May Motor Mag - No VE ute or wagon?

[Guy Incognito98]

Just got the new Motor magazine, interesting story in Bill Tuckey's column on the press release regarding the job cuts and the end of the VZ models.

Though it is not actually confirmed he reckons there won't be a VE ute or wagon. To quote Bill 'it's obvious now that in designing the VE, Holden had always intended to ignore the ute and wagon, because it didn't include them in the design process. A Holden spinner told me that it wasn't to say that the two models wouldn't be reintroduced in the future, but that would "depend on how the market moves". Don't hold your breath, fellow campers.'

[Jac001]

Gee. I must let all our holden engineers to start taking out all the equipment we have recently installed for the VE ute and Wagon.

[Fonz]

Expect the ute to be released around September with HSV to follow a month later.

[Guy Incognito98]

Gotta say it seemed strange when photos of camouflaged versions of both have been posted on here previously. Is it Holden trying to get people to buy up the last of the VZs?

[kayman]

lol pictures of the mule ute here????
where is that?


There is proto's running at lang lang, so I hardly think holden would waste money on that then not have them at all.

[chrism697]

well bill is a dumbass then hahahahah

maybe just trying to sell magazines

[jas_the_ace]

Where are the spy pics of the ute / wagon?

jas

[lowriding]

good old Motor eh ? It'll be a scoop on drive.com.au soon :p

[Campaign]

Bill ? Well im not so sure about his opinion but if the old boy from Wheels that did the book on the VE said the same thing then id listen.

Whats his name Paul Cockburn ? Definately more credability on this issue.

[ace078]

cant find camo pics??????????????????

[chrism697]

Bill ? Well im not so sure about his opinion but if the old boy from Wheels that did the book on the VE said the same thing then id listen.

Whats his name Paul Cockburn ? Definately more credability on this issue.
Peter robinson wrote the book.

i still rekon they are just trying to sell magazines

[jas_the_ace]

Yep bump. spy shots? again..?

[geary]

good old Motor eh ? It'll be a scoop on drive.com.au soon :p

Actually Drive has been pushing the ute and wagon for a long time, that's why they've printed photoshops of them. They won't go back on it.

I think we'll see ute and wagon. Ute definitely, based on all the dealers that say it.


And those spy pics... never seen them.

[shane W Z]

well i personally stopped reading tuckeys column ages ago as it always seems to sound as if he is the only one who is allowed to be right if you know what i mean and i doubt he actually gives a toss about the local industry so i personally don't believe this statement he has apparently made.BTW I can't really comment as i haven't read the article,Will look for the mag tomorrow and read it for myself.


Actually Drive has been pushing the ute and wagon for a long time, that's why they've printed photoshops of them. They won't go back on it.

I think we'll see ute and wagon. Ute definitely, based on all the dealers that say it.


And those spy pics... never seen them.

the only pics i've seen have been rather ordinary looking 'chops but there may have been others that i haven't seen.

[geary]

I stopped reading all of Motor a long time ago, because, honestly, they write like shit and are pretty inconsistent.

You know things are pretty dumb when they decide PCOTY candidates on 'All-Japanese-Shootouts', instead of their position in their class.

[MARRA]

hahaha - dunno what drugs he's on but i seriously doubt if Holden would hand the ute market to Ford by dis-continuing the Commodore Ute.

[chrism697]

'it's obvious now that in designing the VE, Holden had always intended to ignore the ute and wagon,

hahah how would he know that?…..does he actually provide any real evidence or indications on why they would drop these models?
Really seems like he is just fabricating bullsh*t stories.

[spac]

Lets just say I did some work at a particular place that has been making a Ute specific part for tender... There Is a VE Ute, not that I got to see the shell under all the rapping... ;)

[ratty05]

I'm more intersted in how come you allready have a copy of the magazine and my subscription won't arrive till next week?

[Alex(AUS)]

Thats it!!! You now must scan the whole magazine without adverts for us to read now ... dont worry we will buy it when it comes out anyway ...

Alex

[CV860L]

Motor Magazine's integrity went out the window when they started putting computer generated images on the cover.
If they are willing to do this, what else are they willing to lie about in order to sell magazines?

Motor magazines have been part of my furniture since as far back as I can remember, not anymore.

They're now among the ranks of Cosmo, Dolly and all the other magazines filled with shit.

Good luck to them with there new found sales tactics...........

[Alex(AUS)]

Motor Magazine's integrity went out the window when they started putting computer generated images on the cover.
If they are willing to do this, what else are they willing to lie about in order to sell magazines?

Motor magazines have been part of my furniture since as far back as I can remember, not anymore.

They're now among thranks of Cosmo, Dolly and all the other magazines filled with shit.

Good luck to them with there new found sales tactics...........


I agree ....

But what else is there to read???

Alex

[CV860L]

I agree ....

But what else is there to read???

Alex

I know where your comin' from............don't have an answer for that.

