Holden is no More

[Brendan24688]

from http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=69222

The Holden brand is no more.

At the opening of their new $200 million facility in Melbourne, the company has announced a name change - GM Holden.

It's about restoring links to US parent General Motors, apparently.

Ford v GM Holden?

Just doesn't have the same ring to it...

[Danv8]

Its just returned the GMH name really.
In my eyes Holden has always has been GMH.

[Grif]

May I be the first to say WTF! :confused: But im going to wait for an official press release to be 100% sure. This just seems to rash to be true! GM is going down the toilet and Holden alone is shining, now they want to tarnish the great aussie name with GM in the front! :mad: Not when im alive.

[Brendan24688]

how do you find out that dan v8. Like wats the website

[Danv8]

how do you find out that dan v8. Like wats the website


GMH was been the nameplate or so with Holden for years Or called as
General Motors-Holden's Ltd

Check http://www.ehholden.com.au/infhis2.htm might shed some light

[VX11SS]

I thought that had been done ages ago but to Holden GM as the offfical company name, this wasnt going to appear on the cars though just for legal purposes.

soz just saw your post good spotting Dan

[Ryzz]

Meh, doesnt make any difference to me. Call it what they want, they will always be Holden, and they are still making the same product. I think you will find that the name change will be reasonably transparent.

[XLR8 V8]

May I be the first to say WTF! :confused: But im going to wait for an official press release to be 100% sure. This just seems to rash to be true! GM is going down the toilet and Holden alone is shining, now they want to tarnish the great aussie name with GM in the front! :mad: Not when im alive.

http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/action/news?categoryID=6&articleID=1326&navCategoryId=all

[Danv8]

:mad: Not when im alive.[/QUOTE]

Well you would of jumped off a bridge in the early years of Holden known and still is GMH.
:D

Im very surprised that people didn't know the GMH nameplate. The funny thing is though all these years I have been a fan of Holden it was always known as GMH to me. :)

[Nidz]

Oh well.. where do ya think chev engines are from anyway..

[VX11SS]

Yep same here, GMH and basically its always been a part of GM and so whats new?

[Venom XR]

"Football, meat pies, kangaroos and GM Holden cars..."

Doesn't sound right.

[Patrick]

"Football, meat pies, kangaroos and GM Holden cars..."

Doesn't sound right.

This little "jingle" was made back in the 70's when Holden was known as GM-H, your point? :rolleyes:

[Devil CV8]

This little "jingle" was made back in the 70's when Holden was known as GM-H, your point? :rolleyes:
damn, you beat me to it.

Imagine if it was football meat pies kangaroos and ford cars :eek: just doesn't have the same ring to it... :p

[Grif]

I knew that Holden was always GMH but i meant that when you go to your local dealership, its no longer going to be a lion with holden written below it standing high and proud to be seen, but now its going to be stated GM Holden. Just really really annoys me. Oh yeah and i have to hold my side of the bargain. Jumps off bridge. ;)

[Smitty]

Ford v GM Holden?

Just doesn't have the same ring to it...

in 1931
General Motors bought Holdens Body works in Oz
and named it General Motors Holden
in 1948 General Motors Holden released a Holden branded vehicle..the 48-215
(aka the FX). In 1977 I started work with a company called General Motors-Holdens making Holdens Geminis and Toranas and shortly thereafter Commodores and we still thought of them all as Holdens
Brock raced Moffat and it was General Motors Holden then....
(shortened to GMH)

the company name has had a few changes (as they are legally allowed to do)..anyone remember Aust Automotive Industries (used for the Toyota venture) and then that went back to the name of Holdens
and we are back... like 70 years ago to GM Holden.....big deal

If the Holden name were to be dropped, then we ALL have something to squeal about :box:

cheers

[V-Car]

Holden's Motor Body Builders merged with General Motors in 1931 to become General Motors-Holden's Limited (GM-H).
And anyone from Melbourne should know that Dandenong wouldnt be there if it hadnt been for GMH building its factory there, before moving to Elizabeth in South Australia.

Also, football, meat pies, kngaroos and Holden cars is not as Australian as you might think.
That type of patriotic advertising was used all round the GM world back then.
As an example, at the same time as Holden was using it here, GM South Africa were using one that went something like...football, braaivleis, boerewors and Chevy cars. :D
Braaivleis meaning BBQ and boerewors, a type of spicy sausage.

[Holden]

Let us shed some light - from 1 June, GM Holden is the company name and Holden is the brand name. GM has been in the company name for all but nine of the 74 years that we've been owned by GM. We're now back to what it's been most of the time.

