Holden Axed in Australia

spackbace on 17/02/2020 - 13:06

https://www.caradvice.com.au/827459/holden-axed-in-australia…

The Holden brand will be retired at the end of this year, selected showrooms may stock a limited range of Chevrolet vehicles under new General Motors Specialty Vehicles badge.

Well, writing has been on the wall for a while but it'll be sad to see it go. I'm sure majority of people have had a Commodore in the family at some point.

Wonder what will happen with the V8 Supercars now? GM likely won't bother spending money on it, as it won't generate into business in the showrooms.

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Comments

          • [Deactivated] on 19/02/2020 - 07:28

            @spackbace: Great counter points you make!

            • Ghost47 on 19/02/2020 - 12:58

              @[Deactivated]: He has a point, the Liberal government doesn't give two hoots about doing this sort of thing. ScoMo loves his coal, he doesn't care about the environment or the economy. The guy's a bloody a idiot.

              Your post is true and logical but that's not what the Liberal government is, it's a corrupt piece of shit government. If you ever watch Question Time all you see are old men who insult each other, this sort of behaviour isn't accepted in organisations yet it appears to be okay for people who run the god damn country.

              • [Deactivated] on 19/02/2020 - 15:32

                @Ghost47: Oh I absolutely agree, but it was unclear whether spackbace agreed and was sharing these sentiments or whether he disagreed and didn't provide a reason!

    • syousef on 18/02/2020 - 18:47

      I think you mis-spelt "seize". But seriously there should have been conditions placed on those subsidies (including having to repay them if exiting the market). And the most outrageous thing is they are still being subsidized even after the announcement.

    • Euphemistic on 18/02/2020 - 19:13
      +1

      Or maybe some wealthy benefactor could purchase the Holden name and bring us a LHD electric car.

    • chumlee on 18/02/2020 - 22:04
      +1

      the Vic government bought the holden site at Fisherman's Bend to develop into an industry design hub

    • Emerald Owl on 19/02/2020 - 12:10

      So the taxpayer should pay for you to own an electric car? What about people that can’t afford any cars, let alone 100k+?

      • smartazz104 on 19/02/2020 - 12:45

        Apparently if you can’t buy a new car every 3 years you can get stuffed.

      • [Deactivated] on 19/02/2020 - 15:34

        Where's the 100k figure come from? I don't want the taxpayer to pay for me to own a luxury car. I would be happy for the taxpayer to pay for innovation and investment in a growth industry that creates jobs for Australians and gives us a useful product.

  • 2025 on 18/02/2020 - 18:57

    Should have kept making saddles. I’m sure at the time the nay-sayers were crying out that the automobile would be the death of them. And it was. Lol

  • Vote for Pedro on 18/02/2020 - 19:16
    +1

    Bravo Joe Hockey. You egged them on to leave, so they did.

    • chumlee on 18/02/2020 - 22:01
      +2

      This bloke wanted to charge aussies an extra $7 to see a doctor so he could create a slush fund for his liberal medical mates

      Everything he touches turns to shite and he still has a great job. Good country Australia

  • morpheous on 18/02/2020 - 21:53
    +1

    As a person who wrote a whole report on Australian Car Manufacturing Industry, no car business has been very successful in Australia. The whole car industry has survived on grants and the government in multiple stages has clearly stated that they don't want a car industry if it cant survive on its own. The limited export market and competition from Japanese imports were few other reasons to name a few.

    • chumlee on 18/02/2020 - 21:57
      +2

      We make cars better than we make submarines though

    • Vote for Pedro on 18/02/2020 - 22:08
      +5

      Except we just washed our hands of the car companies and the hard working Aussies with no industry transition plan. Just booted a whole bunch of direct and indirect workers on their arse.

