Holden Factory

[Rajesh Koothrappali]

The interior plastics of the very first VEs were actually VERY good! They went cheap and hard later on.

 

[Skydrol]

Not sure if you guys get the extreme type of climate in the US, where I live get as hot as 118F in the summer and 0F in the winter and my car with 105,000 miles on the clock the interiors look almost as new. I can say the Commodore VE (G8) for the price is the best GM I ever seen. Reliability has been top notch. I am very proud of this model is what a true Pontiac should be. Is an insult to call the VF a Chevy. Even after all of these years my car gets more compliment and curiosity than any Chevy. When I mention the "SS" people has no clue; is lost on the Chevy line up. To add insult, the TV Ads does not even mention the "SS", is like a ghost car. Is easily confused for a FWD Malibu.

Is like taking a kickass car and sell it under a value/cheap brand. I see why Bob Lutz looked at Holden to re-ignite Pontiac as a performance division, like used to be. If you look at movies and a GM vehicle was going to be used they always used a Pontiac.

Take it from me, you guys should be proud of Holden and dam the ones the place Bow Ties on the grills. GM stole Holden's thunder, twice!

 

[Rajesh Koothrappali]

47 degrees in Summer is realistic for most of Australia. But it would be a peak. Not for days at a time. Although there are days where we would get consecutive temps over 40. But you have to go to our ski fields and highest mountain range for -17 degrees or colder. Some cities will get to -10 occasionally but not most.

 

[VS 5.0]

This summer we had 7 days over 40 with a run of 4 in a row. Plenty in the mid to high 30s.

Lucky of we get to zero on one or two nights during winter.

 

[Skydrol]

Looks like Oz is about the US Midwest/Central; the region around Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas and Northern Texas.

Got caught on a light snow and the car did superb; just the Michelin Pilot Super Sport is the wrong tyre for the climate. However, on those days, the car sits at home away from that kind of weather. For that, I have a 94 4x4 Geo Tracker/Suzuki Vitara that I call the Winter Beater.

There is a chap in Denver Colorado that has an operation called Left Hand Utes. He import some Holdens without engine and transmissions, just salvaged vehicles the body still in good shape. Then, he install the Pontiac G8 interiors, powertrain, dashboard and so on. Pretty neat operation he got there.

There is a Holden demand in the US, I bet there is and perhaps bigger than what we think. Perhaps not as big as the mainstream SUV/Truck market but will kick the living crap out of Buick. Someone told me that GMC still around so the can sell Buick; their market is even smaller than Pontiac in the US.

Anyway, Holden will be dearly missed by the people that knows them in the US.

 

[mpower]

Such ignorance. Koreans are building some of the best mainstream cars in the world at the moment. And they're the sort of cars almost everyone wants. Enthusiasts are such a tiny percentage of buyers it makes absolutely ZERO sense to continue local operations just for them.

I said pile of crap - I didn't say their good stuff.....

If you are planning on insulting me learn to read first.

 

[Calaber]

The biggest problem I can see for Holden after the Commodore dies is identity crisis.

They have around 24 new models from just about every GM plant in the world, but what will be their signature model - the one that makes up the bulk of their sales?

Forget Camaro or Corvette - they will sell in such small numbers they'll barely tickle the national monthly sales figures. (Same as the Mustang - 10 thousand maybe in the first year? Big deal.)

The next Insignia will be the Commodore replacement, but the Commodore sits within a market sector that has been sinking like a stone for years. Don't think the Insignia will reverse that trend as it's still a largeish four door sedan and Australians don't want those anymore - not in big numbers, anyway.

The next Captiva or larger SUV will be targeted at the growth section of the market, but will the Captiva's reputation kill its chances? It will still be a GM Korea build, (I think) but the only real reason the current, very old model sells well is value for money - it has nothing to do with it being a highly competitive vehicle in a growing market.

So, what will the signature, main selling "Holden: be?

 

[Grennan]

Ill take one of these thanks. You can knock the Asian market if you want, theyre starting to make some good ****.

 

[the_boozer]

After GM runs out on Australia whom honestly is going to buy anything off them?
I hope all the GM companies go broke and their share holders die.
There's plenty of other brands to choose from the holden dealer was never a hell of a nice bloke.

 

[Grennan]

I do find it absolutely hilarious though, the ones who complain the most are the ones rolling around in VL-VX's.

Do you think Holden gives a **** about you? Youve probably never brought a brand new Commodore, or will ever buy a brand new Commodore, so youre meaningless to them. You arent a lost sale.