[vx_clubby]

There is definitely a ute, I work on different parts of it every day, too much infact im sick of it lol.
Also a wagon will be right up its azz, tools are being made as we sleep :)

[geary]

I know where your comin' from............don't have an answer for that.

Wheeeeeels! :p

[mmciau]

Bill Tuckey must be suffering from a bit of "Attention Deprivation" so he thought he'd make a "profound and informed statement" .

Mike

[Mr Moosh]

Huh, you mean this isnt a late April Fools joke? WTF as if Holden wouldnt be doing a ute, and im pretty sure mooney comfirmed a wagon was on its way. Do a search. How does this sh1t get published...

[Marco]

I was going to say that Motor these days is written for 16 year olds with lots of profanities and stupid expressions like "it looks tits" - but that would have been a gross insult to Geary who seems as unimpressed with the thing as I am, so maybe it's written for 13 year olds? :)

In any case, when my Motor subscription runs out in a few months, that's it for my long association with Motor. I wasn't going to renew this year either, except that I figured I'd be buying all the issues for the VE coverage so I might as well save money.

Wheels lately seems to have rediscovered some of its old form, so I'll be happy to cut down to just one magazine.

[Alex(AUS)]

Wheeeeeels! :p

Already read that one ...

Alex

[VZSS_Freak]

If Holden werent going to realease a ute, or a wagon, that would be simply, sales suicide!!! Escpecially the ute, with all the trendy, lifestyle people getting about, lol

Cheers

[shane W Z]

I remember reading a few years ago a former holden executive from the 70's and 80's said he felt now that releasing the commodore was a mistake as it lost holden the ute market which was apparently a strength of theirs in those days .So i seriously doubt they'll do it again.

[chrism697]

I remember reading a few years ago a former holden executive from the 70's and 80's said he felt now that releasing the commodore was a mistake as it lost holden the ute market which was apparently a strength of theirs in those days .So i seriously doubt they'll do it again.
????? im confused....why does releaseing the commodore lose holden the ute market?.....and the sedan market is still much much much bigger than the ute market and always has been......think im misunderstanding your post!

[Holden Man]

????? im confused....why does releaseing the commodore lose holden the ute market?.....and the sedan market is still much much much bigger than the ute market and always has been......think im misunderstanding your post!

He may mean that back then the utes were based on Kingswoods and when commodore came out (then the kingswood looked very dated) it killed off the kingswood sales.

[GTS LSA]

Flame me if Im wrong - but i believe the "losing the ute market" with the initial release of the Commodore was the point - ie No Commodore Ute for 10 odd years from 78 / 79 would lose Holden the ute market.............

Also have to remember there was no real competition back then either......... with the car market regulated the way it was...........

But considering the strong ute sales including HSV these days - I seriously doubt Holden would drop it........... just wouldnt make business sense.......

[shane W Z]

yes what this guy said was when the dropped the WB in 1985 i think it was it wasn't viable apparently to keep the ute so they dropped it which he was saying was probably a mistake as ford and toyota ended up dominating the market.BTW It was in a book i once had called "Heart of the lion" came out about 1998/9 .

[chrism697]

oh ok i get ya now....sorry i just got confused hahaha

[Guy Incognito98]

Looks like by the number of people actually involved in building these things, Bill was obviously on the recreational pharmaceuticals when he wrote it.

Ratty05, not sure how I get it early I seem to every month, before it comes out in the shops and well before other subscribers.

A more welcome story will be the R8 absolutely rogering a GT with the new handling pack (just some revalved shocks in reality). Over 4 seconds quicker around Calder with Rick Kelly driving the HSV and Steven Richards in the Ford.

[hogs]

Evening,

As an avid Wagon fan, I have been trying to get some answer out of GMH for some time, and to no avail.

Great to read in the thread that folks in the know appear confident that both the Ute and Wagon will survive.

However, what are the chances that a V8 version of the Wagon will be part of the deal? In addition to that, is there any chance that there will be a Manual.
The reason I ask this is that at present I am negotiating on the purchase of a VY11 Manual Wagon, which if the above concerns are real, may be the last of the V8 Manual Commodore Wagons to be made.

Love some feedback!

Cheers,

Hogs,:)

[Pickles]

Naah!!--I wouldn't too much about what Bill says--although he certainly DOES have the "runs on the board". These days, I think he enjoys being a bit of a stirrer, or being "the devil's advocate"!--A bit of an "elder statesman" if you like. Probably thinks he's a bit more important than what he is, but quite a funny bloke all the same--I've been to a few functions where he has spoken, & he can be very entertaining.
Cheers, Pickles.

[NewVLT]

If utes and wagons weren't a major part of what Holden are producing why would they bother running a VZ line side by side with the VE ? It must have been costing a fortune.

As someone patiently waiting for news on the VE V8 wagon, my only other option in that size and power range at the moment are precisely none.

As for the following -
4WD/SUV wagons - Don't even get me started on these. All are hated with a passion, and my 20 year old Calais wagon is quicker than the so-called "Eats Sports Cars for Breakfast" Turbo Territory.
VZ Wagon - Would be throwing money away.
Falcon wagon - Could almost tempt me with a XR6T or Typhoon wagon but Ford were never that adventurous.

