Holden will be gone in 2017.

[Jag530G]

Curious that this has only happened in Oz. Go to Europe or UK or the US
and you just don't see the variety of cars we have here. No SUVs in the UK or Europe
and only american made Toyotas and Hondas in the USA. LOTS of Fords and Chevs though...

maybe something to do with the fact that the governments there have done something to protect vehicle manufacturing?
hmmmm....

The loss of large sedans at affordable prices happened in Europe all right. Ford's Scorpio and the Opel Omega died because they were being eaten alive by the prestige brands. Who wants an Opel Omega when you could have a BMW 3 series for the same money? The big theme in Europe over the last 15 years has been the shrinking of the mass market brands to basically building samll cars. No one wants a mass market brand large car and even the mass market mid size cars are in trouble. Think of what the new MB A class and CLA will do to Opel Insignia/Ford Mondeo sales, they're going to get smashed. Only VW has survived intact and that is by going up market. Opel, Peugeut, Saab, Volvo, Citroen, Renault, Fiat Group are all dead/dying/been taken over, Ford is sort of hanging in there, just. The future of the European car market are the premium brands: BMW, MB, Audi + VW and the cheapo brands like Dacia (of James May fame), the mass market brands are stuffed. BTW GM have just anounced the ending of the CHevrolet brand in Europe in 2015 (they were selling GM Korean products).

The Europeans have been late to the SUV party, but it is happening now. The Europeans were more into mini/full size people movers for a long time. (The Espace started that trend).

As for the Americans, when was the last time they built a decent large sedan? Ford had a bit of a win with the 1985 Taurus, but stuffed up the mid 90's redesign. GM's US market sedans have been rubbish for decades, it is only in very recent years, products like the new Chev Impala, Opel based Buicks and recent Cadillacs that seem to be getting a good write ups. Chrysler did OK with the mid 90's LH series and the 300C but everything else in the way of sedans has been crap. The American car makers basically gave up on passenger cars for 20 years and focused on the big profits to be made with pickups and large body on frame based SUVs. The best selling sedans in the US are the Accord and Camry, Ford, GM and Chrysler are still way behind.

Cheers, Matthew

[VYBerlinaV8]

Curious that this has only happened in Oz. Go to Europe or UK or the US
and you just don't see the variety of cars we have here. No SUVs in the UK or Europe
and only american made Toyotas and Hondas in the USA. LOTS of Fords and Chevs though...

maybe something to do with the fact that the governments there have done something to protect vehicle manufacturing?
hmmmm....

I believe it happening in the US 10-15 years ago, at a time when the US manufacturers were still focussing on large SUVs and pickups, but the best selling car was a Honda. But those guys have learnt, and now build a range of other vehicles.

Last time I was in the US I had a Chevy Traverse as a hire car. It's a medium sized SUV, and was comfortable, quiet, performed acceptably and had good fuel consumption. Compared with the Chevy Suburban I had on the same trip it felt like a vehicle 20 years newer.

FWIW, I don't think Holden will close. I believe they will push through until the early 2020's, at which point they will have thought harder and produced (either locally or through their parent companies) some better vehicles outside their traditional sedan/wagon/ute genre.

We also shouldn't underestimate what the GM arm on Korea will produce. Although the current models aren't necessarily world beaters, the Koreans are learning very, very quickly, and have made amazing progress in the last 15 years. In 10 years they will be making some amazing cars, and Holden will not only resell these, but will be able to use the ideas and engineering in their own product.

Long live the Lion!

[CLUBRED]

So, what's our chances of the Commodore getting made OS / Korea, HSV still operates locally with the sports models.

[Jag530G]

So, what's our chances of the Commodore getting made OS / Korea, HSV still operates locally with the sports models.

I'd think there is more hope for a large RWD sedan being made in America from 2017 onwards. America is now a fairly cheap manufacturing centre and already has a huge market of its own.

There are also plenty of rumours that GM's Canadian plant, Oshawa, which produces the Camaro, will also be for the chopping block in 2016. I read recently that the new Alpha based Camaro will be made in the US, not Canada so there seems to be a theme of shrinking the manufacturing empire going on.

Cheers, Matthew

[iloveholden]

I drive my SSV ute everyday and can't help feel like its the last Holden i'll buy as new/near new car

[offshore]

just off topic a bit but I saw an orange vf redline today looked really good!

[Swordie]

The media has said this new was reported by Senior Government Ministers. If it's true I think the government should not spreading such rumours.

Spreading such rumours is negative to Holden's future. It also creates bad relations between Holden and the Government. It means there is less of chance of working out a better solution.

Now is not the time to give in. There might be a better way forward.

[CLUBRED]

How many Holdens will fit on the lawns of Parliament house?

[C4B]

The media has said this new was reported by Senior Government Ministers. If it's true I think the government should not spreading such rumours.

Spreading such rumours is negative to Holden's future. It also creates bad relations between Holden and the Government. It means there is less of chance of working out a better solution. .

Perhaps that was the very intention of the leak.

[cfour]

Perhaps that was the very intention of the leak.

I really don't think the current fed govt is interested in saving the car industry, just trying to minimise the fallout on itself. They rather be handing out more middle class welfare ala Parental Leave Scheme.

[C4B]

I really don't think the current fed govt is interested in saving the car industry, just trying to minimise the fallout on itself. They rather be handing out more middle class welfare ala Parental Leave Scheme.

I agree. It will come to a head whereby the car industry will say "pay us $X or we'll shut up shop" and the government will make some sort of "we won't be blackmailed" comment and mention that other industries have to stand on their own two feet blah blah blah.......

And that will be the end of car manufacturing in Australia.

[Swordie]

How many Holdens will fit on the lawns of Parliament house?

That would be worth seeing.

[offshore]

I copied my previous comment here

I think GMH knows the commodore is a bloody good and I can see a situation where they close manufacturing here and then build the commodore over in the US and sell it there as the SS Chev but only left hand drive. So how bizarre will that be no commodore here but a commodore in the US.

Because I believe Tony Abbott is right we cant keep propping up a foreign owned company with hundreds of million of dollars which is just ongoing for ever. But I dont mind though putting our money into it if we owned it as I said above. Its like if you owned a company in Australia and then went into the US market and it was struggling there would you expect the US government to basically give your company tax payer funded welfare handouts.

[team illucid]

Considering the government pumped many millions into South Australia to keep Mitsubishi here, and they responded by leaving 12odd months later, they shouldn't pump money into Holden. Don't blame the Government for this, blame Joe Public who are happy to drive their 12-20000K Asian cars.

[johnfhall]

... blame Joe Public who are happy to drive their 12-20000K Asian cars.

... and Euro drivers who wouldn't be seen dead in a Holden or Ford. W*nkers. If they drove a GEN-F GTS they might change their minds.