Does HSV understand its Market?

[Martin_D]

That was back in the days when Holden hand built engines.
Now its just a quick call to Mexico to get the hombres to send something off the production line. Hold the burritos.
And that is the point of the thread....

[288vxgts300]

So i,ve got a VX GTS,which has the callaway engine,i feel its a bit special,mainly because its had special treatment,someone has worked on it a bit more than the run of the mill engines.

[nailit]

i wasn,t sure if you guy,s would remember these old pearlers,and i,ve got a 73 XU1 in the shed that i,ve had for about 24 years ,one of the last fully optioned 150 engines,capable of high 13s but was never published because holden were no longer making super car.

You are the Man!!! . . . the old man will be jealous when I tell him about this!!!

We have a July 73 . . . just before the Bathurst 73 model run like yours . . . that is one mighty piece of History you own. . . congrats

[nailit]

That was back in the days when Holden hand built engines.
Now its just a quick call to Mexico to get the hombres to send something off the production line. Hold the burritos.
And that is the point of the thread....

I think thats nother reason why we bought the W427 . . . we wanted something that wasn't "Rattled" together in Mexico . . . even if we paid about $30k tooooo much for the privelage . . .

I think I might just get that thing out of the Garage and go for a fang in a minute . . . nice apples down in Woodside!!! . . . and the Apple & Rhubarb pies are grouse!!!

[288vxgts300]

You are the Man!!! . . . the old man will be jealous when I tell him about this!!!

We have a July 73 . . . just before the Bathurst 73 model run like yours . . . that is one mighty piece of History you own. . . congrats

fanks,

its fitted with a detroit locka also,

and i have several HK monaro,s,and currently have the earliest PSN numbered GTS from pagewood,warrick yellow 307 glide,black trim,i havn,t finished resto yet,getting a bit lazy these days.

see if this link works,i,m not that cluey.

http://s807.photobucket.com/albums/y...cpZZ4QQtppZZ16
http://s807.photobucket.com/albums/y...tbath350/xu-1/

[Martin_D]

I think I might just get that thing out of the Garage and go for a fang in a minute . . . nice apples down in Woodside!!! . . . and the Apple & Rhubarb pies are grouse!!!

It would seem HSV understand their market perfectly then?

[macca_779]

So i,ve got a VX GTS,which has the callaway engine,i feel its a bit special,mainly because its had special treatment,someone has worked on it a bit more than the run of the mill engines.

How does that differ from those of us that modify our engines. We even use reliable parts TIC


iPad 2

[288vxgts300]

How does that differ from those of us that modify our engines. We even use reliable parts TIC


iPad 2

notice i said a BIT special,and the difference is from the factory,thats all,gotta watch what i say,or i,m gunna get shot down.

when i first got it a long while back i busted it,the cam didn,t like the pizzling,apparently the springs are the weak point,so i pulled the engine and took to sams,and he gave some more power with plenty of good internal peices,he said i won,t break it now and thats about 5 years ago now.

[nailit]

It would seem HSV understand their market perfectly then?

LOL . . . they had some fair idea back in 2008 (and 2007 when they started to develop the W). . . but today!!!!! . . . hmmm

. . . and if they had capped the thing at 100 units . . . .

Crenno had just gone . . . Scott Grant (Ex Lexus) was in the Chair and getting a really good feel for the Market . . . but took far too long according to Tom . . . Tom lost patience with the Analytical way the Grant was approcahing things and the Due Diligence he was using to understand the customer and the dealer and the Market (FFS, Scott Grant rang the old man one night out of the blue and talked for an hour - and I am sure Dad wasn't the only one that got a call)

TW them marched Scott Grant (very unceramoniously) off the premises and installed Harding . . a bean counting negative MD IMHO . . . and the Poms were in charge . . . Read the Beginning of the "Loss Of Momentum" starting with downright stupid comments like - "We will build 427 W427's - how farking stupid!!!! . . . and there went the start of a crediability spiral (especially with the Motoring press and anyone with a BRAIN) straight down the long road to where we are now . . .

As for "NOW" . . hold that thought . . . more detailed analysis - BASED ON FACT - next week!!!

[SilverVH]

Ironically, maybe this thread should be does Holden understand its market aswell.

Interestingly I was told last night that there is a distinct possibility that the release date for the VF could be delayed more towards 2014 rather than 2013. Deciding factors include the continuing sales trend the VE is currently receiving and GM's return on their investment in the designing of the initial Zeta platform.