      Where is Alan Jones? He’s constantly crying about the loss of mining and energy sector job losses because of ‘climate change activism’. Why is he so silent here? Perhaps it’s because the Libs did this with ZERO transition planning. Goes to show it’s all about politics and looking after your mates

      • Ghost47 on 19/02/2020 - 13:00

        looking after your mates

        Nepotism is rife in this country. It's all about connections and who you know. No one cares about merit, there are senior leaders in my company who are dumb as bricks and you wonder how on earth they got into that position.

      • Dbargain4me on 19/02/2020 - 13:19

        He actually talked about it for the little I listened today . He blamed our high manufacturing costs (wages , electricity )
        The only way we can get manufacturing back is to really start all over again .
        Wages,taxes, all need to be slashed
        Bad times ahead for the world not just us
        The government has just been greasing the wheels a delrailment will happen .
        So many factors are pointing to it .

        • Vote for Pedro on 19/02/2020 - 13:22

          Notice that AJs slant is to attack workers and further his climate change denial while sounding like he ‘cares’ about manufacturing

    • Ghost47 on 19/02/2020 - 13:06
      +1

      It's funny that the main exports in Australia are rocks dug out of the ground, animals (i.e. meat) and degrees which are a) becoming more useless as time goes on and b) being sold to people who end up living here after they graduate, it's essentially a ticket for people from other countries to live here.

      I'm not surprised the industry died. Any industry that requires a brain is basically killed off in this country. Our economy is junk.

  • chumlee on 18/02/2020 - 21:56

    Love is good
    Love is golden
    Love is made in a back of a Holden

    • Munki on 18/02/2020 - 22:04

      *Kingswood.

      I'm kidding, I grew up on ricers.

  • John Dough on 18/02/2020 - 22:56
    +2

    https://www.caradvice.com.au/827605/holden-to-announce-massi…

    Op might want to update original post?
    So everyone jumping on the “ I would have bought one, such a shame… “ well here’s your chance…

  • tmjsmith on 19/02/2020 - 01:57

    I’d you could theoretically get an Arcadia for 60% off would you buy one? Big 7 seater

    I’m hoping they flog these

  • t_c on 19/02/2020 - 07:50

    Thinking about offering 20k for this, am I offering way too much?

    https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2019-holden-colorad…

    • herbo on 19/02/2020 - 10:03
      +2

      If you can get that for $20k let me know and I'll take three of them

    • striker5950 on 19/02/2020 - 10:33

      i think its not that you are offering too much, its more in the realm of dreaming (from your side)

      • t_c on 19/02/2020 - 11:40

        meh, I dont really want a car that has no resale value, a sketchy warranty, sketchy parts availability and potentially only 1 authorised service center per capital city.

        • smartazz104 on 19/02/2020 - 12:43
          +1

          Unless you can get it cheap right?

          • t_c on 19/02/2020 - 13:18

            @smartazz104: If the discount mitigates ALL the risks, then yes.

            • syousef on 19/02/2020 - 16:00
              +1

              @t_c: No one's going to take 60% off a car to mitigate your risks.

              • t_c on 19/02/2020 - 17:16

                @syousef: Might wanna check the latest deal post, looks like they comming fairly close

                • syousef on 19/02/2020 - 18:19

                  @t_c: On the bottom end, for a "city runabout" sure it's close. I'll still wait to see it officially announced.

    • jason andrade on 20/02/2020 - 19:49

      it would be pretty funny to have a conversation based on what you're offering.. but pretend to have no knowledge whatsoever about the Holden announcement and to see the dealer's face as he tries to figure it out.

  • Foxtail on 19/02/2020 - 10:20
    +2

    After watching motor mouth John Cadogan going off about GM and Holden on youtube this morning (especially at 11.55 seconds of the video) I was laughing so much I knocked my coffee all over my desk, Ive not laughed so much in a long time, Ok he can go off the rails at times but comes up with good points.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94glSLmuDU4

    • Skramit on 19/02/2020 - 14:45
      +1

      JC nailed it once again. Usually does.

    • k-rokfm on 19/02/2020 - 16:56
      +3

      JC has always annoyed the fk out of me

  • striker5950 on 19/02/2020 - 10:32

    how much of a price cut do you think we could see?

