National Museum of Australia - Canberra ACT
Introduction
The National Museum’s unique car collection provides a window into Australia’s automotive history and the society and culture underpinning it. The Museum’s motor vehicle collection (currently 27) represents more than 100 years of automotive history. It reveals stories of innovation, industry and passion.
The collection ranges from the luxury 1913 Delaunay-Belleville tourer to the 2017 Holden Calais, one of the last vehicles off the Holden production line. It includes a Daimler landaulette that transported Queen Elizabeth around Australia during her first royal tour in 1954, a 1925 Citroën tourer which was the first car to travel around Australia and the Sundowner Bean car, driven from London to Melbourne in 1928. Five rare vehicles are shown below.
The National Museum’s unique car collection provides a window into Australia’s automotive history and the society and culture underpinning it. The Museum’s motor vehicle collection (currently 27) represents more than 100 years of automotive history. It reveals stories of innovation, industry and passion.
The collection ranges from the luxury 1913 Delaunay-Belleville tourer to the 2017 Holden Calais, one of the last vehicles off the Holden production line. It includes a Daimler landaulette that transported Queen Elizabeth around Australia during her first royal tour in 1954, a 1925 Citroën tourer which was the first car to travel around Australia and the Sundowner Bean car, driven from London to Melbourne in 1928. Five rare vehicles are shown below.
1948 Daimler landaulette, used in the 1954 Royal Tour of Australia
This Daimler DE 36 landaulette came to the attention of National Museum of Australia curators during research into transport used for the Royal Tour of Australia in 1954. The Museum acquired the car from a private collector in South Australia in August 2009. This impressive four-ton vehicle is coachbuilt by Hooper and Co. on a Daimler 'straight eight' chassis. At almost 6 metres long, it is finished in black with Royal blue side panels and red pin-striping. Luxurious interior fittings include cream cord and blue leather upholstery, a walnut dash, silk window blinds and engraved glass light fittings.
Primarily an iconic reminder of the Royal Tour, this vehicle has strong relevance to broad areas of Australian history and can be used to address the themes of royal transport, the monarchy in Australia and innovation in the motor industry. The vehicle's subsequent ownership ably illustrates other aspects of history, such as Daimler's fall from favour and the lasting impact of the Royal Tour on a generation of Australians. This acquisition is representative of a remarkable small number of vehicles to be fabricated for the Royal Tour and as such is extremely rare.
A black and blue Daimler landaulette with a partially soft top. The car has three windows along each side. There is a bench seat in the front and back as well as two seats that fold away in the middle. The front bench seat is leather whilst the back is fabric. The monograph 'D' appears on the hub caps and there is wooden detailing inside the car. The front of the car has two large and two small head lamps and a place on each side for spare tyres. Only the left side currently has a spare tyre. Technical specifications include: an 8-cylinder, 36hp, 5460cc engine; a 85.09mm bore, 120.01mm stroke cylinder block; a Wilson preselector gearbox; and vacuum-assisted drum brakes.
www.youtube.com/conservingthequeen'sdaimler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daimler_DE
Primarily an iconic reminder of the Royal Tour, this vehicle has strong relevance to broad areas of Australian history and can be used to address the themes of royal transport, the monarchy in Australia and innovation in the motor industry. The vehicle's subsequent ownership ably illustrates other aspects of history, such as Daimler's fall from favour and the lasting impact of the Royal Tour on a generation of Australians. This acquisition is representative of a remarkable small number of vehicles to be fabricated for the Royal Tour and as such is extremely rare.
A black and blue Daimler landaulette with a partially soft top. The car has three windows along each side. There is a bench seat in the front and back as well as two seats that fold away in the middle. The front bench seat is leather whilst the back is fabric. The monograph 'D' appears on the hub caps and there is wooden detailing inside the car. The front of the car has two large and two small head lamps and a place on each side for spare tyres. Only the left side currently has a spare tyre. Technical specifications include: an 8-cylinder, 36hp, 5460cc engine; a 85.09mm bore, 120.01mm stroke cylinder block; a Wilson preselector gearbox; and vacuum-assisted drum brakes.
www.youtube.com/conservingthequeen'sdaimler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daimler_DE
1946 Prototype No 1 Holden sedan
The Ian Metherall Collection comprises the first prototype Holden sedan motor vehicle. It was hand-built at Fisher Works, Detroit, in 1946 and, after extensive testing, was brought to Australia with two other prototypes for road trials under local conditions. Following release of Holden sedans for sale to the public in March 1949 the prototype passed into private hands. It has since been substantially restored.
