Back to my prototype VB VC SLE being discussed here.
I had an interesting day yesterday spent with Chris Emmerson and his wife Tess at their house in country Vic.
As mentioned earlier in this thread, I had arranged with Chris via email to meet him in the new year and discuss his early GMH days in the Styling and Design studios of GMH and also to talk about and confirm my VB VC SLE Commodore prototype.
Well that meeting took place yesterday Thursday 29th Jan 2015 at 10.45am.
The day couldn't have gone better, Chris is a great guy and his wife Tess more than welcoming and a great maker of banana cake and cups of tea!
I spent around three hours with Chris in his drawing room where he showed me many GM projects he had worked on including the Commodore.
Some of these included the:
First Monaro ' s.
The GTRX Torana prototype.
HQ.
HJ.
WB.
VB.
VC.
AND VH COMMODORE.
Also the blue prototype Bagshaw? Monaro 4-door sedan.
Harry Firth's White with red pinstriped Monaro.
WA prototype that never went ahead and current generation Monaro.
A lot of important history in this man.
Chris again confirmed my car to be the VB prototype from late 1977 early 1978 that was originally painted all black and was allocated to him by management to use as the VC Prototype Shadow tone SLE in early to mid 1979.
The only thing Chris said he got wrong was where the car was painted.
It was not painted in the wood shop as he first told me but painted in the plaster shop. That was where the spray booth had been set up.
The wood shop was where all the moulds for badges etc were made. The plaster shop was sort of next to it where the small spray booth was set up to paint cars etc.
Chris also told me it was where he actually masked my car up to be painted.
He also did the red and blue pin stripes on it. Chris said there was an internal turntable to display prototypes and the outside turntable, my car was displayed on both.
Again, Chris said the car was driven by Leo in 1979 and it wasn't until 1979 that the car was fitted with I'd tags.
When the car was first in the Styling studio Chris said it had no identification tags or markings on the chassis to say what it was.
Chris also said to have a look under the bonnet engine cover material as there was something written there by him.
Sure enough when Chris Emmerson and i had a look yesterday the original chalk writing by the man himself was still visible!
Chris then proceeded to autograph the glove box lid and drivers side sunvisor.
The glove box autographed in the familiar "EMMERSON" way of all Chris's works and the sunvisor done the same with an added line, "designer of the shadowtone" after it.
When i am able to do so i will post some photos of the day.
Chris is still in communication with Leo and a guy from interior design and will be forwarding my details on to them so as to discuss the car. Interesting that Leo lives not far from my Mum.
Chris and i have also arranged to attend the Holden museum in the SLE Prototype together in a couple of months time so should be an interesting day.
Thanks again to Chris and Tess for welcoming me into their beautiful home.
Cheers, Damo.
Edited by user Saturday, 31 January 2015 2:45:05 AM(UTC)
| Reason: Not specified
