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Sad day in Australia GM killing off Holden

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  • Sad day in Australia GM killing off Holden

    Well a bit over 2 year after GM stopped building cars in Australia they now are giving up on the brand, they tried for a bit but what cars they were offering didn't excite Australian buyers.

    Holden started as a saddle manufacture in 1856, early last century they started building bodies to put onto chassis from various manufactures. In 1931 GM bought Holden and started making Holden cars in 1948.

    https://www.news.com.au/technology/i...965ad349601d0e

    They are saying that GM is getting out of making Right Hand Drive cars as only 25% of the world drives on the left of the road and it's not worth their while..

    https://www.caradvice.com.au/827459/...rive-globally/




    Last edited by 65RHDEER; February 16, 2020, 09:42 PM.
    Tim
    Melbourne Australia

    65 Hardtop Impala, 70 GTS Monaro, 93 "80" Landcruiser

  • #2
    I know you care, but how many of your countryman give two boomerangs about GM? GM still will sell rebadged Colorados through Isuzu, and I'm sure Daewoo (or whatever their name is today) will still be sold there not just that but some halo cars will be there, but I saw Toyota Tacoma win their only 4x4 title in Australia where the rest of the world hands that title to the Colorado.... hard to fight that kind of headwind, especially since it seems most Aussies would rather pay more just to not have a GM car.... heck, will your politicians even let you have cars in 10 years?
    Doing it all wrong since 1966

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    • #3
      I've driven the translations for the last V8 RWD Commo (Chevrolet SS) and current Commo (Buick Regal TourX). No wonder why Aussies threw the V at GM over the front-drive pretenders. If I didn't know better, you'd swear this was retaliation for not swooning over a rebadged Insignia.
      Editor-at-Large at...well, here, of course!

      "Remy-Z, you've outdone yourself again, I thought a Mirada was the icing on the cake of rodding, but this Imperial is the spread of little 99-cent candy letters spelling out "EAT ME" on top of that cake."

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      • #4
        Originally posted by SuperBuickGuy View Post
        I know you care, but how many of your countryman give two boomerangs about GM? GM still will sell rebadged Colorados through Isuzu, and I'm sure Daewoo (or whatever their name is today) will still be sold there not just that but some halo cars will be there, but I saw Toyota Tacoma win their only 4x4 title in Australia where the rest of the world hands that title to the Colorado.... hard to fight that kind of headwind, especially since it seems most Aussies would rather pay more just to not have a GM car.... heck, will your politicians even let you have cars in 10 years?
        Yes the average Aussie has changed their wants in buying new cars as have a lot of the world market, unfortunately Holden missed the mark in Australia. But is it just an Australian thing, I don't really think it is. Seams to me the whole world automotive market is at the beach at the moment, however I do think it would be hard to try and work out the market given the lead time of modern cars. Is it the battery powered future they all talk about also playing a part. I imagine Australia will be a bit slower in taking up battery cars given our population density, they will sell in the cities but not in the rural areas. It wasn't that long ago GM was on the mat for the count, while that was happening Holden was still making dollars. It is sad say but to really the whole GM market in Australia over the last few years had shrunk to the market size of a smaller US state. Also I'm a bit sceptical on GM giving up on the RHD cars as I can not believe GM would give up on 25% of the world market but I'm not a bean counter at GM.

        Australia loves Toyota, they go forever and hold their value. And Toyota listen to Australia, they build specific Landcruisers just for the Australian market and they cost heaps but they get lapped up. For February last year the Toyota Hilux, a 4x4 like the Tacoma, out sold all of Holden. One Toyota model sold more than all of Holdens models!

        We have 5 Australian Holdens in our household ranging between 1970 and 2017, yep love em!
        So I'll put it this way, there was always the two teams playing here, now one, my team, has thrown in the towel and left.

