Australia’s automotive market was a very different place in the 1950s, with most cars being sold to private buyers and 50 per cent of new ones carrying one brand name, Holden.
Early Holdens sold well despite ancient looks and chassis design. After eight years though, it was in serious need of an update, which came in the modernised form of the FE model. FEs were similar in overall size to the FJ they replaced, but lower with improved suspension and brakes and riding on 13-inch wheels instead of the big, old-fashioned 15s.
The new car came initially as a sedan, with the van, utility and station wagon joining the range in 1957. The wagon was a new addition, with 1.9m of flat floor in the back and a rear window that could be propped open to aid ventilation.
FEs had 7kW more power than the FJ but were also heavier, so performance didn’t improve. People who raced Holdens in Improved Production events also preferred the lighter FJ and 48/215.
The FE lasted 22 months in the market and sold around 155,000 units before being replaced by the more flamboyant FC model. It arrived in 1958 with the same 2.2-litre engine as the FE, but some under-bonnet modifications that boosted power to 54kW.
Three-speed manual transmission was mandatory and despite Ford’s Mark 2 Zephyr being sold from 1957 as an automatic, Holden wouldn’t offer a Hydramatic model until 1961.
What set the FC apart from others in the six-cylinder market was its bling; lots of stainless steel and polished chrome on the big-selling Special version so everyone would know that this was the latest Holden and you had lashed out on the more expensive version.
FE-FCs became popular during the 1960s with younger owners who were keen to improve the cars’ handling and extract more performance from the original ‘grey’ motor or replace it with a ‘Red Six’ from later EH-HR models.
Adding an M20 transmission unleashed a bit more pace and turned well-sorted FE-FC Holdens into proper performance cars.
Some modified cars have survived and while they may be less valuable than a well preserved original, they still offer plenty of enjoyment, low-cost maintenance.
FCs survive in greater numbers than FEs and exceptional cars a few years back seemed headed towards $70,000. Those ambitions might one day be fulfilled but are on hold for now with values falling significantly since the COVID panic subsided.
Good, older restorations with the original drivetrain should sell for $25-30,000, with FCs still bringing slightly better prices than an FE in similar condition.
