They arrived with a fanfare at a big party in Summer Street.
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But Holden’s Australian production of cars will come to an end on Friday with a sad farewell from former workers and car owners in Orange.
Long-time Orange Holden dealer Ewen Cameron remembers the excitement and celebrations that greeted the arrival of the first Holden, a 48-215 model, in Orange in 1948.
E.C. Camerons, started by his grandfather Ewen in 1914, took pride of place in Summer Street.
With its distinctive neon light, “the first neon electric sign west of Penrith,” the NRMA office inside and accommodation upstairs the dealership was an icon.
Mr Cameron said a big crowd greeted the unveiling of the first Holden in Orange.
He said the first Holden delivered to a customer in Orange went to a newsagent, Mr A.E. Parker.
Mr Cameron was dealer-principal from the early 1960s until 1986 when they sold the business.
Canobolas Holden on Summer Street and Endsleigh Avenue is now the Orange dealer.
He said the business was started in 1914 with four staff and finished in 1986 with 82.
Mr Cameron said it was sad, but not surprising, to see local production end.
“They were going, they told me in 1986, they’d be going by 2005,” he said.
“They would build a world car, electric cars.
“They were going in the early 2000s but the governments kept them going for a few more years, but it had to come.”
Mr Cameron said his favourite model was the 1964 EH.
“It was a completely different style over the previous ones.”
Orange Holden fans gathered at the Botanic Gardens on Tuesday to show their classic Holdens, saying they were sad to see the end of local Holden production.
Rob Gerke has a 1960 FB model that he bought in Sydney six years ago.
“It’s built the same time I was, March 1960,” he said.
Terry Lines has a 1964 EH Holden he said he bought 15 years ago while Rob Solling has a 1972 LJ Torana.
“I wanted a Gemini and this came up on Gumtree,” he said.
“It was the first year Peter Brock won Bathurst.”
Rob Gazzard has a bright orange HQ Kingswood.
“I was always a Ford man, but I like the HQ, I like its styling and the glass area,” Mr Gazzard said.