        Must admit I feel a bit down about the news, I have loved that lion for so long, like I've lost a friend.
        Last edited by 65RHDEER; February 17, 2020, 06:15 AM.
        Tim
        Melbourne Australia

        65 Hardtop Impala, 70 GTS Monaro, 93 "80" Landcruiser

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        • #5
          Most of the manufacturers over here have concluded that the market only wants pickup trucks and SUV's.

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          • #6
            The whole auto industry is in flux and I'm glad I'm an old guy and won't live to see where the pieces fall out. GM has fallen globally - the sale of Opel and now the loss of Holden looks like they've given up on being a world presence. I remember when GM could do their own space program if they'd had a mind to. No more.......

            Dan

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            • #7
              Marketing........
              It's Not WHAT You Want.........
              It's WHAT We Are Going Give You, And SELL IT as the Latest And Greatest !!
              GM is Now the RONCO Veggiematic of the Auto Manufactures......
              PS RONCO went bankrupt last year.....

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              • #8
                This whole electric deal is going to fail, lots of money wasted on it. Oh there will be a small urban market for these things but that's it. What you will see is people holding on to older cars and keeping them up, a fact we already see that happening. Gas will always be the cheaper fuel, it takes hydrocarbons to make electricity and then there's that nasty awaking when you are told to replace those batteries in your car plus disposal fee of the old batteries. Funny how no one talks about that.
                Long Haul Gang 2011,12,13,14,15,16,17,19
                The older I get The Faster I was!

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by 65RHDEER View Post

                  Yes the average Aussie has changed their wants in buying new cars as have a lot of the world market, unfortunately Holden missed the mark in Australia. But is it just an Australian thing, I don't really think it is. Seams to me the whole world automotive market is at the beach at the moment, however I do think it would be hard to try and work out the market given the lead time of modern cars. Is it the battery powered future they all talk about also playing a part. I imagine Australia will be a bit slower in taking up battery cars given our population density, they will sell in the cities but not in the rural areas. It wasn't that long ago GM was on the mat for the count, while that was happening Holden was still making dollars. It is sad say but to really the whole GM market in Australia over the last few years had shrunk to the market size of a smaller US state. Also I'm a bit sceptical on GM giving up on the RHD cars as I can not believe GM would give up on 25% of the world market but I'm not a bean counter at GM.

                  Australia loves Toyota, they go forever and hold their value. And Toyota listen to Australia, they build specific Landcruisers just for the Australian market and they cost heaps but they get lapped up. For February last year the Toyota Hilux, a 4x4 like the Tacoma, out sold all of Holden. One Toyota model sold more than all of Holdens models!

                  We have 5 Australian Holdens in our household ranging between 1970 and 2017, yep love em!
                  So I'll put it this way, there was always the two teams playing here, now one, my team, has thrown in the towel and left.

                  Must admit I feel a bit down about the news, I have loved that lion for so long, like I've lost a friend.
                  I consider you a friend, so these words may be bitter to hear, sorry not sorry.

                  Geography doesn't help, but keep in mind Japan prohibits the import of American vehicles... so while I get that a lot of the world RHDs, two of the largest consumers have major impediments to their market. The only other, large market is China - who is LHD. (which makes me question your 25% quip - China has 2/7ths of the world's population - which by itself is 25%). Let's also hit that even harder, the UK and Japan both are land-locked islands which hit maximum private car decades ago - so catering to them is simply quick bankruptcy.

                  Then let's move to the next bit - Australia has been anti-car-production for awhile now. I think it's a bit ironic that Australians get mad at Holden for what is a Toyota-caused-problem. Toyota stopped production in Australia, due to the intermingling of suppliers, it was cost effective to supply the producers in Australia while Toyota was there but once Toyota pulled up stakes (which makes perfect sense to them because they don't have the RHD structural or geographic limitation of GM) - the writing was already on the wall. Australia sold out to the Japanese, blaming the US for that is more than a little myopic. Even more ironic in your statement, Toyota sells yesterday's GM technology and labels it 'reliable'... even the Hummer brand, which was RHD and sold in Australia - and was mostly out-of-the-bin parts, was roundly trashed there as well. Again, we gave you what you asked for and you didn't buy.... heck, the Hummer was produced in South Africa thus eliminating the cost... but still you didn't buy...

