Aussie Cars Exhibition: National Motor Museum, Birdwood in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia

Australians are no different to car lovers the world over. They'll fall head over heels for that special blend of chrome and steel that reflects their particular character. And while we're now well accustomed to the reality of a locally built car the concept of a uniquely Australian designed family sedan is a relatively recent one.

It was back in 1948 that the first FX Holden rolled off the assembly line to much public fanfare. But the highway to this highpoint in Australian nationalism was littered with many notable failures.

Al Capone might have looked kindly on a car called the Summit but the average Australian didn't. The Summit was an Australian built car - assembled in the 1920s largely from imported parts. With front and rear hand operated windscreen wipers, a clock and a cigar lighter as standard the Summit was exceptionally well equipped at the time. But it was just far too expensive.

While it looked classically American, why buy one of these when you could purchase a Model T Ford for much less?

More than twenty years on and with World War Two finally over, Australians were keen to hit the road. Rationing was coming to an end; the population wanted to live it up, so the search for a truly Australian car was on in earnest. This is what one leading car executive came up with.

“This is the Hartnett - designed by Laurence Hartnett who was the General Manager of Holdens when he left the company in 1947 to design his own classic Australian car. It was meant to rival the FX, which would later evolve into the FJ. The FX and the FJ became legends in the Australian car industry. But the Hartnett didn't and one suspects space may have been a contributing factor. Inside, things were very crammed - the average Australian simply couldn’t fit into the car.”

They didn't like the overall French design either. It was the work of Frenchman Monsieur J A Gregoire. Hartnett had met him overseas as he continued his search for the classic Aussie car. These days the dream of both men remains a showpiece in the National Motor Museum at Birdwood.

So too does the Lightburn Zeta Sedan. It was Lightburn's contribution to the Australian motoring aesthetic and it’s little wonder if it reminds you of a 1960's style household appliance because it was the brainchild of design engineers who had more experience making spin tubs than fan belts.

“Enter the 1960s and enter the whitegoods manufacturer Lightburn to the Australian car making scene with its bizarre Lightburn Zeta. Harold Lightburn's timing could not have been worse. He released his car onto the market at the same time as the Mini Minor and as a result only 363 of his vehicles sold from 1963 to 1966.”

It could do sixty miles in reverse and go a lot faster in forward gear as the newsreels from a rally show.

“It was the Zeta. The lowest priced car ever to enter such a long grueling reliability trial not just in Australia but the world.”

The Zeta was strange to say the least but it came through the 64 Ampol rally with flying colours. Not that such a performance could ever persuade the Australian public to buy the oddity built in a washing machine factory at Camden Park in Adelaide.

“It's tiny, there's no boot space and even the dashboard looks like it's made out of cardboard. They've actually used fibreglass so it looks like a cardboard finish. When people come to the Birdwood Museum they seek out the Lightburn Zeta. I think the Zetas are one of the truly legendary vehicles in our collection.”

Not many Australians bought the Lightburn Zeta Sports either even though it could do seventy miles an hour. It might have had something to do with the fact that the quirky little Sports was also made of fibreglass. The Zeta sedan, the sports, Hartnett and Summit and other classics like the Leyland P76 are all on show at the National Motor Museum at Birdwood. For more info please visit www.visitadelaidehills.com.au/motormuseum