Cars That Made Australia

The Holden Statesman and Ford Fairlane were more than simply bigger Commodores and Falcons, they were Australia’s answer to luxury on four wheels, symbols of quiet success and Aussie pride. These oversized but understated sedans were for the boss, the politician, the bloke who’d made it without needing to shout about it —  they were built for the times. They were more than just roomy interiors and...

Oh la la... what can we say about French cars? They were baguettes on wheels, a rolling slice of European flair that somehow found their way into Australia’s heart. Whether it was the chic Citroën DS or the oddball Renault 4CV, these cars had something special — sophistication with a side of quirk. Sure, they were unpredictable and a bit unreliable, but that’s what made them memorable. In this epi...

The Mini Moke wasn't just a car, it was an oddball on wheels, automotive fun in its simplest form. Originally designed as an army runabout, it never quite made the cut... but somehow found its place in beach towns, resorts, a few Bond films, and even Bass Strait. With no doors, no roof, and barely even an engine, somehow it defied the odds and became a cult classic, perfect for sun-soaked adventur...

It’s funny what becomes a cult classic. The Subaru Brumby wasn’t built to turn heads, but it became an icon anyway. In a market dominated by Fords and Holdens, this little workhorse quietly carved out its own niche by doing what it did best — working hard and going pretty much anywhere. Some might even say it’s the greatest ute ever made. Compact, all-wheel drive, and tough as old saddles, the Bru...

For many of us, our journey with a car starts in a showroom. But for some individuals, it starts in a shed. The fibreglass build-it-yourself kit cars of the 70s offered a chance to swap the rule book for some brand new parts and plans. Outlandish original designs, luxury replicas and sporty looks were all on the table for a fraction of the price - provided you didn’t mind spending hundreds of hour...

The Nissan Skyline GTR is no ordinary car, it’s a Japanese engineering masterpiece that redefined the supercar genre. From dominating Bathurst to becoming a digital icon on PlayStation screens, the GTR earned its legendary status. With its twin turbos, all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering, the Skyline GTR was a car that bridged worlds — from the real to the virtual, from Japan’s streets to Holly...

The panel van wasn’t just a vehicle — it was an oh-so-70s symbol of youth, freedom, and surf. Born as a humble workhorse, it transformed into something legendary, thanks to the van clubs that sprouted across Australia. Loud, colourful, and endlessly customisable, they had room for everything — a surfboard, a bed, a quadraphonic sound system, and maybe even a bar. Dealer’s choice. They were also as...

Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday. The '70s was a tale of two decades for Ford. Its early track triumphs faded into the rearview mirror as the '80s loomed. Fed up with pouring cash into racing for dwindling returns, Ford did the unthinkable... and might have gotten away with it were it not for a band of die-hard Ford employees. Working in secret, they risked it all to ensure the Blue Oval would still...

The Ford Falcon wasn't just a car — it was an Australian icon, a symbol of homegrown muscle, pride, and family friendliness that thundered down our roads, dominated our racetracks, put the "falc" in falcodore, and — let's face it — made for one hell of a taxi.  In this episode, discover how the Falcon evolved from its 'trim, taut, terrific' beginnings into the ultimate supercar - the highly revere...

Think about it - every car you see on the road is like a chapter in Australia's big book of stories. Our cars aren't just ways to get from A to B - they're time capsules on wheels, each one telling a story about who we are and where we've been. In season 2 of Cars That Made Australia, Tim 'Rosso' Ross jumps behind the wheel once again to tell the stories of the people who drove them and the people...

I'm built for the bends at Burthst and the Aussie bogan looking to burn some rubber - what am I? If you answered "Holden Torana", you'd be bang on. From humble beginnings, the Torana grew to become one of the most collectible Australian cars of all time - largely thanks to Brockie's legendary exploits at Bathurst. The Torana is more than just a compact classic, it's a working-class hero that stand...

The Magna was the other other  Australian-made family favourite from the late 1980s, a car that says "I have kids, a job, a dog, and I value practicality over performance". It was good but not iconic,  sophisticated but never  cool,  forever in the shadow of Falcons and Commodores. It was, however, the thinking person's alternative, popular with those who happily cut against the grain. And while i...

The 1970s, often dubbed the "decade that style forgot", when Australia's automotive and suburban landscapes shared similar levels of austerity. Our locally made gas-guzzlers were overshadowed by the growing popularity of cheap, reliable, fuel-efficient imports from Japan. The cars were as boring as they were brown... but we lapped them up. The Datsun 180B was an unpretentious suburban stalwart and...

It was the stylish and sporty Australian-made, Italian-designed soft-top set to conquer the world - what could possibly go wrong? A lot, it turns out, and the Ford Capri's bold ambitions were dealt one bruising reality check after another. There was poor timing, poor build quality, and worst of all, poor comparisons to its direct rival: the Mazda MX5. The Capri revved up for the ultimate showdown...

When Australia said "Hi to Hyundai", we welcomed a car that changed the game. While others were affordable, the Excel was cheap, giving more people the chance to buy a brand-new set of wheels than ever before. In this episode, hear from the colourful businessmen who took a punt that paid off as Aussies everyone snapped up a new car from a new country at a new low price, drive away, no more to pay....

A famous TV ad had us screaming out "Hey, Charger!" for decades but the enduring appeal of this classic 70s muscle car runs deeper than a memorable hand sign and a catchy slogan. Hear about the "Hey, Charger!" on-set hijinks from the Hollywood director who cut his teeth on this iconic ad campaign, find out why rock stars prefer to take a ride in a charger over a limo, and learn why - after all the...

It's the colossal, designed-and-made-in-Australia family sedan with a boot big enough to hold a 44-gallon drum. Revolutionary in design, it won the coveted Wheels Car Of The Year award in 1973. It's also Australia's most infamous lemon, a badly built butt of many jokes, a victim of bad timing on top of its own ambition. Despite its status as one of the most maligned cars we've ever made, there are...

Emerging out of the fuel crisis of the 70s as a more economical replacement for the famed Kingswood, the Holden Commodore is an undeniable icon - making and breaking records on and off the race track and in production for almost 40 years before the last locally made model rolled off the production line in 2017. In this episode, you'll hear the story of these beloved Aussies as well as the people w...