Mick's Top Gear Pty. Ltd. FJ News

The mid 1950's were exciting years in Australia. Crowds turned out in ‘54 for the visit of Queen Elizabeth and in ‘56 Melbourne hosted the Olympic Games. The world seemed smaller as Qantas planes flew faster and radio and picture transmission systems bought local and far off events quickly into peoples homes. Newspapers were an essential daily item for the well informed.
Few if any legends of the 50’s endure as well as the “FJ” Holden. It seemed perfect for Australian driving conditions. Good road clearance, ample power and a smooth ride quickly endeared the FJ to ‘Aussie ‘families while the panel van model introduced in late ‘53, was a boon to tradesmen and deliverers of goods of all types. Between 1953 and 1956 a total of 169,969 FJ models were built.
The most complete records of events that shaped Australia as a nation are contained in newspapers. War, peace, tragedy and triumph have been chronicled over many years in a form which allows readers to quietly absorb the details by re-reading in a way that watching TV does not permit. Several of the newspapers included in FJ NEWS have been faithfully keeping people informed for more than 150 years. The daily editions of todays papers inform and entertain readers whilst becoming a rich storehouse of living history.

	ADELAIDE On March 2, 1954 “The Advertiser” headlined the news that the quake that hit the day before was the worst in history. Some tremors lasting up to 30 seconds caused terror when houses shuddered. Many city buildings were cracked with parapets moving two inches. The repair costs were expected to be enormous but most fortunately, only three people were injured.	TGS02. FJ Holden Panel Van. Top Gear. FJ Holden Panel Van. © 1995 Top Gear Pty Ltd. Made in China. Top Gear Pty Ltd. Top Gear. FJ News.
	BRISBANE “The Courier-Mail” headline of February 22, 1954 shocked readers with the tragedy of a cyclone which struck the Northern Rivers area causing the loss of at least 19 lives. Radio 2LM Lismore declared it a night of horror and asked for help. “We need a thousand blankets tonight to aid our homeless”. An RAAF Dakota was scheduled to drop the blankets and supplies to the area that day.	TGS02. FJ Holden Panel Van. Top Gear. FJ Holden Panel Van. © 1995 Top Gear Pty Ltd. Made in China. Top Gear Pty Ltd. Top Gear. FJ News.
	HOBART On July 5, 1954 “The Mercury” proudly announced its centenary and spoke of the printing of their first edition 100 years earlier. The news that day also included the Wimbledon tennis final win of Jaroslav Drobny who overcame a local Aussie hero, Ken Rosewall, in a very nervous four set struggle.	TGS02. FJ Holden Panel Van. Top Gear. FJ Holden Panel Van. © 1995 Top Gear Pty Ltd. Made in China. Top Gear Pty Ltd. Top Gear. FJ News.
	MELBOURNE November 23, 1956 was a Sixteenth Olympiad souvenir issue of “The Sun”. The full front page was given to the spectacle of Ron Clarke, Australia’s famous miler, bearing the Olympic torch into the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The flame was lit and the games were on. The “Sun News Pictorial” merged with “The Herald” in 1989 to form “The Herald Sun” which is now available in Victoria.	TGS02. FJ Holden Panel Van. Top Gear. FJ Holden Panel Van. © 1995 Top Gear Pty Ltd. Made in China. Top Gear Pty Ltd. Top Gear. FJ News.
	PERTH On October 6, 1957 “The Sunday Times” trumpeted ‘the space age has really arrived’ and ran a major story about the newly launched Russian satellite. A twelve year old boy scout was first to claim a sighting with binoculars. The Russian launch beat the United States in the space race. In Perth and elsewhere around the world, eerie radio signals coming from the satellite were being studied by enthralled technicians.	TGS02. FJ Holden Panel Van. Top Gear. FJ Holden Panel Van. © 1995 Top Gear Pty Ltd. Made in China. Top Gear Pty Ltd. Top Gear. FJ News.
	SYDNEY The third Redex Trial had held fans in awe as the cars battled their way around Australia. On September 12, 1955 the “Daily Telegraph” reported the Trial ending in chaos as competitors argued over penalty points wrongly allocated. The last sections of the trial were really tough with many cars bogged for hours in Yass. Eventually the provisional winner was displaced giving the top places to Volkswagen.	TGS02. FJ Holden Panel Van. Top Gear. FJ Holden Panel Van. © 1995 Top Gear Pty Ltd. Made in China. Top Gear Pty Ltd. Top Gear. FJ News.

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