Racing Humpy Holdens is Joel Wakely’s sixth book on Australia’s motoring history and celebrates the marque’s first model, the 48-215 also known as the Humpy.

Advertise with News of The Area today.
It’s worth it for your business.
Message us.
Phone us – (02) 4981 8882.
Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au

The launch will be held at the National Holden Motor Museum where Joel will sign books and share his first-hand knowledge of the car’s story.

Event organiser Steve Little said at least nine original Humpy’s will be on display for people to see first-hand the nation’s first manufactured car.

“We expect to see a range of classic restored Humpys from around the region on Saturday including the FX and FJ models,” Steve said.

“It will be a fantastic opportunity for people to experience where our motoring history began and also hear from Joel about his knowledge of the car.

“There is a touch of the miraculous about this story: a simple car that broke its boundaries to define a motoring era, and a bunch of mates that built a racing car on a shoestring but through hard work, skill and sheer nerve still reached the pinnacle of their sport.”

Joel will recall the tale of how it became a much-loved road car, for a decade a fearsomely competitive racing car, and ultimately a definitive model Holden that helped define Australian culture and history.

He owned a thriving BP service station in Sydney’s Inner West, on Concord Road, North Strathfield, called the Boomerang Service Station.

He also formed and sponsored the Boomerang Service Station Holden 48-215 Racing Team with friends and mechanic Bob Gray and Spencer Martin as driver/mechanic.

In 1963, the racing team went from strength to strength with thirteen wins and three seconds with Spencer Martin as the driver.

After a successful career in many aspects of the auto industry, Joel’s passion for all things cars led him to becoming an author and public speaker specialising in Holdens, Muscle Cars, Utes, Hot Rods and Humpy Holdens.