Chevrolet’s new Stovebolt six-cylinder engine of 1929 was nothing short of phenomenal. It featured the company’s traditional overhead valves and excellent cooling that left it particularly under-stressed compared to similar engines offered by Buick and Pontiac. Steady improvement over the years resulted in extreme reliability and the nickname “Cast Iron Wonder.” While sales leadership did not come immediately, by 1931 Chevrolet had become the industry champion, a title seldom relinquished in the ensuing years.

The year 1931 also marked the purchase and integration of Holden Motor Body Builders into parent company General Motor’s Australian business operations, which was subsequently renamed General Motors-Holden’s Limited. To meet government regulations, GM supplied chassis and knock-down kits to the subsidiary company, which were then fitted with Holden-built bodies in Australia.

For 1934, Chevrolet heralded important engine improvements in the form of better lubrication and redesigned combustion chambers. Available only on the Master Series, the improved engine developed nearly twice the power of its predecessor with no increase in displacement. The other major leap that year came with the Knee-Action independent front suspension, an innovative design by Frenchman André Dubonnet that used oil-filled combination spring and shock absorber units. Chevrolet’s final notable improvement for 1934 was a redesigned and thickened chassis frame for the Master.

Norm Darwin’s 100 Years of GM in Australia notes that Holden assembled and bodied 3,269 Chevrolet Master examples for the 1934 model year, of which just 390 were fitted with the very attractive Sports Roadster body style seen here. Highlights of the Sports Roadster style included its spacious rumble-seat, wide running boards, and gracefully raked windshield.

All Holden-built Chevrolet’s would have originally been configured in right-hand drive, though many, like the nicely restored one offered here, have been converted to left-hand drive over subsequent decades of enthusiast ownership.

Residing with the consignor’s private collection since October 1993, this 1934 Holden Sports Roadster has been tastefully improved with a Carter carburetor, as well as a modern alternator, fuel pump, distributor cap, and ignition wiring. Additionally, the car’s presentation is made all the more desirable by the fitment of a period-correct Phoenix mascot, a set of Guide fog lamps, dual side-mounted spares, and a full-size carriage trunk.