BOOK REVIEW – The Cars of the 60s

In terms of important decades in the history of the Australian automotive industry, the 1960s was perhaps the most pivotal. Between 1960 and 1969, the Falcon, Valiant and Mini all made their Australian debuts. Ford released the first locally-made, volume production car with a V8 engine and introduced our first luxury model in the Fairlane. Holden brought out the Premier, Monaro coupe and Brougham in the ’60s, while also “Australianising” the Vauxhall Viva to create the Torana. Chrysler went from strength to strength during the decade, too, thanks entirely to the Valiant.

While the 1960s cemented Ford, Holden and Chrysler as Australia’s ‘Big 3’ manufacturers, it also saw Japanese brands get a foothold that they would use to dominate the local market in future decades. Many other marques were either manufacturing or assembling cars here, too. Both the familiar and unfamiliar brands that filled Australian driveways in the 1960s are covered in The Cars of the 60s by Gavin Farmer.

The subheading – A history of cars manufactured and assembled in Australia during the 1960s – clarifies that this book isn’t about ALL cars that were available in Australia during the 1960-69 period, but rather those that were either manufactured here or assembled locally from imported CKD (Complete, Knocked Down) kits.

If you thought you knew all the makes and models that were built here in the 1960s, this book is sure to provide a few surprises. For example, did you know that Studebakers, Ramblers, Citroens, Land Rovers, Renaults and even NSUs were assembled locally?  Small numbers of Jeeps were being put together in Brisbane, while Toyota’s Tiara was the first car from any Japanese manufacturer to be assembled outside of Japan.

Farmer also shows that the ’60s wasn’t entirely about overseas brands. Space is devoted to locals Bill Buckle and Harold Lightburn, who produced enough units of the Goggomobil and Zeta respectively to qualify as manufacturers. One would have thought Bolwell warranted an inclusion, too, but as most of their output was supplied as kits for DIY builders, rather than complete cars, they fall outside the scope of this book. Other small-run sports cars from the likes of J&S, Nota and Elfin are not included for the same reason. Trucks and light commercials built in Australia fall outside this book’s purview, too.

Naturally, the largest chapters in The Cars of the 60s are devoted to Ford, Holden and Chrysler, but the chapters on Volkswagen, BMC (Morris, Austin, Austin-Healey and MG) and the Rootes Group (Hillman and Humber) are quite extensive. Same goes for the chapter on Australian Motor Industries (AMI). If you’re not familiar with AMI, they assembled Mercedes-Benz, Standard, Triumph and Rambler cars here before becoming the bedrock of Toyota Australia.

In each chapter, Farmer describes the cars that were built or assembled here, including engine and transmission specs in most cases, as well as local pricing, contemporary rivals, a snippet from magazine tests of the period and how the market responded. Outside influences (like the early-1960s credit squeeze) are mentioned, too. Farmer also notes the impact that the annual 500-mile enduro at Bathurst had on local brands later in the 1960s, resulting in ever faster and more powerful cars.

Illustrated with a mix of modem and period photography, as well as copies of brochures and advertisements that show how these cars were presented to the Australian public when new, this 192-page hardcover would be a great addition to any motoring enthusiast’s bookshelf.

The Cars of the 60s is the second book in the series authored by Gavin Farmer, following The Cars of the 50s. A third book, The Cars of the 70s, has also been released.

Published by New Holland Publishers, The Cars of the 60s is available from specialty motoring bookstores and good general booksellers. RRP is $59.99, but check your local stockist for current pricing.

ISBN: 9781760792510