This vehicle is a reflection of national aspirations, a representation of post-WWII industrial development in Australia and an icon of 1950s Australian society. It is the only survivor of the first three prototypes of 'Australia's Own Car'. It marks the beginning of the Australian automobile industry, contributing significantly to the increasing prosperity of Australians in the post-war years. A Holden was the first car owned by many Australians. They have been celebrated in popular culture, including music, film and even pin ball machines.
This is the only known surviving hand-built prototype Holden 48-215 produced in Detroit in 1946. In August 1946, Fisher Body Works in Detroit, USA built the first Holden prototype. It was called the 'Australian Car Style No 19525' and had the letters 'GMH' on the bonnet and the boot. Two more prototypes were built. After months of durability and performance testing, the three vehicles were shipped to Victoria. Legend has it, they were driven under the cover of darkness to the factory at Fishermen's Bend, arriving on 1 January 1947.
The first prototype was registered as JP-480. It underwent further testing, on a 138 kilometre circuit east of Melbourne, travelling about 300 miles (482 km) daily. The first production model Holden officially rolled off the assembly line at Fishermen's Bend on 29 November 1948. Starting with the 48-215, known unofficially as the FX, Holden vehicles quickly became an Australian institution and by 1958 claimed 43 percent of car sales in Australia. A million had been sold by 1960.
Prototype No.1 Holden sedan (prototype for the 48/215 Model). A 2.15 litre six cylinder, four door, blue-gunmetal grey sedan with chrome-plated radiator grille, bumper bars, and hub caps. The grille and hub caps all bear a single Holden red lion badge, and the lion on the grille badge has a small gold-coloured frame around it. The paint in the centres of the wheels matches the bodywork but the rims are black. There is a vertical division in the middle of the windscreen and the interior is trimmed in grey cloth.
www.youtube.com/watchholdenprototype https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_48-215
This vehicle is a reflection of national aspirations, a representation of post-WWII industrial development in Australia and an icon of 1950s Australian society. It is the only survivor of the first three prototypes of 'Australia's Own Car'. It marks the beginning of the Australian automobile industry, contributing significantly to the increasing prosperity of Australians in the post-war years. A Holden was the first car owned by many Australians. They have been celebrated in popular culture, including music, film and even pin ball machines.
This is the only known surviving hand-built prototype Holden 48-215 produced in Detroit in 1946. In August 1946, Fisher Body Works in Detroit, USA built the first Holden prototype. It was called the 'Australian Car Style No 19525' and had the letters 'GMH' on the bonnet and the boot. Two more prototypes were built. After months of durability and performance testing, the three vehicles were shipped to Victoria. Legend has it, they were driven under the cover of darkness to the factory at Fishermen's Bend, arriving on 1 January 1947.
The first prototype was registered as JP-480. It underwent further testing, on a 138 kilometre circuit east of Melbourne, travelling about 300 miles (482 km) daily. The first production model Holden officially rolled off the assembly line at Fishermen's Bend on 29 November 1948. Starting with the 48-215, known unofficially as the FX, Holden vehicles quickly became an Australian institution and by 1958 claimed 43 percent of car sales in Australia. A million had been sold by 1960.
Prototype No.1 Holden sedan (prototype for the 48/215 Model). A 2.15 litre six cylinder, four door, blue-gunmetal grey sedan with chrome-plated radiator grille, bumper bars, and hub caps. The grille and hub caps all bear a single Holden red lion badge, and the lion on the grille badge has a small gold-coloured frame around it. The paint in the centres of the wheels matches the bodywork but the rims are black. There is a vertical division in the middle of the windscreen and the interior is trimmed in grey cloth.
www.youtube.com/watchholdenprototype https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_48-215
1967 Repco-Brabham Tasman BT23A-1 prototype
The National Museum of Australia has acquired an historic car constructed and driven by Australian racing legend and three-time Formula One (F1) world champion, (1959, 1960 and 1966) Sir Jack Brabham, AO, OBE (1926–2014).
The son of a greengrocer from Hurstville in Sydney’s south where he drove delivery trucks around the yard, Sir Jack was an ordinary Australian who helped develop Formula One as we know it today. The 1967 Repco-Brabham Tasman BT23A-1 prototype was first raced by Sir Jack, after his 1966 F1 World Championship win.
Sir Jack raced the car in the separate 1967 Tasman series where he set the fastest lap at Wigram, in Christchurch. The 1967 Tasman Series was a motor racing competition contested over six races in New Zealand and Australia, between 7 January and 6 March 1967. The design of the BT23A-1 led directly to the development of the BT24 which was driven by Denny Hulme of the Brabham team, and won the 1967 F1 Championship.
