Are there any '48 Stylemaster owners out there? I just purchased a real honey in July. It's all original, needs a little body work and a nice paint job. I just haven't seen any other four door Sport Sedans around. Were these all sent to the grave yard because they looked like a Sunday goin' to church car?

i have a restored and fairly original 48 stylemster 4 door sedan...interior renewed with vinyl roof lining and matching door trims and seats and a brown carpet...currently full registered and also for hire as a wedding car.

Hi Styler,

How about posting a photo of your stylemaster. It's interesting because it has suicide doors. Was that something that only happened with down under models? You sent me a photo of your stylemaster when you asked about hood height a while back. Let's let everyone take a peek at that 4 door.

ChevyPam........does yours have suicide doors?

i've forgotten how to post photos using photo-bucket. can anyone remind me please

sorry, just trying to work it out...dont know how to reduce the photo is size....

Click on below for:

some help for posting pics

Even though the photo is HUGE, can anyone tell me what the deal is with the suicide doors on a 48 model? I haven't seen that before. Is it something that only happened in Australia, or have I missed a history lesson with the US models? I also notice the front bumper is a little different from what I normally see on 48s.

The 1948 (and many other year) bodies were made by Holden in Australia.The rear doors opened from the front.The entire body is different - note the different trunk contours and the odd shape of the windshield.They also used some different trim items and bumpers...The bumpers were made in Ausrtalia also.

I LOVE THE SUICIDE DOORS!!!!

if anyone would like a few pictures sent to their email address i would like to share them with you....i actually thought, apart from the doors, that my 48 was the same as any other 48 from the states. Arent i a silly bugger!

send me an email to garrysmith 1959hotmail and i will send one or two different angles of my bucket to you.

I have no idea really what mine is worth, i paid around $6,000 US for it ($12,000 australian dollars) and bought it on the spot as it was something different.

I need to store it in a garage somewhere as my daughter is now living in the garage which is now converted into a bedroom.....

STYLER,
Aren't these a great bunch of guys. You should have kept your garage for the 48 Stylemaster.........your daughter could have slept in the back seat of the car!!!

Chevgene,
I knew Holden did some different stuff Down Under, but I didn't realize it was so different from the US models. That's a very interesting history lesson. Thanks.

And Sarge, those suicide doors are really cool.........wonder why we didn't have them on the US models?

Holden introduced that body back in 1939...note that it still has the taller square look.They added the concealed running boards in 1941.
The front opening doors are(were) considered dangerous.If they were opened while the car was in motion the wind wuold pull them back as well as the person inside that had their hand on the door handle.Hence the name "suicide".....

I have a friend with a scar on her nose from when she was pulled out of their Plymouth when she opened the door whild the car was in motion. Lucky for her they were not going fast.

Hey, I don't mean to give anybody any hassles about posting pix. I don't even try because I don't know how and can't seem to learn. So, far be it from me to make any smarty type comments.

BUT, this is an interesting thread and would be so much easier to read if "we" didn't have to go back-and-forth like at a tennis match.

Let's have a moderator jump in and 're-size' the picture to get this thread squared away.

Thank you!!

Bill.