▁autom ot ive ▁industry . ▁Both ▁G M ▁and ▁Ford ▁provided ▁studies ▁to ▁the ▁Australian ▁government ▁out lin ing ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Australian - des igned ▁car . ▁Ford ' s ▁proposal ▁was ▁the ▁government ' s ▁first ▁choice , ▁but ▁required ▁substantial ▁financial ▁assistance . ▁G M ' s ▁study ▁was ▁ultimately ▁chosen ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁low ▁level ▁of ▁government ▁inter vention . ▁After ▁the ▁war , ▁Hold en ▁returned ▁to ▁producing ▁vehicle ▁bodies , ▁this ▁time ▁for ▁Bu ick , ▁Che v ro let , ▁Pont iac , ▁and ▁V aux hall . ▁The ▁Old sm obile ▁A ce ▁was ▁also ▁produced ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 8 . ▁ ▁From ▁here , ▁Hold en ▁continued ▁to ▁purs ue ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁producing ▁an ▁Australian ▁car . ▁This ▁involved ▁comprom ise ▁with ▁G M , ▁as ▁Hold en ' s ▁man aging ▁director , ▁Laur ence ▁Hart nett , ▁fav oured ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁local ▁design , ▁while ▁G M ▁preferred ▁to ▁see ▁an ▁American ▁design ▁as ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁" Austral ia ' s ▁O wn ▁Car ". ▁In ▁the ▁end , ▁the ▁design ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁previously ▁rejected ▁post war ▁Che v ro let ▁proposal . ▁The ▁Hold en ▁was ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁creating ▁long ▁waiting ▁lists ▁extending ▁through ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁and ▁beyond . ▁The ▁name ▁" Hold en " ▁was ▁chosen ▁in ▁honour ▁of ▁Sir ▁Edward ▁Hold en , ▁the ▁company