Holden is gone

[Jader1973]

Announced at 12:30 Melbourne time today.

Holden brand to be wound up by the end of the year.

[motomk]

More info

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-17/holden-car-...

Best Wishes Jader1973, as I know you are there somewhere.

[Jader1973]

motomk said:

More info

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-17/holden-car-...

Best Wishes Jader1973, as I know you are there somewhere.

Cheers.

[V8fan]

Since GM stopped production, and they own the Holden name, it was inevitable I suppose.

They stopped production of vehicles at the Elizabeth plant at the end of 2017.

600 jobs involved in this announcement apparently: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51499775

ETA: Loads of them still on the road in Australia, so parts supply will continue for a while.....

Edited by V8fan on Monday 17th February 09:14

[irish boy]

Sad to read this. I think the Holden plant in Elizabeth was putting out more than 700 car a day at its peak. Surprised the government didn’t do more but I guess it’s down to economics in our rapidly changing world.

[selondonman]

For the owners of Holden's, GM has stated they will support the brand for a minimum of 10 years for parts and servicing

So parts should still be available for the Vauxhall range

[selondonman]

V8fan said:

Since GM stopped production, and they own the Holden name, it was inevitable I suppose.

They stopped production of vehicles at the Elizabeth plant at the end of 2017.

600 jobs involved in this announcement apparently: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51499775

ETA: Loads of them still on the road in Australia, so parts supply will continue for a while.....

Edited by V8fan on Monday 17th February 09:14

If gm had brought in the v8s .. i suppose the cost of rhd conversion was just too high

[mfp4073]

It's always sad to see an iconic car brand steeped in motoring history bite the dust, as well as to see so many people put out of work.
I suspect this was always GM's plan anyway and isnt a complete surprise to anyone.
The car world is really going through some serious changes theses days that's for sure.

[V8fan]

selondonman said:

For the owners of Holden's, GM has stated they will support the brand for a minimum of 10 years for parts and servicing

So parts should still be available for the Vauxhall range

Vauxhall was sold to PSA in France in 2017, GM seem to be pulling out of RHD production completely. And PSA are now planning to merge with Fiat Chrysler!

[Fishy Dave]

V8fan said:

GM seem to be pulling out of RHD production completely.

Except for the new Corvette which will at last be made in RHD.

A real shame for the Holden name. What's next for Aussie V8 Supercars? No more Ford vs. HSV?

[mfp4073]

Fishy Dave said:

Except for the new Corvette which will at last be made in RHD.

A real shame for the Holden name. What's next for Aussie V8 Supercars? No more Ford vs. HSV?

There will always be a classic racing series for V8 super cars, I think they will keep going for a while yet.

[anonymous-user]

Fishy Dave said:

Except for the new Corvette which will at last be made in RHD.

A real shame for the Holden name. What's next for Aussie V8 Supercars? No more Ford vs. HSV?

Holden were set to market and distribute the Corvette down under. Guess that won’t happen now.

[mfp4073]

wormus said:

Holden were set to market and distribute the Corvette down under. Guess that won’t happen now.

Maybe the Corvette and Camaro will be available in righthand drive through HSV? If not I wonder what will happen to HSV as the name seems a bit meaningless now.

[ARAF]

V8fan said:

Since GM stopped production, and they own the Holden name, it was inevitable I suppose.

They stopped production of vehicles at the Elizabeth plant at the end of 2017.

Yup. I'm not getting into the politics of the Oz situation but the writing was on the wall a long time ago.

V8fan said:

600 jobs involved in this announcement apparently:

Seems to be a lot of people, just to stick Holden badges on imports from the Far East and Europe.

[ARAF]

mfp4073 said:

wormus said:

Holden were set to market and distribute the Corvette down under. Guess that won’t happen now.

Maybe the Corvette and Camaro will be available in righthand drive through HSV? If not I wonder what will happen to HSV as the name seems a bit meaningless now.

Maybe this is the only way the Holden name will live on?

GM seem to be excluding themselves from all RHD markets - which closes them off from 1/4 of all car sales.
It maybe short-sighted, or it could be the rationalisation the company needs to survive.

[anonymous-user]

mfp4073 said:

Maybe the Corvette and Camaro will be available in righthand drive through HSV? If not I wonder what will happen to HSV as the name seems a bit meaningless now.

Apparently there will be “GM Speciality Vehicles” who will get the job of converting LHD cars to RHD for Australian markets. Walkinshaw already does this (since 2017) so it’s likely they will do this officially. Either way I’d imagine it means the end of HSV.

[selondonman]

V8fan said:

selondonman said:

For the owners of Holden's, GM has stated they will support the brand for a minimum of 10 years for parts and servicing

So parts should still be available for the Vauxhall range

Vauxhall was sold to PSA in France in 2017, GM seem to be pulling out of RHD production completely. And PSA are now planning to merge with Fiat Chrysler!

yes but aware vauxhall not part of GM .. were there any guarantees made to existing wonders when vauxhall was sold ? did it include the vxr range ?

vauxhall / PSA / Fiat Chrysler would all be buying parts from Australia

[V8fan]

?? Vauxhall was part of GM from 1925 until its sale to PSA in 2017. You could get virtually no parts for the Monaro from Vauxhall for the last few years anyway. My local Vauxhall dealer only has oil filters.

As mentioned elsewhere, the Pontiac GTO (they sold 40,000 of them in the USA) parts will suffice, apart from RHD dependent stuff like steering columns.

[99PBATR]

A rather sad sign of the times. It seems that unless its electric or a hybrid (even these are being rubbished in the press now) no car company appears interested. Perhaps if there had been an electric Holden or Ute/E then things might be different. I must admit I look into the future in some ways feeling a little depressed at what is to come.

That said, i'm keeping hold of my Aussie beast as yes a Tesla is blisteringly quick and would waste all of our cars easily....but where's the noise, the drama, the sense of occassion in an electric car?

I also like many of you are in a bit of a dilema as I know we desperately need to do something about the environment and the non electric car is about as popular as a fart in a sleeping bag in the press it would seem. Must be a hell of a strange feeling for Holden/HSV owners in Aus with the recent apocalyptic bush fires they have had, as no doubt the greens have been wagging their fingers at us V8 flag bearers.

I guess that opens up a much wider and difficult topic, so I will stop here but I was also saddened by the news but as Dylan once said 'Times they are a changin'.....

[RipGMH]

As an Ozzie here, no surprise really and Holden died the day they announced the Elizabeth plant was closing.

They stopped making cars Aussies wanted at the price we wanted. Foreign imported cars are much better value for the money so the market share was on the decline since 2005 when mid sized Mazda 6 etc hit the scene.

Really shame but I will hold onto my 3 Holdens including repatriating my VXR