Anything else is over $150K. Surely it makes sense to cater to those frustrated fathers/mothers who need a large wagons space but don't want to have to succumb to hauling 2+ tonnes of metal and plastic around the suburbs.

Now with no Magna wagon (err 380, sorry) and Ford flogging the same old, same old, Holden have the market to themselves for the moment. How many tradies do you see lugging gear around in VT-VZ wagons instead of AU-BF wagons, and a number I've spoken to can't wait to upgrade.

It's happening but jeez I wish they'd get a move on. On the plus side though I suppose the first wagons and utes would be akin to a VE series II with any early build bugs ironed out you'd like to think.

[lowriding]

It's happening but jeez I wish they'd get a move on. On the plus side though I suppose the first wagons and utes would be akin to a VE series II with any early build bugs ironed out you'd like to think.

yeah , agree. As you say at least they should get it fairly right straight up ,the VU utes were pretty good first go.

[NewVLT]

Just read the article in Motor that the original poster was referring to and I think Old Bill has finally lost the plot.

Can he seriously use the comparison that Holden only sold 842 wagons in Feb '07 against 1288 for Feb '06, or 1538 wagons for the first two months of 2007 against 2551 for the first two months of 2006 for his reasoning as to why there'll be no VE ute or wagon ?

I realise a lot of people go looking for a new car, just to get a new car. They're not overly fussed about model, or the build date, they just want a new one. Personally I couldn't tell a new Toyota (pick any given model) from the last one BUT so much has been put into plugging the VE that even Blind Freddy would know that an all new Commodore is now available. Why would the same Blind Freddy then go and buy a VZ, especially when he can see them side by side with the VE on the lot ?

It's the same sort of know-nothing articles the mass media were writing at the time of the VZ sedan run-out, citing a slow down in large car sales. Of course there was a slow down in sales as the outgoing model has immediately been devalued upon the release, or pending the release, of the new model. Consequently a lot of people/companies were waiting for the new car to be released, especially as it was loudly touted as the next big thing, and sales suffered in the mean time.

Bill must think we're all a little bit dim.

[Mikey]

yes what this guy said was when the dropped the WB in 1985 i think it was it wasn't viable apparently to keep the ute so they dropped it which he was saying was probably a mistake as ford and toyota ended up dominating the market.BTW It was in a book i once had called "Heart of the lion" came out about 1998/9 .

That is a good point. Holden absolutely handed Ford the ute market because they did not have an equivalent ute to compete with. They tried hard with the Rodeo, but the Rodeo, good bus and all, was and still is in a different market, particularly at the sport/performance end.

On the same token Ford also acknowledged that it handed Holden a generation of petrol heads leaving them with only one choice for performance after dropping the V8 around the same time as well.

[Danv8]

I haven't bought a copy of wheels or motor in ages.
The money goes into petrol instead. :-)

[HSVMAN]

There WILL be a new wagon and ute. I've seen pics of the ute (sorry was ona slide show so couldnt copy) at a Holden sales seminar. It looks the goods with more spacious cab and typical VE style - totally different to VZ.
Wagon and ute sales have dropped of late because buyers are going for VE sedan instead or holding off untill the new model arrives
Hope that helps :)

[NRD80Y]

I seem to remember a while back there being a video about the new E-series HSVs and in the background, someone pointed out, was what looked like a covered VE/Maloo ute (able to be distinguished by the wheel arch and door handle buldges). I just can’t seem to find the thread or screenshot. Was there anything ever uncovered that it was actually a new ute in the background?

[Holden Man]

I seem to remember a while back there being a video about the new E-series HSVs and in the background, someone pointed out, was what looked like a covered VE/Maloo ute (able to be distinguished by the wheel arch and door handle buldges). I just can’t seem to find the thread or screenshot. Was there anything ever uncovered that it was actually a new ute in the background?

I think that was the Concept Maloo ute HSV did a few years ago (it had massive flared arches at the back / huge wheels etc)

[csv rulz]

Reading todays carsguide about HSV's new boss and he states that HSV will be relesing the moloo later this year. So that says that Holden have to have a ute. Its on the first page

[mac06]

I'm not really sure why there is still a discussion of whether Holden will bring out a Wagon and Ute. Quite a few members with "inside" knowledge have confirmed this. The only question is "when"? It seems that September/ October is the go at this stage but nothing confirmed.

To keep the market going in the meantime there will be the SVZ Wagon, the usual base model with a lot of fruit thrown in for free. This will have 17" alloys, air conditioning, VZ Berlina style front bumper and fog lights, leather steering wheel, etc, etc. The best part is the price, $32,490 plus ORC. That should be tempting for some who can't wait, plus a lot cheaper than the VE will be, as was the case with the Sedan

[SV346]

Yeah holden is releasing the wagon and utes in august ;)

[Alex(AUS)]

You will see the UTE somewhere around Sept/October ... Wagon later ...

Alex