Since then, the car has been owned, raced and crashed by others. It retains many original components including the chassis, steering shaft, centre body — and the signatures of Tauranac and Sir Jack on the body of the car. The green colour scheme is as Sir Jack originally painted it when it was built.
National Museum director Dr Mathew Trinca said he was excited to acquire such an iconic and rare car, which showcases Australia’s motor racing mastery and Sir Jack’s globally acclaimed innovation. Sir Jack’s three world championships were the result of both his engineering expertise and his driving skill — he is an Australian legend who helped lay the course of Formula One racing as we know it,’ Dr Trinca said.
In 1961, Sir Jack and engineer Ron Tauranac established Motor Racing Developments Ltd in Surrey, which became one of the largest manufacturers of single seat racing cars. Sir Jack was as passionate about the engineering of his cars as he was about racing them and in 1966 he won both the Formula One Drivers’ championship and Constructors’ championships — the only driver in Formula One history to win the championship in a car of his own construction.
www.youtube.com/watchjackbrabham https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Brabham
The son of a greengrocer from Hurstville in Sydney’s south where he drove delivery trucks around the yard, Sir Jack was an ordinary Australian who helped develop Formula One as we know it today. The 1967 Repco-Brabham Tasman BT23A-1 prototype was first raced by Sir Jack, after his 1966 F1 World Championship win.
Sir Jack raced the car in the separate 1967 Tasman series where he set the fastest lap at Wigram, in Christchurch. The 1967 Tasman Series was a motor racing competition contested over six races in New Zealand and Australia, between 7 January and 6 March 1967. The design of the BT23A-1 led directly to the development of the BT24 which was driven by Denny Hulme of the Brabham team, and won the 1967 F1 Championship.
Since then, the car has been owned, raced and crashed by others. It retains many original components including the chassis, steering shaft, centre body — and the signatures of Tauranac and Sir Jack on the body of the car. The green colour scheme is as Sir Jack originally painted it when it was built.
National Museum director Dr Mathew Trinca said he was excited to acquire such an iconic and rare car, which showcases Australia’s motor racing mastery and Sir Jack’s globally acclaimed innovation. Sir Jack’s three world championships were the result of both his engineering expertise and his driving skill — he is an Australian legend who helped lay the course of Formula One racing as we know it,’ Dr Trinca said.
In 1961, Sir Jack and engineer Ron Tauranac established Motor Racing Developments Ltd in Surrey, which became one of the largest manufacturers of single seat racing cars. Sir Jack was as passionate about the engineering of his cars as he was about racing them and in 1966 he won both the Formula One Drivers’ championship and Constructors’ championships — the only driver in Formula One history to win the championship in a car of his own construction.
www.youtube.com/watchjackbrabham https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Brabham
1926 Crossley Landaulette 'Canberra' car
1926 Crossley Landaulette 'Canberra' car used for the 1927 Royal Tour and at the opening of Parliament House. The 'Victor Alberts collection no. 1' consists of a 18/50hp Crossley landaulette manufactured in Manchester, England in 1926, an associated handbook and archival photographs. This stately maroon and black car was one of twelve imported to Australia for use by the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) during their 1927 royal tour of Australia. It was acquired for the National Historical Collection in 1976.
An iconic reminder of the royal tour, this vehicle has strong relevance to broad areas of Australian social history and can be used to address the themes of royal transport, the monarchy in Australia and innovation in the motor industry. As a rare, coachbuilt vehicle, the Crossley reflects the rise of the automobile industry in the early twentieth-century and the import of increasingly sophisticated British vehicles to Australia for ceremonial purposes.
A maroon and black 1926 Model 18/50hp Crossley type 1L Landaulette 'Canberra' car. Technical specifications include: a 6-cylinder overhead-valve, a 3.8 litre, 2692cc engine; 69mm bore, 120mm stroke cycliner block; a 4-speed gearbox; and 4-wheel drum brakes.
www.nma.gov.au/explore/collection/highlights/royal-tour https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossley_Motors
An iconic reminder of the royal tour, this vehicle has strong relevance to broad areas of Australian social history and can be used to address the themes of royal transport, the monarchy in Australia and innovation in the motor industry. As a rare, coachbuilt vehicle, the Crossley reflects the rise of the automobile industry in the early twentieth-century and the import of increasingly sophisticated British vehicles to Australia for ceremonial purposes.