It's still Holden on the cars and it's still Holden Racing Team on the track. You don't see references to GM Pontiac cars in the States and you won't see references to GM Holden cars here.

The short answer - don't sweat what means nothing to the cars you drive.

[Patrick]

Let us shed some light - from 1 June, GM Holden is the company name and Holden is the brand name. GM has been in the company name for all but nine of the 74 years that we've been owned by GM. We're now back to what it's been most of the time.

It's still Holden on the cars and it's still Holden Racing Team on the track. You don't see references to GM Pontiac cars in the States and you won't see references to GM Holden cars here.

The short answer - don't sweat what means nothing to the cars you drive.

So another words, the more things change, the more they stay the same! ;) Thanks Holden. :)

[ShanghaiVZ]

It's still Holden on the cars and it's still Holden Racing Team on the track. You don't see references to GM Pontiac cars in the States and you won't see references to GM Holden cars here.


That's what I wanted to hear! :D

[Grif]

I feel more at ease now. As long as its still known as Holden to the people, thats all that matters to me now. :)

[V-Car]

GM South Africa were using one that went something like...football, braaivleis, boerewors and Chevy cars. :D

OK, i got it wrong. :D
I should have been 'Football, braaivleis, sunny skies and Chevrolets.'

http://www.cbn.co.za/motoring/months/February2004/2_2004_26.htm

[Phido]

Shame really.. I was hoping the change from GMH to Holden was a preemptive move for further independence and possibly spinning it off as a completely seperate entity with contractual aggrements for engine and transmissions.

Have to say since hamburgler has gone, theres been quite a few changes:
-Name change
-Monaro killing
-Holden designed GM NA cars
-Some other changes at holden and friends (HSV restructure)


The question is why. WHY change it back. What on earth are they trying to do? I don't see it as a positive move, at best just a big waste of money and yet another change in direction.

[Smitty]

Let us shed some light - from 1 June, GM Holden is the company name and Holden is the brand name. GM has been in the company name for all but nine of the 74 years that we've been owned by GM. We're now back to what it's been most of the time.

It's still Holden on the cars and it's still Holden Racing Team on the track. You don't see references to GM Pontiac cars in the States and you won't see references to GM Holden cars here.

The short answer - don't sweat what means nothing to the cars you drive.
history?
yep as I said

BUT
where is the Holden badge....?
on the current range of cars :(

the large blob on the grille doesn't count :bash:

[Marco]

Is this going to happen to all the other GM divisions too? When they changed to Holden Limited, I remember them saying something about this lining them up with the other GM divisions like Adam Opel AG, Saab AB and so on. Just the brand name and then 'limited' or whatever the local equivalent was.

[mmciau]

Now if I wasn't ever inclined to be a cynic, then I suppose the formation of these new companies just might jeopardise such matters such as Long Service Leave, Accrued Sick Leave, etc, etc for the non-salaried staff and production workers!!!!!!!!!!!

(Been done before by other legal entities!!)

Mike

[Falcon Freak]

"
Football, meat pies, kangaroos and GM Holden cars..."

That no longer applies. Nowdays it is; "Soccer, Souvlaki, cane toads and Japanese cars"

FF

[Venom XR]

This little "jingle" was made back in the 70's when Holden was known as GM-H, your point? :rolleyes:

Fishing for bites that? :p

Everyone with a half a clue about Oz motoring history knows about GM-H.

[Dacious]

There used to be little GM-H badges on everything - parts, labels, embossing etc. They are doing the same thing in the US. All GM cars are to receive little GM badges. I suspect you'll see the same at Vauxhall, Opel etc. Some may see there as no value in this, but any marketer will tell you brand recognition is everything, even where the brand isn't seen as especially good.

I prefer it to Lexus trying to pretend they aren't Toyota, or Maxima and Accura pretending in the US they aren't Nissan and Honda respectively.

Back to the future - except with no Delorean.

[BlackClubbie]

Meh, doesnt make any difference to me. Call it what they want, they will always be Holden, and they are still making the same product. I think you will find that the name change will be reasonably transparent.

Would you say the same thing if it was renamed Holden-Daihatsu ? :-)

[jbernie]

OK, i got it wrong. :D
I should have been 'Football, braaivleis, sunny skies and Chevrolets.'

http://www.cbn.co.za/motoring/months/February2004/2_2004_26.htm

Actually, the jingle is based of an American one, I was watching a show about most meorable tv jingles or something like that and the original American version was #1, can't remember the lyrics though.

Mind you it was first done when tv was black and white.