    • smartazz104 on 19/02/2020 - 12:46

      Same as what you saw with SAAB…

      • DonWilson on 20/02/2020 - 02:08
        +1

        how much of a price cut did we see with SAAB?

  • Brianqpr on 19/02/2020 - 10:35
    +1

    Asutralia finally woke up to the overrated, overpriced cars produced by Holden.

    • Brick Tamland on 20/02/2020 - 07:56

      When were they overrated? The only reason they sold in big numbers is when they were cheap. And Holden hasn't produced anything since 2017.

  • Neptunesblood on 19/02/2020 - 12:42
    -2

    Care factor = 0

  • dansblackcat on 19/02/2020 - 13:55

    At least there will be no new douchebags with Chev badges on their Holdens.
    But life will be a little less amusing not being able to laugh at those clowns.

  • snajper on 19/02/2020 - 14:04
    +2

    They staffed up on few fronts:
    Killing of local made commodore which was still selling extremely well before production stopped.
    People got burned when they bought cruze, epica or captiva… all lemons and they walked away from holden forever.
    Aus car buyers either buy european cars ldue to prestige , luxury and refinement or japs/ korean cars for reliability. Holden was neither.

  • Skramit on 19/02/2020 - 14:46

    Massive discounts available "in march" but i bet you can get it today if you walk in with a deposit.

    https://www.caradvice.com.au/827940/holden-discounts-2/?sour…

    The biggest discounts are on the Holden Colorado ute, ranging from $13,000 to $17,500, slashing the drive-away cost by up to one-third on some models.

    The Holden Trax city SUV is almost half price, with discounts ranging from $10,000 to $11,000, bringing this $23,990 model to the bargain price of about $13,000 – cheaper than a Hyundai hatchback cost 20 years ago.

    • danbal on 19/02/2020 - 14:57

      I was looking for someone who was thinking the same as I was. About to replace my 2009 subaru. I wouldnt mind something from holden as long as I get it at 60% MRP.

      Now i just have to do research on which holden model have the least amount of tech problems.

      • Skramit on 19/02/2020 - 15:00

        I don't see any major issues buying a runout Holden especially at those massive discounts, as long as you're prepared for:

        1) Poor after sales support.
        2) Scarcity of dealerships to service it at after all the Holden dealerships shut. Although just find a local mechanic to change the oil/filters etc and you're gonna be fine in reality.
        3) Potential issues with warranty claims although Holden says you're good for 10 years in terms of parts.
        4) If your new car turns out to be a lemon after 2 years, you may be stuck with it or have a helluva time fighting for your rights under ACL.
        5) Even worse resale value than a week ago before the announcement.

        • Euphemistic on 19/02/2020 - 15:19

          I guess now that we are buying overseas models the parts that are the same across LHD and RHD can be bought OS fairly easily.

        • danbal on 19/02/2020 - 19:13

          I am more afraid of item #4. I am currently an apprentice mechanic and fairly confident in spotting obvious problems. But I rather not have a lemon and prefer my 7year warranty to be hassle free.

      • MELso on 19/02/2020 - 15:25

        I'd be plumping for an Astra or Commodore. Lots of PSA bits underneath so IF Inchcape persists with Peugeot, there's a marginally greater likelihood of parts availability.

      • serpserpserp on 19/02/2020 - 21:29

        If you are already a handy person mechanically wise i'd definitely roll the dice. The likelihood of a lemon is minimal and even if it was, you just saved a ton of money that you could sink into it to fix it.

      • brendanm on 20/02/2020 - 11:30

        Colorado is your best bet.

    • syousef on 19/02/2020 - 16:04

      Yeah right, I'm sure this was a genuine "leak" and you'll get a Trax for $13k.

      Brought to you by the people who'll stay if you give them subsidies.

      This is how you drum up interest and actually sell for a higher price because more people get into that greedy little feeding frenzy.

      • Skramit on 19/02/2020 - 17:02
        +1

        Hey don’t shoot the messenger.

