Holden Ltd

GM Holden Ltd (Holden) is an Australian automaker that operates in Australasia, headquartered in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as asaddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors (GM) automotive group in 1931. After becoming a subsidiary of GM, the brand was named General Motors-Holden's Ltd, becoming Holden Ltd in 1998, with the current name adopted in 2005.
Founded in 1856 by James Alexander Holden, in 1885 the establishment combined with the carriage builder Henry Frost to become Holden & Frost. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, trimming motor vehicles and in 1914 they built their first one-off car body for an imported chassis, with bigger contract following. The firm became a subsidiary of the US-based General Motors (GM) automotive group in 1931, and resultantly retitled General Motors-Holden's Ltd. In the late 1930s, the idea of producing a car made entirely in Australia was conceived, but plans were put on hold after the outbreak of World War II. During the war, General Motors-Holden's was a major industrial force in Australia's security effort. Between 1939 and 1945, Holden's produced more than 30,000 bodies for the Australian and US forces and manufactured a wide range of equipment, including field guns, aircraft, boats, including truck, aero plane and marine engines and components.