James

(btw i am up in the US)

[SV8VY]

I still call Telstra Telecom ...same thing really wont mean much to me. :D

[Holden]

Posters, it's nice to know there is so much passion about defending the company name - whatever it is. A couple of points we'd like to pick up ...

Phido - the deal on NA cars was done during Peter Hanenberger's time and the original Monaro program schedule was three years (2002-2004) so everyone has done pretty well from that. Unsure how HSV is relevant when Holden doesn't own it. Appreciate you might oppose change but we have been part of a global company for 74 years and we have a job to compete against other global companies.

Marco's question about other divisions is a fair one and the answer is yes - only we were among the last ones. Most other divisions are already known by their country name eg GM Brazil, GM Mexico. Opel is a brand under GM Europe and Saab in Australia is now a brand under GM Holden. In the early 1950s, we had seven brands to look after including Holden!

mmciau's concerns about employee entitlements is also fair but this is just a name change, not a structural one. Same company, two extra letters.

And jbernie is right - the original jingle was from Chevrolet and other markets (including Holden here and the South Africans as quoted by V-Car) adapted it for local consumption for extremely strong effect.

Hope this helps contribute to the debate. We just want to add extra understanding so all the chat on this forum can understand some of the background.

[Dacious]

I think the Chev jingle was 'Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet'.

I was going to say, too, at least it's GM Holden which is recognition of Holden as a brand, and not GM Australia.

[vh-holden]

Would you say the same thing if it was renamed Holden-Daihatsu ? :-)

would the barina undergo weight loss and get a turbo 3 cyl engine? if so, bring it on!!


i know a guy that has the number plate GMH up here in darwin. It is on his troopcarrier. He originally bought it for a holden he was doing up but that never eventuated, so he is just hanging onto it until the right moment.

[Patrick]

Posters, it's nice to know there is so much passion about defending the company name - whatever it is. A couple of points we'd like to pick up ...

Phido - the deal on NA cars was done during Peter Hanenberger's time and the original Monaro program schedule was three years (2002-2004) so everyone has done pretty well from that. Unsure how HSV is relevant when Holden doesn't own it. Appreciate you might oppose change but we have been part of a global company for 74 years and we have a job to compete against other global companies.

Marco's question about other divisions is a fair one and the answer is yes - only we were among the last ones. Most other divisions are already known by their country name eg GM Brazil, GM Mexico. Opel is a brand under GM Europe and Saab in Australia is now a brand under GM Holden. In the early 1950s, we had seven brands to look after including Holden!

mmciau's concerns about employee entitlements is also fair but this is just a name change, not a structural one. Same company, two extra letters.

And jbernie is right - the original jingle was from Chevrolet and other markets (including Holden here and the South Africans as quoted by V-Car) adapted it for local consumption for extremely strong effect.

Hope this helps contribute to the debate. We just want to add extra understanding so all the chat on this forum can understand some of the background.

I have 2 Questions Holden?

Q.1. - Was this company name changed for the purpose of having different brands trading under that company name, like Holden and Saab for example?

Q.2. - GM in America has started to badge theirs cars and trucks with the GM badge, will we see this spread across the other GM divisions including Australia?

THANK YOU ;)

[Holden]

Q.1. - Was this company name changed for the purpose of having different brands trading under that company name, like Holden and Saab for example?No - Saab and Holden merged into a single entity from 1 Jan this year. It's to be consistent with other parts of GM and recognise our parent company as we have done for most of the time we have been part of GM.

Q.2. - GM in America has started to badge theirs cars and trucks with the GM badge, will we see this spread across the other GM divisions including Australia?This is a North America-only initiative at this stage - no plans for other markets.

[VHSLE]

Whilst I have just called them Holden, I was always of the opinion they were GMH, General Motors Holden.

I suppose the real point is, will this be an invisible change to business stationary and perhaps a different logo on the manual or will all the dealerships infact be refitted and the badges on the cars revised ?

I hope it's the latter.

Geez I just had a thought, the background for GM stuff like logos is blue not red, hope they don't go changing that too. I can't see them screwing around with such a well established brand that much though.

Cheers


Edit: Ah Holden beat me to it.

[SSFreak]

In regards to badging US cars with the GM logo, it seems a backwards step in terms of marketing IMHO. Generally the whole point of having multiple brands in the same market is to grab a bigger market share.

The more brands you have the greater chance you've got of people buying one of them. Someone may not buy a Buick for whatever reason but might go out and buy a Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, etc.

By giving them all GM badges I can't help feel they're going to lose some of this advantage because people may start to see them as all GM cars rather than the individual brand names. Of course they are all GM cars but it's all about creating an illusion of a larger amount of choice.