It will be interesting to see how all this plays out and how HSV will be affected with the flow on effect. Surely HSV realise the reflection Holden has on their brand and the common trends Holden are subjected to, HSV will also be subjected to (albeit on a smaller scale).
The difference is, a large scale manufactuer that has mutiple models on offer can sustain themselves more than a 'one model wonder'. Not to mention government intervention is available to prop the brand up, what does HSV have? Cars on the grass it seems!

The more you think about it the more you begin to understand the dire straits HSV might be facing at the moment, particularly if 'in fact' they don't understand the market at all in 2011 (and 2012, 2013 etc.)!

Maybe those hidden agenda's might not have to be pushed afterall come a years time lol.

[SilverVH]

But then again,
I guess if the shit does hit the fan severely at HSV, they could always change their name to Halal Special Vehicles and begin exporting the HSV's direct to Saudi Arabia to clear the lot. I hear they have a thing for fairy lights on their cars over there.

[Martin_D]

The biggest struggle HSV have is a six year old car to work with.
Their hands are pretty tied with a design thats getting quite long in the tooth

[SilverVH]

The biggest struggle HSV have is a six year old car to work with.
Their hands are pretty tied with a design thats getting quite long in the tooth

Which is exactly why you'd think HSV would not stray from their foundations and heritage of which the brand was built on. What I mean is instead of churning out cars with 10,000 useless gadgets and gimmicks on it that are mainstream across all their variants, they would rather concentrate on using the VE platform in its basic form and enhance it mechanically and have special editions that are actually that. They would've been able to get more life out of the VE that way, whereas now HSV are stuck with a 3rd generation E series with potentially 2 years left before releasing the new model. I really believe they could've played the VE card a bit smarter. The 427 was a potentially good start but it kind of dropped off with what HSV are calling the 'black edition'...

Maybe they should've called it the 'red edition' because that is the way they seem to be heading at the moment!

But I do agree with what you are saying, they are working with a tired design. They just should've been a bit smarter about it.

[nailit]

The biggest struggle HSV have is a six year old car to work with.
Their hands are pretty tied with a design thats getting quite long in the tooth

They have done a half reasonable job "Wringing" the VE to death . . . I think the biggest mistake design wise was the E2 . . . . E2 should have coincided with VE2 and the market may have been a tad more ready for "Fairy Lights" . . LOL @ SilverVH!! . . . and because of this I personally think that the E2 will have Shocking Resales value in the future as it is a bit of a "Lost" model in the VE sequence!!

. . . and the Update (E2 Proper) would have had the newer and fresher looking headlights!!!! . . . I dont mind the DRL thing. . . but if they were 20% less in horizontal width . . they might be even better . . . but I am no designer!!!

They have started on VF (or whatever is designated) and a small group is still on the 25 Anniv LSA project that WILL give the brand something to hang their hat on over the next period

They also have a few minor tweaks that "May" get introduced over the next period that will coincide with a "Run Of The Mill" LS3 based 25th Anniv "Value" Edition that appanartly will have a special colour too!!! . . dont hold me to that!!! . . . and FFS HSV . . dont make any more "Sticker Specials" . . . if they can give the QLD Coppers a 325KW Clubby . . . they can do whatever they want . . . IF they want . . . not that another 8KW will float my boat!!! . . . but you can expect to see a bit more of this sort of thing as HSV grapple to hang onto any sort of reasonable volume in 2012 . . . and 2013 which at this point looks pretty tough going for the Brand if the current mob that runs the joint dont get their heads straight!!!

. . but yet again. . I will iterate . . this thread is more about where they are at the moment and moreso what the sales Dept at HSV are doing by "Overproducing" to give the "Walkinshaw family" at wad of revenue rather that looking after the brand. . . and its exclusativity . . and its future!!!

[SilverVH]

And to prove my point, hows this for a great idea.

Let's fit an EDI to our cars that will monitor tyre pressures, g-forces and combine it with motec software to analyse it all whilst having the in-built GPS pinpoint and record laptimes if you are at a racetrack.

All that is useless shit and a gimmick if HSV aren't serious about enhancing the mechanical side of it to separate itself from a family car. No oil cooler to be seen, how can it be taken seriously. What are HSV thinking? That the owners are going to take their family on a Sunday drive around Bathurst for a picnic?

Give me a break...