This exhibit was built in late 1959 at Holden's assembly plant in Dandenong, Victoria. It is an FC 215, an FC Business Sedan built to order for the Yellow Cab Company. 

 

The car was then transported to Sydney for use as a taxi, registered as T-1196 and operated out of Yellow Cabs' base on Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross. It was two-way radio equipped, a relatively new and rare feature in taxis of that era. 

 

After around 100,000 miles of service, Yellow Cab Co put the vehicle up for sale. It was subsequently purchased by Cecil Horne of Greenacre to replace his ageing 1940 Plymouth (also a former Yellow Cab). The taxi equipment was removed, and the vehicle sprayed black by the company prior to sale.

 

The car was used for short trips around the local area until the late 1970s, when Mr Horne purchased a later model automatic Holden which he found easier to drive. Reluctant to part with his FC, it lay in his garage and was occasionally started but not driven. 

 

The vehicle remained unused until 2000, by which time Mr Horne had sadly passed away. It was then acquired by the Museum from his son Bryan, with the intention of restoring it to original Yellow Cab Co condition. 

 

Mechanically, the car was in excellent condition, and repairs were only required to items which had suffered from lack of use - brakes, radiator, exhaust system and water pump. The car retains its original 'Grey series' motor.

 

The car was resprayed into original Yellow Cab livery by Russell Cooper of Barrack Heights near Wollongong, with paint being matched to samples found in various places during the dismantling process. There was no rust found in the body. The interior was in excellent condition, with only minor repairs and touch-ups required. 

 

To complete the restoration, period taxi equipment was acquired: roof sign and light, interior vacant sign, two-way radio and associated aerial, working Halda taxi meter, and front and rear flagfall window transfers. The taxi bar fitted remains as the original. The roof light is wired up to illuminate when required, and the meter is hooked up via the speedometer cable, and is fully operational. 

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Specifications:

Engine: 6 cylinder 2.1 litre petrol 'Grey' engine developing 72 B.H.P. at 4,000 RPM.

 

Transmission: 3 speed column shift to a crown wheel & pinion differential.

 

Brakes: Hydraulic to drum brakes on all wheels, handbrake to rear wheels.