RIP Holden. GM shutting down brand and RHD manufacturing

  • Thread starter CodeRedR51
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I think some of us could have seen this coming with GM divesting itself of Vauxhall Opel etc.

This meant that the current FWD Commodore was an evolutionary dead end.

Further GM has a history of bad faith bad economics in the RHD world. Who can forget that crazy Man. United advertising deal for Chevy when the brand ceased to exist in the EU (!!!) - that is such a crazy situation.

Further while Ford actually invested in the RHD market with the Mustang Focus Ranger and other legitimately good RHD products, where was GM?

GM is focussing on the Americas and China and thats it.

Speaking as someone who had owned multiple Holdens and has an incredible affinity for the admittledly American LSX powered T56 based manual transmissioned cars... I say.... good riddance.

Holden and GM made their bed way back.

And one of the problems would be that people remember the good times and the good products... and then promptly hate them because they followed these decent products up with abysmal cars.

A case in point is the old 1989-2004 VN-VY Commodore. This car used the Wards award winning GM3800. This is a great engine, super reliable... the car fell apart before the motor ever did.

This was then replaced by the Alloytec in the VZ and VE.

This motor had a habit of eating timing chains and grenading the engine. This is why you see so many $500 Commodores Captivas and the like with dead motors but an otherwise structurally sound body.

What company can managed to make a chain driven motor worse than a belt driven motor???

Holden and GM deserve the worst.

Saying that I do kind of still want a VF LSX manual SS etc.
 
TonyJZX
Ouch, Vauxhall next for the chopping block then.
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GM don't own Vauxhall or Opel. That's why their new cars are so different and so horrible.

We've had two different Astras and a Mokkalattefrappacino in the last few weeks, they're very awful indeed.
 
FPV MIC
A while back a lot of the Holden dealers were shut down here in Adelaide, of course in Holdens wisdom they shut down the good ones and left the crap ones going :rolleyes:, so most of them kept their service departments open and changed to used car dealerships. The main issue for Holden owners is they can't do any warranty work, all that is left to the crap dealers. I've had my HSV into them 5 times so far for a faulty seat belt sensor and heard every excuse under the sun for why they can't fix it :banghead:. It's no wonder GM have pulled the pin.

This new Holden showroom is due to open in about two weeks here so obviously the dealers had no prior knowledge. It's also possibly going to send one of the last Holden dealers here broke... and it's the only Holden dealer that's somewhat close to where I live :(
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That's unfortunate.

If they could still open the building, best switch to Hyundai or Toyota. Provided neither brands are within earshot.
 
I wonder what would happen if PSA bought Holden considering the Commodore deal? Or failing that, having Geely bought the brand up?
 
FPV MIC
This new Holden showroom is due to open in about two weeks here so obviously the dealers had no prior knowledge.
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:crazy:!
Daniel
As far as I'm aware, HSV is a private (though half-owned by GM). It does bring up questions of whether they'll continue to convert imported Chevrolets, change their focus to refurbishing/modifying used cars or just throw in the towel.
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Walkinshaw also convert Dodge Rams, alongside the HSV line. At the very least they have them to fall back on. Interesting to see how this effects their plans to bring the new Silverado down here though.
 
Looks like Holden are doing a fire sale of their current inventory. Stuff from compact cars to luxury Acadia SUVs at about 40% off on average.
 
TenEightyOne
GM don't own Vauxhall or Opel. That's why their new cars are so different and so horrible.

We've had two different Astras and a Mokkalattefrappacino in the last few weeks, they're very awful indeed.
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Aren't the Astra and Mokka GM-era Vauxhalls?
 
TenEightyOne
GM don't own Vauxhall or Opel. That's why their new cars are so different and so horrible.

We've had two different Astras and a Mokkalattefrappacino in the last few weeks, they're very awful indeed.
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Both of which are GM products. The first new PSA Opels/Vauxhalls are the new Corsa and the Vivaro van.
 
TonyJZX
Looks like Holden are doing a fire sale of their current inventory. Stuff from compact cars to luxury Acadia SUVs at about 40% off on average.
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I've also read that the new Captiva being sold in Thailand has undergone the same process as well. The SRP of the car there was essentially slashed into half.
 
Spacegoat
Walkinshaw also convert Dodge Rams, alongside the HSV line. At the very least they have them to fall back on. Interesting to see how this effects their plans to bring the new Silverado down here though.
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I've just received an email from HSV saying they've achieved full volume certification for the All-New Chevrolet Silverado 1500 for Australia and New Zealand so i don't think it will. Business as usual I'd expect 👍
 
At the pointy end nothing changes but its such an "edge of the wedge" discussion.

HSV sells like a miniscule number of cars... of course you will see very rich Australians driving Ram 1500s Silverados Camaros and Cadillacs which they've spend six figures buying. These truly are very unique 'special' vehicles here.