Take a look at laundry detergents. I've heard my wife say she would never buy brand x because of some reason or other. So she goes out and buys brand y instead, not realising it's made by the same company. The companies that make the expensive brands also make the cheaper brands because they know everyone has different buying patterns.

Just my 2c worth.

[smoke]

GM-US is in the poo big time, isnt it? Along with parts suppliers in the u.s. I only saw part of a story on a yank financial show about workers losing super and GM and Delphi not going well. If so, maybe GM-H will be used to prop them up?

[Smitty]

GM-US is in the poo big time, isnt it? Along with parts suppliers in the u.s. I only saw part of a story on a yank financial show about workers losing super and GM and Delphi not going well. If so, maybe GM-H will be used to prop them up?
GM in the poo? yes it is
I posted a topic on the site, for all to read re this

and GMH prop up GM ..????
hahhaha..... GMH still owe GM more than $750 million for stopping us going under back in the mid 80's (85 or '86 I think it was)


cheers

[smoke]

I missed that thread on GM-US. Yes they pulled us out of the poo! I just like to go off half-****ed, dribble on my keyboard etc :)

[V-Car]

In regards to badging US cars with the GM logo

They have done this for many years with their export cars.
http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showpost.php?p=439967&postcount=9

[Kirium]

"

That no longer applies. Nowdays it is; "Soccer, Souvlaki, cane toads and Japanese cars"

FF

But of course soccer is football now.. :)

GM Holden fits a good corporate image in the mould of GM Daewoo.. :lol:

[Ghia351]

This is a North America-only initiative at this stage - no plans for other markets. If it was a HQ dictate at a later stage how would the company feel considering D.M. is your boss?

[Ghia351]

GM in the poo? yes it is
I posted a topic on the site, for all to read re this

and GMH prop up GM ..????
hahhaha..... GMH still owe GM more than $750 million for stopping us going under back in the mid 80's (85 or '86 I think it was)


cheers Didn't realise it needed to be returned and considering Holden's profits of late I thought it would have been returned with some (small) interest.

[Jphdg]

Well... I hope the lion and Holden badges stay, but yeah I have always been under the impression Holden as such were always 'General Motors Holden.'

Even back in the early 80's, Petter Garret stated 'General Motors' in one of his lyrics. :) hmm what was the song now?? :doh:

If the car badges don't change, I am happy.

Unfortunately though, progression is one of those things and never are all happy with the outcomes of such.

Ah well what can you do...

[Marco]

Argh, I know the song, but can't think of the title. It's the one that goes "When the General talks, you'd better listen to him, when the General talks, you'd better do what he says".

Maybe it's just called "When the General talks"?

(I met Peter Garrett last week, btw - he really is every bit as tall as he looks. And a nice bloke, too.)

[Smitty]

I know....
and here is more of the lyrics-
"When the generals talk
You better listen to him
When the generals talk
You better do what he say
General Motors General Insurance General Corporation......" :nyuk:

[Smitty]

Didn't realise it needed to be returned and considering Holden's profits of late I thought it would have been returned with some (small) interest.
Al

I was sorta tongue in cheek with my post...I believe the funds were contributed
as equity and really dont need to be paid back..but the return on that (from profits) as dividends must be paid to GM Corp

cheers

[Ghia351]

Argh, I know the song, but can't think of the title. It's the one that goes "When the General talks, you'd better listen to him, when the General talks, you'd better do what he says".

Maybe it's just called "When the General talks"?

(I met Peter Garrett last week, btw - he really is every bit as tall as he looks. And a nice bloke, too.)

yes..When the General talks is the title. On their live album (which I can't find for the life of me)!!! the drumming is awesome.

[Ghia351]

I know....
and here is more of the lyrics-
"When the generals talk
You better listen to him
When the generals talk
You better do what he say
General Motors General Insurance General Corporation......" :nyuk:

Don't tell me you grew up in E.B. AND you like the "oils"....I wore out their albums and switched to CD's over time...I was slightly off its "When the Generals Talk" from "Red Sails in the Sunset" 1984 and I still can't find it!

[Jphdg]

yep thats the one! 'when the general talks'

To this day a friend of mine and I laugh when we hear the 'General Motors' bit when driving in the LS1 :)

[Smitty]

Don't tell me you grew up in E.B. AND you like the "oils"....I wore out their albums and switched to CD's over time...I was slightly off its "When the Generals Talk" from "Red Sails in the Sunset" 1984 and I still can't find it!

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1....woohooo
a cupla drinks and an air mike and away we go
and yes, I still have Red sails in the Sunset on vinyl
and CD ...coz you can't play vinyl in a car...