NO HOLDS BARRED

THROUGH A 40-YEAR IMMERSION IN THE MODIFIED CAR SCENE, ANDREW HOLDSWORTH HAS BEEN AN INNOVATOR BOTH IN EARLY STREET MACHINING AND THE LOCAL PERFORMANCE INDUSTRY

AUSTRALIA’s aftermarket performance industry has always punched above its weight and shown the world just what our little island continent is capable of. One thing that many of our local aftermarket pioneers share is that their careers grew out of their hobby; names like Bennett, Hadfield, Splatt and Cowin all honed their craft by tinkering in home sheds.

A similar grounding has seen Andrew Holdsworth forge a 40-year career as the man behind ET Performance Products, High Energy Oil Pans and Kool Wrap. We chatted to Andrew about cutting his hot-car teeth with an iconic XR Falcon sedan, and how he turned a ‘temporary’ post-uni job at a speed shop into a full-blown career.

What sparked your interest in cars?

I was your typical eight-year-old kid, racing Matchbox cars around the polished wooden floors of our house in England; I’m sure that is where my interest in cars started. We immigrated to Australia in 1967 when I was 11, and when we visited Australia House for an interview, I was eventually asked if I had any questions. I said: “How old do you have to be to get your licence?” In my early teens I used to make plastic model hot rods, including Ed Roth-type customs, which also sparked an interest in drawing cars.

The cars here must have been a lot different to what you were used to in the UK.