The company that began assembly of the Australian Six was F H
Gordon & Co Ltd, which later merged with Australian Motors Ltd. This company was succeeded by Australian Six Motors Ltd and finally Harkness & Hillier Ltd.
The early Australian Six cars were assembled at Fred
Gordon's workshop and service station in McLauglin Avenue, Rushcutters Bay. Early in 1920 a large factory was established at Parramatta Road, Ashfield, the largest plant of its kind in Australasia containing the latest machinery. It was claimed that every part of the car that could be made locally and economically was made on the premises from Australian materials and by Australian labour,
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The Australian Six automobile featured a four-door, factory-built open tourer body with two fold-down seats, a horizontally split windscreen and folding hood. The steel-spoked, wood-rim steering wheel had an ignition advance-retard control mounted in the centre and a hand throttle for starting and slow running. In the centre of the dashboard are various instruments including a National oil pressure gauge, an ignition lock, headlight switch, drum-type speedometer and odometer by Stewart (M-7) including trip meter, a Westinghouse ammeter, choke and dash light. The float-type fuel gauge is incorporated in the tank. On the centre of the floor is a straight gear lever flanked by top button press handbrake. The step-on starter button is also on the floor, but the car could be crank started. The clutch is a multi-plate, dry disc type by Borg and Beck. The cars built at Ashfield had the distinctive 'Rolls Royce' style Grecian-shaped radiators made in Australia. The leaf springs were originally imported but later made at Petersham. The seating upholstery was done in buttonless, pleated full-hide leather. Six different body styles were available including 8-
seat special service cars. These vehicles were popular as hire cars;, Standard artillery wheels made at the factory were fitted but by 1922 wire or disc wheels were an optional extra.
The Australian Six made its debut at Victoria Park Racetrack,
Sydney, on 28 June 1919, driven by Robert
Mitchell. On 1 July 1919 F.H.
Gordon & Co. Ltd launched an advertising campaign designed to attract dealers throughout the Commonwealth. It was obvious that large production numbers required a significantly larger factory and more capital, so on 16 September 1919, Australian Motors Ltd was registered to take over the manufacturing operations of Fred
Gordon's company. On 23 December 1919, a site of almost 7 acres on Parramatta Road, Ashfield, was purchased and the largest building of its type in Australia was commenced there to assemble Australian Six automobiles. It was completed in February 1920 and opened three months later. Some 200 workers were employed at the plant at its peak, and agents were established in each state as
well as New Zealand.
Much was made in declarations that returned servicemen were employed in the plant and that the local content in the car's construction included maple wood from Queensland, metal from BHP
Newcastle and leather from
Melbourne. The company's motto was 'Made in Australia, by Australians, for Australia.'
Despite all the positive and promising advertising, the firm did have some problems. Many of the cars were returned to the factory, and the Rutenber engines had to be dismantled and rebuilt including machining of the rough engine block and fitting of higher grade bearings. The stories of the engine troubles were poor publicity for the manufacturers but once rectified the cars were as sturdy and reliable as had been promised: a car made for Australian conditions. More and more Australian firms came in as suppliers until the car was said to have a local content of 60 or 70 percent. In effect that appeared to be a publicity claim as all the mechanical components were still imported except for the locally-built car bodies, some small body castings, radiators, fuel tanks and other small components.
On the 23 March, 1921, Australian Six Motors Sales Ltd was formed to take over the sales and distribution of the troubled manufacturing arm, Australian Motors Ltd, as
well as to introduce new capital via the Overseas Sales Agency (Australia) Ltd, trading as the Savage
Tyre & Rubber Co. Within six weeks of starting this new venture, David Martin, who was director of this company as
well as Australian Motors Ltd, died suddenly of influenza on 18 April 1921, and the New Zealand parent company Overseas Sales Agency (Australia) Ltd, collapsed. Consequently the newly re-organised conglomerate, Australian Six Motor Sales Ltd, folded in July 1921.
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It appears the company continued to trade in 1922 and assets were finally sold to a new company, Australian Six Motors Ltd, which formed on 23 February 1923. Production at Ashfield continued until the end of 1923. By this time Australian Six Motors Ltd had been purchased by the motor engineers Harkness & Hillier. Donald Harkness had been selling Australia Six cars on commission while traveling interstate on business for his own firm, as
well as running Australian Six cars in his taxi fleet. Production of the Australian Six moved to a new site on Parramatta Road, Five Dock, bounded by Spencer Lane and Spencer Street. Harkness & Hillier invested considerable capital in this new facility. Unfortunately sales did not increase and less expensive, smaller imported cars such as the Model T Ford flooded the market. The last Australian Six was built at Five Dock in 1925.
The Ashfield factory was purchased by the motor body builder, Redwood Brown & Co. Ltd, which later obtained the agency for Dodge cars. The building became a massive assembly plant known as Dodge Park.
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