Contents of popular Holden collection up for auction as museum set to close for good
Oldest Holden museum in Australia will close its doors for good this year and rare pieces of history will be up for biddingThere are several great Holden museums to see right across Australia, but one – claimed to be the longest continuously-running Holden museum in the country – is about to close down.
The National Holden Motor Museum in Echuca, Victoria, is set to shut its doors for good this April, and its contents – some of which date back to the 1950s – could be yours for the taking…
That’s because most of the museum’s contents will go to auction on Saturday 18 May 2024, with auctioneers Burns & Co. set to sell everything from display cabinets full of model cars, keys, and signage to Holden vehicles and concepts, merchandise, memorabilia, and more.
The doors to the privately-owned facility – said to be the longest continuously operating single-make vehicle museum in the country – first opened in July 1993, with current owners (and keen Holden collectors) Mark and Tony Galea currently running the show.
But the pair have recently made the difficult decision to shut up shop for good, after failing to attract a buyer in the hopes the museum could remain up and running in the bustling country town.
With an ever-changing display of vehicles – most of which are on loan courtesy of various Holden collectors – not to mention prototypes, artworks, souvenirs, signage, photographic exhibitions, and historic film – the museum has been a popular tourist attraction for years, with owners Mark and Tony taking to Facebook to thank their supporters.
‘It’s with sadness and regret that we announce the impending closure of the National Holden Motor Museum on 14th April 2024. Being a tourist town and open every day has taken its toll on our personal lives and wanting to keep the museum in Echuca we decided to offer it for sale.’
With no serious buyers to come forward, the pair go on to say all contents belonging to them will go to auction on May 18, before signing off ‘Keep Holden On, Tony and Mark Galea’. Burns & Co. are set to begin cataloguing items in mid-April before they are made available to view online later in the month.
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