                  I get you're sad to see Australian self-reliance going away, ultimately, there is little reason why Australia could not support their own countrymen over the Japanese (which with their increasingly silly laws is unlikely). And let's stomp the next words that seem to hit after suggesting national pride right now, being proud of your country is not nazism, fascist or any other word the self-haters want to label national pride. You want Holden or Ford to survive in Australia - then buy Holden and give it a go.... until then,

                  Seriously, it's not us it's you.
                  Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                  • #10
                    I hope aussie land gets what it wants.

                    hard to believe a ricer truck in the desert is the big winner.. I think its because its the only "winner."

                    now with LS v8 being alloy and all the tricks... I would hope they could continue something american sized...and you know, heterosexual.
                    Last edited by Barry Donovan; February 17, 2020, 06:28 PM.
                    Previously boxer3main
                    the death rate and fairy tales cannot kill the nature left behind.

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                    • #11
                      Thanks for your comforting words SBG, I wouldn't believe you practiced law


                      Things have changed in Australian car market over the decades, we once had sizable tariffs on imported vehicles but over the years they were given up in "Trade Deals" making it hard for a first word economy of our size to compete. It is sad that the Lion has gone but we all know thing are always changing.The LHD V RHD, the car ownership per capita in China I'm sure is fairly low but I'm sure like all people they have aspiration as the people of India do who drive RHD cars. The numbers are there regarding the about 25% RHD but there is no way most of those countries inhabitants could afford an Australian built car.

                      Some of us are aware of the way Australia has given up on manufacturing, we see it in the vacant factories and the skills slipping away. It's the $$$ in Australians pockets at the end of the day, that $ goes a lot further when you buy from overseas, mainly China.

                      Last edited by 65RHDEER; February 17, 2020, 09:48 PM.
                      Tim
                      Melbourne Australia

                      65 Hardtop Impala, 70 GTS Monaro, 93 "80" Landcruiser

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by 65RHDEER View Post
                        Thanks for your comforting words SBG, I wouldn't believe you practiced law


                        Things have changed in Australian car market over the decades, we once had sizable tariffs on imported vehicles but over the years they were given up in "Trade Deals" making it hard for a first word economy of our size to compete. It is sad that the Lion has gone but we all know thing are always changing.The LHD V RHD, the car ownership per capita in China I'm sure is fairly low but I'm sure like all people they have aspiration as the people of India do who drive RHD cars. The numbers are there regarding the about 25% RHD but there is no way most of those countries inhabitants could afford an Australian built car.

                        Some of us are aware of the way Australia has given up on manufacturing, we see it in the vacant factories and the skills slipping away. It's the $$$ in Australians pockets at the end of the day, that $ goes a lot further when you buy from overseas, mainly China.
                        it's unfortunate, but Australia seems to have decided to be raw-material-producers. The problem is eventually the raw material runs out and you have nothing to trade for the goods. With that said, Aussies are an ingenious group of people - it's what I enjoy most about MCM and Skid Factory (and the others).... but it's sad to watch.
                        Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                        • #13
                          Same thing is happening here . I bet Japan sells more cars in Detroit than America does .
                          Previously HoosierL98GTA

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Dan Barlow View Post
                            Same thing is happening here . I bet Japan sells more cars in Detroit than America does .
                            Even Chrysler doesn't think Detroit is part of America

                            Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by DanStokes View Post
                              The whole auto industry is in flux and I'm glad I'm an old guy and won't live to see where the pieces fall out. GM has fallen globally - the sale of Opel and now the loss of Holden looks like they've given up on being a world presence. I remember when GM could do their own space program if they'd had a mind to. No more.......

                              Dan
                              I some how missed the end of Opel. Did they just do away with the marque or only sell it in certain places?

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