Holden FE

The Holden FE series was a range of motor vehicles produced by General Motors–Holden's in Australia from 1956 to 1958.

Introduced in July 1956 to replace the Holden FJ series, the FE range initially consisted of the Holden Standard Sedan, Holden Business Sedan and Holden Special Sedan, the names designating different levels of equipment and interior trim. The existing FJ series Holden Utility and Holden Panel Van models continued alongside the new sedans, with the FE Utility replacing its FJ counterpart in February 1957. Two station wagon models, the Holden Standard Station Sedan and the Holden Special Station Sedan were released in March 1957, marking the first time that Holden had included a wagon in its range since the marque was introduced in 1948. The FE Panel Van replaced its FJ predecessor in May 1957 bringing the new range up to its full complement of seven models. [ [http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/holden_FE_technical_specifications.htm Holden FE Specifications] Retrieved from Unique Cars and Parts on 22 August 2008]

The FE series was built on a longer wheelbase than the FJ and featured totally different styling, the FJ having used a body shape carried over from the original Holden 48-215 series introduced in 1948. A single piece windscreen was now fitted and other improvements included a 12 volt electrical system (replacing the previous 6 volt system), improved steering, a front stabiliser bar and wider wheel rims. All models used a 2262cc in-line six cylinder engine, coupled with a 3 speed manual gearbox. Engine improvements over the FJ included the use of bigger valves and the lifting of the compression ratio to 6.8:1, which increased the power output from 45kw to 53kw. [ [http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/car_info_holden_fe.htm The Holden FE] Retrieved from Unique Cars and Parts on 22 August 2008] After a production run of 155,161 vehicles the entire FE range was replaced by the Holden FC series in July 1958. [Norm Darwin, 100 Years of GM in Australia, 2002, pages 228-229]

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