        IMO Holden would want to clear stock ASAP. It means less overhead costs in the long run in terms of storage space at dealerships and storage yards etc. Easier and possibly cheaper overall just to have a massive fire sale and be done with it.

  • [Deactivated] on 19/02/2020 - 16:19

    Survival of the fittest. Holden simply can't compete. No complaints really

  • sgtdanny69148 on 20/02/2020 - 02:37
    +2

    Oh no! what are all the bogans gonna do? How are they gonna do burnouts and doughnuts in back streets? How are they gonna stick their heads out of the windows and yell "Go back to where you came from"?

    • spackbace on 20/02/2020 - 04:03

      Welcome to 2017 when the Commodore stopped being RWD

    • smartazz104 on 20/02/2020 - 07:35

      All the Commodores ever built didn't suddenly disappear from the streets…

      • Brick Tamland on 20/02/2020 - 07:59

        This is true, Commodores will be around for many years, like the old cars in Cuba

        • smartazz104 on 20/02/2020 - 08:08

          Well, no, Cubans are forced to keep old cars since they have no new ones. Lucky for us we live in a disposable society where people can upgrade every 3 years to whatever the latest trend is.

          • Brick Tamland on 20/02/2020 - 10:06
            +1

            @smartazz104: My comment was a little tongue in check.

            Although I think Australians hold onto their cars a little bit longer than 3 years. Personally I’ve never owned a car less than 5 years old.

            • Euphemistic on 20/02/2020 - 17:32

              @Brick Tamland: Average vehicle age in Aus roads is 10.1 years. Doesn’t mean people don’t upgrade from a 13yo car to a ‘new trend’ 10yo car though.

          • Ghost47 on 20/02/2020 - 14:32

            @smartazz104:

            Lucky for us we live in a disposable society where people can upgrade every 3 years to whatever the latest trend is.

            This is sarcasm, right?

    • Cluster on 20/02/2020 - 11:55
      +1

      They'll do what they do now: buy whatever has a relatively large engine and is cheap.

      I predict the next bogan mobile of choice will be soft SUVs. Plenty being fed into the new car market, so in about 10 years time we'll have lots of clapped out Hyundais, Subarus, and Toyotas jumping kerbs. The 15 year old Hilux is already the vehicle of choice for the more discerning bogan in my area. Extra street cred for putting bright LED headlights into reflector fittings designed for halogens. I just love the blinding oncoming light. Safe for everyone.

      • smartazz104 on 20/02/2020 - 14:41

        I predict the next bogan mobile of choice will be soft SUVs.

        What do you call the people driving them now?

        • [Deactivated] on 20/02/2020 - 15:19

          yeap, I don't understand why they need a SUV to drive around urban areas most of their life. You probably need one if you live in the country.

          • jason andrade on 20/02/2020 - 19:45

            @[Deactivated]: Do you not understand or did you simply not read the copious amount of research published that explains what drives buyer purchases of SUVs ?

            There's a lot of reasons including:

            • A number of women prefer a 'higher' driving position as they feel safer with more visibility
            • SUVs are seen as having a large carrying capacity without the same footprint of a full wagon
            • They are perceived as being safer
            • They have great marketing being applied to them - fun, all-purpose and so on

            And most SUVs sold nowadays wouldn't survive very long in the country at all (or in fact, any kind of serious offroad).

            A Hilux isn't the same as a troopie and neither are the same as a Holden Trax or a Captiva, on the Birdsville track.

      • Randolph Duke on 21/02/2020 - 08:52
        +1

        Next bogan mobile is already here - it’s the Ford Ranger.

        • Brick Tamland on 23/02/2020 - 16:40

          I’ve wondered recently. What comes first? The lifted Ranger or the JetSki?

  • MessyG on 20/02/2020 - 21:20

    Free market's gotta free market.

  • RocketSwitch on 21/02/2020 - 12:33
    +1

    Looks like we can finally settle the Ford vs Holden argument now lol

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