Shifting Gear exhibit begins
Some of Australia's most important vehicles on display; mainly HoldensThe Holden-heavy automotive exhibit at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), called "Shifting Gear: Design, Innovation and the Australian Car", has begun in earnest in downtown Melbourne.
It runs between March 5 and July 12, 2015 at the NGV.
Holden is a major partner in Shifting Gear and features a number of classic and modern concept cars, including the revered Hurricane from 1969. But it's not a case of 'Ford fans need not apply', as a couple of Ford GTs put in an appearance also.
The exhibit is an Australian-first for an art institution, and will no doubt be revisited if the response is positive.
Tony Ellwood, NGV Director, observed that an exhibition like this, highlighting the design and engineering talent that has existed within Australia since the automotive industry's infancy, would not have been possible without the help of a major partner such as Holden.
"This exhibition is a real celebration of Australian automotive design, and Holden plays an important role in that.
"Holden is particularly renowned for developing exciting concept cars and it is great to be able to display so many of them in one place."
Elwood also noted that it was a rarity to get a concept car that had only recently made its global debut.
"We are also thrilled to have the Buick Avenir model here in its first Australian display," he said.
The Avenir was designed at Holden's Melbourne design studios and made its global debut in January 2015 at the Detroit motor show. It was named 'Best Concept Vehicle 2015' at that show and also picked up an award for 'Best Innovative Use of Colour, Graphics and Materials' in Detroit.
According to organisers, the event "presents some of our most iconic vehicles as objects of art and design" rather than just transportation appliances.
"This exhibition celebrates Australia's important and proud history of automobile design and engineering. It also looks to the future of the automobile industry in this country and the shift from manufacturing, which has primarily serviced a local market, to being a global contributor through specialist expertise."
The exhibition begins with Australia's earliest wheeled transportation contrivances, a steam-powered 'horseless carriage', and chronicles the journey through history to where we are today, with cars that virtually drive themselves.
Another facet of the Shifting Gear exhibit is the collection of previously untold tales behind some of Australia's most famous vehicles, including the HQ Monaro.
Other famous Holdens on display include the 1970 GTR-X Torana concept and the Holden EFIJY concept.
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