Is there a way to save Holden?

"Volksandmopar" (Volkswagenfreak) 01/28/2014 at 05:25 • Filed to: None

0

14

I'm not a GM guy, but I have ALWAYS loved Holden, and I'm kind of curious, if enough people were to sing a petition, or buy the Chevy SS or something else, would it be possible for GM to be convinced to keep Holden around as a High Performance Brand or something? Or is their death set in stone? I figure, if there is a chance of saving the Utes. We should try.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Volksandmopar 01/28/2014 at 05:31

2

Move to Australia and buy a hundred thousand cars from multiple dealerships under multiple names to trick GM into believing there is a resurgence in the brand and that it's worth keeping around. Signing petitions and buying Chevies won't help Holden. Vote with your money. Lots of money.

Volksandmopar > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/28/2014 at 05:33

0

But I don't have lots of money. If I did, I would have something that wasn't a total beater VW Bug. Something a lot more like either the Ute picture or a Dodge Magnum Wagon.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Volksandmopar 01/28/2014 at 05:37

0

Well you better think of something fast. Holden is on death row as we speak and there simply aren't enough Australians around to keep it viable for GM.

Volksandmopar > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/28/2014 at 05:38

0

I did thought of something, I just made another post with my new idea. Its not really keeping Holden alive, but more getting the US a Ute before they go away. Read it if you feel like it. hahaha

lucky's pepper > Volksandmopar 01/28/2014 at 05:39

0

Damn, that's a great looking transgendered vehicle. Maybe GM will at least ship a few Utes over to the States in the last year or two and slap some Chevy emblems on them as a way to go out with a bang.

I have to think a Commodore like vehicle will remain in GM's line-up though.

Volksandmopar > lucky's pepper 01/28/2014 at 05:41

0

I'm sure something Commodore-esque will remain, and I'm really hoping we get a few Utes out here because I've wanted one forever and the current plan is to eventually buy a G8 and convert it.

JustWaitingForAMate > Volksandmopar 01/28/2014 at 05:43

0

No.

Cost of production in Australia is too high. Our market is saturated with manufacturers. Cost of living and petrol in Australia is too high, people are buying smaller cars. This leads to no one buying the Commodore.

Holden will still exist, but there will be no Commodore made in Australia, it's gone. Dead. We're getting something smaller with possibly a V6 in it, and it looks to be FWD.

The only potential solution I can see to this is move the Commodore design to Chevy, have them use it to create a range of cars in the US that get exported back to AU and the rest of the world. Issue is, Chevy wants to move away from the Zeta platform to whatever is underpinning the ATS, they're already looking at this for the Camaro.

Second problem, Chevy wanted the SS built as a fully optioned car, limiting the sales and production speed and putting the price up in the $40k range. If Chevy put out a base model SS (AU SS not US SS) with the LS3 in it and sold it in the $30k range, minue all the wizz bang do dads in the US SS you may see a valid reason for it to be moved to the US for production after 2017.

Volksandmopar > JustWaitingForAMate 01/28/2014 at 05:50

0

That makes sense, and they have done that before, looks at the '06 GTO, a lot of car for not much coin. I'm hoping that alongside the FWD drivetrain that it seems they are going to go with, they will still offer "Special Edition" RWD V8 vehicles. Kind of like how Mopar does a special run of 1000 cars each year. I hope that all makes sense, its 0349 here and I've been awake for quite a lot of hours. So I'm not sure everything is coming out how It is in my head.

JustWaitingForAMate > Volksandmopar 01/28/2014 at 05:57

0

The rumblings are that the FWD V6 we're getting is a Buick from China, no RWD development planned.

We've lost the V8s in the sedans come 2017. If Oz does actually get one it'll be something imported from the US market. There's word of Caddy having the ATS out here, so we'll have to make do with a TTV6.

The idea from Ford is to move the V8 drivers into the new Mustang and just run the Taurus as the family sedan car.

Hopefully Chevy steps up and brings the Camaro out here (thanks Chevy, we designed it and built the first ones but ohhhh nooooo, we don't want them at all) and Chrysler/Dodge follows with the Challenger/Charger.

But if you're hoping for a V8 Ute/sedan export from AU any time after 2017, you may want to crush that dream with alcohol like we're already doing.

JustWaitingForAMate > Volksandmopar 01/28/2014 at 06:06

0

There's unique parts in the ute cabin that aren't in the sedan. IF you take a G8 you'll have to take it down to the framework and add the new bracing to the cabin to stop it crumpling in an accident.

Red denotes unique parts for the ute.

Google 'Pontiac Ute Conversion' you'll see some threads about it.

PS9 > JustWaitingForAMate 01/28/2014 at 06:49

0

So thats why they all have that funny looking second window...

JustWaitingForAMate > PS9 01/28/2014 at 06:51

0

I'm reading contradicting information on the site I grabbed that image from.

Image says white denotes unique parts, but the page says red.

Svend > Volksandmopar 01/28/2014 at 08:53

0

I love Holden in many respects, one its an incredible brand which has some jaw dropping performance cars in a not too outwardly aggressive shell. Something you would look respectable in when going to see the wife's family but will also make the father in law proud when you both get told by your wife and mother in law to 'bond' and 'get to know each other better', the way many girlfriends argue that "its important that you get on with my family". And two its a small brand like Vauxhall is in the U.K. sure Vauxhall and Opel are the same cars made in the same factory, but its kept its original name from its inception in 1857 by Alexander Wilson even after being bought by GM in 1925.

The fact is in the economic climate were in now where you diversify and streamline or die. The Australian market is just too small to champion having its own facilities when there is already a large line up around the world where they can produce vehicles at a lower cost per vehicle with much less over heads even after factoring shipping the vehicles in. You could argue they may be able to reduce import costs by shipping the vehicles in as CKD (completely knocked down) vehicles where wheels, glass and some parts can be coursed locally so maintaining at least a token presence of the brand and occassionally allowing for a niche model to be made from time to time utilising the basic structure of another GM vehicle.

I'd love to see them continue but maybe now is a time to fallback and regroup for the battle.

In respects why hasn't someone merely started a business making these vehicles from what you already have available. You have the the basic structure. Its been done all over the U.K. and Europe for years. One company making a vehicle for the masses and then another for the niche market, sure it'll add extra expense to the basic vehicle but if you really want it, it'll be worth it and if the job is done properly then I don't see how the vehicle wouldn't hold its residual value higher than the basic vehicle when it comes time to sell it on.

Volksandmopar > JustWaitingForAMate 01/28/2014 at 13:20

0

I've talked to a couple guys who have done it and they both said it was a huge pain in the ass. So either way it'll suck.