A maroon and black 1926 Model 18/50hp Crossley type 1L Landaulette 'Canberra' car. Technical specifications include: a 6-cylinder overhead-valve, a 3.8 litre, 2692cc engine; 69mm bore, 120mm stroke cycliner block; a 4-speed gearbox; and 4-wheel drum brakes.
www.nma.gov.au/explore/collection/highlights/royal-tour https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossley_Motors
1918 Australian Six motor car
This collection comprises a 1918 Australian Six motor car (chassis number B767) with maroon paintwork and black leather upholstery. The chassis was designed by Louis Chevrolet and manufactured by American Motors Corporation of Plainfield, New Jersey, USA, in 1918. It was acquired as a prototype by Australian automobile entrepreneur Frederick Gordon and was used as a demonstrator model before passing through a series of private collectors. It was acquired by the Gilltrap family of Coolangatta, Qld., in 1963, and was fully restored by George S. Gilltrap between 2007 and 2010. The car is in an excellent state of conservation.
The 'George Gilltrap collection' has relevance to broad areas of Australian motoring history. As well as permitting analyses of post First World War automotive technology, this vehicle lends insight into entrepreneurship and industrial connections between Australian and American car manufacturers of the era. Although ultimately a commercial failure, the Australian Six marque is representative of one of the more significant attempts to establish a domestic automotive manufactory in Australia. The car's ownership by the Gilltrap family compellingly illustrates the changing practice of collecting and restoring historic cars into the twenty-first century.
A maroon Australian Six motor car with a folding roof. It has a badge on the front that reads 'Australian Six'. It has black leather seats and a wooden steering wheel. It has a wooden box inset with leather on the running board and two large headlights at the front. There is a blue registration sticker on the top of the windshield. There are two attached, 290mm x 390mm and 370 X 420mm, rectangular wooden compartments under the front seat including different materials. Some of the materials included are, car accessories and packaging, a wrapped up tool kit, a plastic sheet, a biscuit box, rugs, coolant, a rope, etc. Technical vehicle specifications include: a Rutenber, 6-cylinder, 3.8 litre, 3769cc engine; a 79.4mm bore, 127mm stroke cylinder block; a 3-speed Grant and Lees, Cleveland, Ohio transmission; and an internal and external double-acting band brake.
www.nma.gov.au/explore/collection/highlights/aust-six https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AustralianSix
The 'George Gilltrap collection' has relevance to broad areas of Australian motoring history. As well as permitting analyses of post First World War automotive technology, this vehicle lends insight into entrepreneurship and industrial connections between Australian and American car manufacturers of the era. Although ultimately a commercial failure, the Australian Six marque is representative of one of the more significant attempts to establish a domestic automotive manufactory in Australia. The car's ownership by the Gilltrap family compellingly illustrates the changing practice of collecting and restoring historic cars into the twenty-first century.
A maroon Australian Six motor car with a folding roof. It has a badge on the front that reads 'Australian Six'. It has black leather seats and a wooden steering wheel. It has a wooden box inset with leather on the running board and two large headlights at the front. There is a blue registration sticker on the top of the windshield. There are two attached, 290mm x 390mm and 370 X 420mm, rectangular wooden compartments under the front seat including different materials. Some of the materials included are, car accessories and packaging, a wrapped up tool kit, a plastic sheet, a biscuit box, rugs, coolant, a rope, etc. Technical vehicle specifications include: a Rutenber, 6-cylinder, 3.8 litre, 3769cc engine; a 79.4mm bore, 127mm stroke cylinder block; a 3-speed Grant and Lees, Cleveland, Ohio transmission; and an internal and external double-acting band brake.
www.nma.gov.au/explore/collection/highlights/aust-six https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AustralianSix
Contact the National Museum of Australia for more information on 1800 026 132 www.nma.gov.au
General admission is free. Costs apply for some exhibitions and events. A $5 donation on arrival helps us deliver world-class exhibitions and programs.
Opening Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm, closed Christmas Day. Address: Lawson Crescent Acton Peninsula, Canberra.
Collections and donations - National Museum of Australia www.nma.gov.au/about/our-collection/donations
Note: Permission from NMA to refer to their content & photos - provided by the Marketing & Public Affairs dept 2022.
General admission is free. Costs apply for some exhibitions and events. A $5 donation on arrival helps us deliver world-class exhibitions and programs.
Opening Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm, closed Christmas Day. Address: Lawson Crescent Acton Peninsula, Canberra.
Collections and donations - National Museum of Australia www.nma.gov.au/about/our-collection/donations
Note: Permission from NMA to refer to their content & photos - provided by the Marketing & Public Affairs dept 2022.