Terrible News If True

[Wonky]

I heard late last night from a friend with reliable high level contacts within Holden that senior execs have been told that Commodore production will cease in 18 months to 2 years and after that they will only be building imported models like Cruze and Colorado (I think he said). No more V8s, no more RWD.

I sincerely pray he's wrong, but if not remember you heard it here first!

[axemurderer101]

Wow another one of these threads ay.

[Peter B - CV8]

Sounds a bit strange - given the related thread about V8 exports to the USA.....

[XUV]

ooooer time for a campaign , '' V8's Till 2028 '' twenty twenty-eight , lol

[Magnum9]

I heard from a reliable source (Mrs Claus) that due to rising transport costs, Santa will only be visiting the northern hemisphere this year.

[Wonky]

Sounds a bit strange - given the related thread about V8 exports to the USA.....

i was told the export deal is just a filler because that was exactly my first response. Like I said, I hope it's wrong but my source is very good (remember I also worked at Holden for over 16 years) and wouldn't have posted unless I believed it myself.

[jsme]

I'd be OK with this if it meant we got Corvettes and Camaro's in Australia.

[AGIT8D]

i was told the export deal is just a filler because that was exactly my first response. Like I said, I hope it's wrong but my source is very good (remember I also worked at Holden for over 16 years) and wouldn't have posted unless I believed it myself.

The business sense to tell your staff that in 12-18 months there will be a massive job cut seems a bit off though. Wouldn't everyone leave now and Holden would be stranded without staff? I know that's what I'd do if I found out my company was shutting doors, in fact it is what I did earlier this year when I got the news, though it was a few days notice not 1.5 years..

[jboy21]

May be if america sells commodore they will pickup the manufacturing too. eventually.

[Woodchukka]

The business sense to tell your staff that in 12-18 months there will be a massive job cut seems a bit off though. Wouldn't everyone leave now and Holden would be stranded without staff? I know that's what I'd do if I found out my company was shutting doors, in fact it is what I did earlier this year when I got the news, though it was a few days notice not 1.5 years..

Not many places for the employees to go unless they found jobs other than in manufacturing.

[Phillshz]

Wonks is probably correct, but only a few select people would know the truth.

The GTO was the original commodore/monaro export program and it fizzed out.
Holden/GM tried again with the G8 was the VE commodore export program and it fizzed out.

This last attempt is one of a few things, one last attempt to export the commodore but badged as a Chevy SS (a popular model/name in the US) in the hope it takes off and makes holden production locally viable.
Secondly it will at least keep holden knocking out commodores for a while longer, to at least make back the money invested to create and deliver the car ($1bn), while hoping demand will pick up again.
Thirdly, To fulfill supplier contracts/keep locals employed (instead of paying it out, just ride it out and bite the bullet at the end and close up)

Cheers Phill

[Smitty]

I heard late last night from a friend with reliable high level contacts within Holden that senior execs have been told that Commodore production will cease in 18 months to 2 years and after that they will only be building imported models like Cruze and Colorado (I think he said). No more V8s, no more RWD.
....

well if thats true then Holden will have to return a shed load of $ back to the govt

[Martin_D]

well if thats true then Holden will have to return a shed load of $ back to the govt

Holden only got the handout because they AGREED to kill Commodore to appease the person running Australia at the time - Bob Brown

[shaneooo]

I'm not saying your wrong, but it just doesn't make any sense to me for Holden to just stop production in 18 months.

Firstly Holden and GM committed the Commodore until 2016 in accordance with Govt funding.

Secondly Holden has invested big $$$ into the VF, stopping production in 18 months would be a massive loss of invested $$$. Who would be happy to put their hand up and take that hit???

Thirdly, the export of Commodore is proceeding. Chev would not market a new vehicle, produce NASCAR vehicles based on the SS and invest huge amounts of $$$ to market the new car and NASCAR brand only to just stop everything in 18 months.

I have no doubt that if the SS is a hit in the US, GM may start producing the vehicle in the US but I cannot see that happening this side of 2016.

Just my 2c anyway.

[CLUBRED]

Are you sure he didn't say shut VE parts production down in that time frame?

Anyways, kinda makes sense to ship the commodore production to Korea keep QA overseen by Holden, make it cheaper, sell it cheaper. What are wage rates like in places like Canada comparible to here?