READ MORE:
While waxing lyrical about the demise of the iconic brand, Frankie can also see a funny side.
It didn't take long for a meme to be created and begin doing the rounds targeting him.
"I don't know exactly who put it together but I have a fair idea!" he said with a chuckle.
Frankie said the iconic nature of Holden, and the fact he was born in 1953, the same year as the FJ model first rolled off the line, was one of the key reasons he chose the moniker as his professional stage name.
"The other option I was considering was Victor Lawnmower. I'm glad I didn't go with that - I think I made the right choice!"
READ MORE:
In 2017, Frankie J penned the foreword to a book published by Affirm Press, It Happened In A Holden.
In that piece, he outlines his continuing love for the brand (and apparently his conception in one!) and that the first car he bought was an HT wagon, in which he enjoyed many a surfing trip along the NSW north coast.
"My history with Holdens, my life as a Holden, is only one example of the special bond that that particular automotive marque has with the Australian public," he wrote.
"If you are, or have ever been, the owner of a Holden, read this book and rejoice. If you've never owned a Holden, read it and weep."
Do you have a favourite memory of a Holden? Share your thoughts on the decision with a letter to the editor below
Ben Smyth
I have worked as a journalist since 2005 and am now Editor of Australian Community Media mastheads in Bega, Merimbula and Eden
I have worked as a journalist since 2005 and am now Editor of Australian Community Media mastheads in Bega, Merimbula and Eden
