Hartnett (car)

The Hartnett is an automobile that was produced by the Hartnett Motor Company in Australia from 1951 to 1952.

Company formation

Laurence Hartnett, former Managing Director of General Motors-Holden (GMH), was approached in 1948 by Prime Minister Ben Chifley regarding the establishment of a domestic motor manufacturing company to challenge the dominance of GMH in the Australian market.[1] The two met on 29 November with the Commonwealth Government favouring the project and being prepared to provide financial assistance.[2]

Hartnett announced the intention to establish Hartnett Motor Company on 7 February 1949 in Chifley's presence. The original plan was to sell 5,000 cars in the first year of production and 10,000 in each subsequent year.[3] A prospectus was issued on 29 August and Hartnett Motor Company was formed on 31 August.[4]

Company Failure

Laurence Hartnett originally proposed that production of the car could be commenced in less than one year after the incorporation of the company in August 1949. The first production cars were released in April 1952. The production figures of 'several' cars per week fell significantly short of the 400 cars per week originally forecast. Between the launch of the company and the commencement of production there were almost monthly public assurances that the company was successfully overcoming production issues and that full production was only weeks away.

The first public indication that the company faced significant issues was when questions were raised in Federal Parliament. On 28 August 1952 a member of the Labour opposition told the House of Representatives that he had failed to be given answers to two questions by the Government. Firstly he asked why General Motors Holden had been granted a £1 million overdraft from the government owned Commonwealth Bank where the same facility had been refused to the Hartnett Motor Company. Secondly he asked whether the government owned Commonwealth Engineering had obstructed the manufacturing of the Hartnett car by failing to deliver steel body panels that had been on order for over 18 months.[27]

Two weeks later the company called a creditors' meeting and stated that it was in debt £63,779 and that its business was at a standstill and production had ceased.[22] The company claimed that Commonwealth Engineering had failed to deliver 2,000 sets of steel body panels as agreed in May 1950 with delivery commencing by May 1951. By June 1952 the Hartnett Company had not received a single set.[28]

For the first time it was revealed that the company had orders for only 314 cars.[29] Hartnett Motor Company directors including Laurence Hartnett had previously claimed to hold orders for 2,000 cars,[1]

In December 1955 Commonwealth Engineering was ordered to pay the company £37,228 in damages for the non-delivery of the panels. The company had been seeking £170,000.[30]

The Hartnett Motor Company was dissolved at a creditors' meeting in 1956.[1]

References

Col Gardner, Hartnett Pacific, Dream to Disaster Australian Classic Car December 2001 pages 74-78^

Plans for another local car The Argus 30 November 1948 page 3^

£1 million motor company plan The Argus, 8 February 1949 page 1^

Second Hartnett Co Registered. The Argus, National Library of Australia, 31 August 1949, retrieved 27 January 2014^

STATE OFFER TO BACK CAR VENTURE. The Argus, National Library of Australia, 29 April 1949, retrieved 27 January 2014^

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. Standard, National Library of Australia, 2 June 1949, retrieved 27 January 2014^

THE MOTORING WORLD. The West Australian, National Library of Australia, 2 March 1950, retrieved 27 January 2014^

MOTOR WORLD. The Advertiser, National Library of Australia, 23 May 1950, retrieved 27 January 2014^

HARTNETTS S.A. "BY XMAS". The Mail, National Library of Australia, 24 November 1951, retrieved 27 January 2014^

First Hartnett Cars Displayed. The Advertiser, National Library of Australia, 15 March 1952, retrieved 27 January 2014^

Engines for "peoples' car" coming. The Argus, National Library of Australia, 22 May 1950, retrieved 27 January 2014^

L.J. Hartnett. Manufacture of Low-Cost, Economical Car in Australia Hartnett Motor Company, 1949-08-01^

The Hartnett Car museumsvictoria.com.au, retrieved 24 May 2019^

Tony Davis, AussieCars, 1987, page 65^

Introducing the Hartnett, Australian Monthly Motor Manual, April 1951, page 23^

Hartnett models. The News, National Library of Australia, 15 March 1951, retrieved 27 January 2014^

Here's the Hartnett car. The Argus, National Library of Australia, 16 March 1951, retrieved 27 January 2014^

HARTNETT ON WAY. The Courier-Mail, National Library of Australia, 16 March 1951, retrieved 27 January 2014^

Australia's Baby Car. The Advocate, National Library of Australia, 16 March 1951, retrieved 27 January 2014^

HARTNETTS AT £650?. The News, National Library of Australia, 8 April 1952, retrieved 27 January 2014^

First Hartnett Cars On the Road. Illawarra Daily Mercury, National Library of Australia, 23 April 1952, retrieved 27 January 2014^

HARTNETT CAR TO APPROACH LOCAL CREDITORS. Canberra Times, National Library of Australia, 11 September 1952, retrieved 27 January 2014^

NEW LIGHT CAR TO BE PRODUCED IN AUSTRALIA. Canberra Times, National Library of Australia, 8 February 1949, retrieved 27 January 2014^

Hartnett car may sell at £430. The Argus, National Library of Australia, 10 October 1949, retrieved 27 January 2014^

Hartnetts' due here September. The Mail, National Library of Australia, 7 January 1950, retrieved 27 January 2014^

Hartnett car on the way. The News, National Library of Australia, 15 March 1951, retrieved 27 January 2014^

HARTNETT OUTPUT DIFFICULTY. The West Australian, National Library of Australia, 28 August 1952, retrieved 27 January 2014^

Charge Over Car Project. The Advertiser, National Library of Australia, 26 September 1952, retrieved 27 January 2014^

CAR FIRM'S CLAIM. Sydney Morning Herald, National Library of Australia, 11 September 1952, retrieved 27 January 2014^

£37,228 to car firm. The Argus, National Library of Australia, 10 December 1955, retrieved 27 January 2014^

manufacturer	Hartnett Motor Company
production	1951 to 1952
class	Compact car
body style	2-door sedan 2-door tourer 3-door station wagon
layout	FF layout
engine	594 cc flat twin
transmission	4-speed manual
wheelbase	6 ft 6¾ in
length	11 ft 6 in
width	4 ft 7½ in
height	4 ft 7½ in
weight	980 lbs
designer	Jean Grégoire

Company formation

Manufacturing site

Engine development

Design

Prototypes

Production models

Pricing

Company Failure

Production statistics

See also

Further reading

External links

References