You can very easily buy a 911 Porsche and you get a off the rack car. This isnt the case with HSV. You will need to order and wait (and IMO in the end you get a very inferior car but that's another discussion!)... what people are concerned about is the thousands of Equinox Astras Acadias that will be hard to see after this event.

I think we will get a circus of dealers trying to get 80c in the dollar for their fully financed floor stock and GM eventually needing to firesale by Xmas.

I dont like Holden's stock but if you can get the Astra for under $10,000 USD then...
 
TonyJZX
At the pointy end nothing changes but its such an "edge of the wedge" discussion.

HSV sells like a miniscule number of cars... of course you will see very rich Australians driving Ram 1500s Silverados Camaros and Cadillacs which they've spend six figures buying. These truly are very unique 'special' vehicles here.

You can very easily buy a 911 Porsche and you get a off the rack car. This isnt the case with HSV. You will need to order and wait (and IMO in the end you get a very inferior car but that's another discussion!)... what people are concerned about is the thousands of Equinox Astras Acadias that will be hard to see after this event.

I think we will get a circus of dealers trying to get 80c in the dollar for their fully financed floor stock and GM eventually needing to firesale by Xmas.

I dont like Holden's stock but if you can get the Astra for under $10,000 USD then...
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If dealers are thinking they're closing up shop by June 30, Christmas is six months too late.
 
FPV MIC
GMSV?
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Picked it like a dirty nose. Remind me to ask you for the lottery numbers next time.

General Motors Speciality Vehicles to replace Holden.
General Motors has confirmed its open-secret, it will establish GM Speciality Vehicles (GMSV) in partnership with HSV owners Walkinshaw Automotive Group to convert left-hand drive GM vehicles for the Australian market.
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Great news that the Corvette will be coming down here but it's better that a bunch of people will be able to keep their jobs.
 
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Looking at the way this has all gone down it probably would have been better if Holden had been included in the sale of Vauxhall/Opel to PSA, at least then it would basically be a continuation of what was going on before and there would be a chance further down the line of new models that could fill the void of the Commodore etc.

It seems bizarre for GM to shut up shop only to launch another brand doing almost exactly the same thing, and this time its more complicated because they are working with mainly LHD designed cars.
 
Robin
Looking at the way this has all gone down it probably would have been better if Holden had been included in the sale of Vauxhall/Opel to PSA, at least then it would basically be a continuation of what was going on before and there would be a chance further down the line of new models that could fill the void of the Commodore etc.

It seems bizarre for GM to shut up shop only to launch another brand doing almost exactly the same thing, and this time its more complicated because they are working with mainly LHD designed cars.
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I'm guessing it's entirely for tax/debt reasons. GMSV wouldn't be responsible for whatever Holden may still owe to whoever.
 
It’s like GM is in a competition with themselves to see just how poorly managed they can be and still receive taxpayer-funded bailouts. I swear, not even pre-Iacocca Chrysler was this bad. They should’ve been liquidated in 2009.
 
SestoScudo
End of an era.

Once Holden lost its Australian identity is when the brand began to fall off.
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Yep. They should have just limited themselves to a smaller number of models and ones that were proven sellers. Keeping to producing just Colarodo's and RWD Commodore V8's and downsizing would have made more sense.

I'm not really complaining though, the demise of the Australian built cars has driven everything Aussie with a V8 in it up in value. My FPV has greatly increased in value in recent times and my HSV hasn't dropped at all since I bought it new near the end of 2017.
 
If GM can't sell cars in right-hand drive markets then where the hell do they sell cars besides North America and China? That seems like a pretty limited market. Ford and Toyota et al seem to sell cars...everywhere.
 
GM just doesn't have a worldwide small iconic car like the Escort, Fiesta or Corolla. Chevette could have been that car, had it been competitive and long lasting as the other cars I mentioned. May have kept people in the showrooms.
 
05XR8
GM just doesn't have a worldwide small iconic car like the Escort, Fiesta or Corolla. Chevette could have been that car, had it been competitive and long lasting as the other cars I mentioned. May have kept people in the showrooms.
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The Spark would be their closest offering. A very inexpensive subcompact car sold in North America, both western and eastern Europe, Asia, and down under too I assume. Other than that, your right. I guess there's just too many differences between the worldwide markets for a "world car" of some sort to truly be successful.
 
Keef
If GM can't sell cars in right-hand drive markets then where the hell do they sell cars besides North America and China? That seems like a pretty limited market. Ford and Toyota et al seem to sell cars...everywhere.
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South America, particularly Brazil, along with parts of the Middle East, Russia, and the Philippines. They're also in partnership with UzAvtosanoat in Uzbekistan (they might still brand the cars as Ravon), Nexus in Pakistan, and IMM in Tunisia.

There used to be GM Egypt, but they no longer own it despite the name. I know there was, or maybe still is, GM Japan and GM Korea.
 

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