Last Holden produced today

[pshome]

Today the last Holden came off the assembly line, a red Commodore.

The end of Holden and the end of car manufacturing in Australia.

 

 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/oct/20/its-a-bit-of-pride-the-last-holden-marks-an-end-to-car-manufacturing-in-australia

[dougiefourspeed]

A damn shame. 

 

Doing some hot laps around Prestwold airfield in a Vauxhall VXR8 is one of the motoring memories that will stay with me forever. 

[Ghosty]

Truly a sad day.

[lisbon_road]

I guess we have to accept that the world is changing, but it does seem sad even though it is such a long way away.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

This is a real tragedy. In my mind I still ‘evaluate’ a country by trying to think of what cars they build there, a country that builds none at all seems like one I have nothing in common with and drops off my interest list very quickly.

 

It seems globalisation just overtook them and rendered the business uneconomical, as Oz is not a big enough market to sustain itself in 21^st century car terms and their geographic position made exporting 99% unviable.

 

I don’t want to open the Brexit box again but anyone who is mad for ‘going it alone’ ought to soak up this story carefully. If you are a country that is able to export large numbers of cars economically, treasure that situation and make full use of it. Don’t shit all over the mechanisms that allow you to do it!!!!

[mercrocker]

A sad day indeed.

[Guest Hooli]

Sad, they've made some lovely motors.

[tooSavvy]

.... Thailand appears to be their No1 import source.

 

https://www.austrade.gov.au/Australian/Export/Free-Trade-Agreements/TAFTA

 

.... but 'secretly' stymied OZ exports into Thai

 

TS

[PiperCub]

I've talked to a couple of Aussies this morning in Sydney (one of the associate companies we deal with) - they are saying how pissed off even non-car type are about this.

 

Similar to Rover's demise, you may or may not actually like or care about the product being made but the loss of jobs both directly in the factories and indirectly (parts and services suppliers to the factories & aftermarket) is always bad for those involved and usually further reaching than often imagined.

 

I believe it's got to do with the government pulling subsidies to car firms, Ford were first, then Toyota, now GM/Holden. A sad day indeed. 

[dollywobbler]

They all look very happy given they've got no jobs anymore. Sad times. I'm with Mr Bollox on this one. The cars of a country often tell you so much about it. Globilisation has rather taken the edge off that.

[oldcars]

Sad day. I have massive want for a Maloo.

[Jon]

Sad day or not, the bitter truth is that Australians and New Zealanders buy double cab utes in their droves, where once they would have bought Falcons and Commodores. I was driving a current model Mazda BT-50 yesterday and the ride quality is choppier than our 205 GTI and I didn't find the 5cyl turbo diesel particularly responsive, so it seems that people don't care much for those strong points big Aussie cars offered in the past.

 

Oh well. Fortunately, I've got a nice early Commodore squirrelled away before prices inevitably rise.

 

 

Probably time to get my arse in gear and actually install the V8 that's been sitting on an engine stand in the garage for a year...

[dollywobbler]

Sad day or not, the bitter truth is that Australians and New Zealanders buy double cab utes in their droves, where once they would have bought Falcons and Commodores. I was driving a current model Mazda BT-50 yesterday and the ride quality is choppier than our 205 GTI and I didn't find the 5cyl turbo diesel particularly responsive, so it seems that people don't care much for those strong points big Aussie cars offered in the past.

 

I think that highlights one of the biggest tragedies of the modern age. All that matters is looks and gadgets these days. People will spend insane amounts of money on cars that are woefully uncomfortable. The number of families I've seen who've bought fancy motors that are utterly, utterly hopeless as family cars, while ride comfort just doesn't seem to be on anyone's wish list these days.

[PiperCub]

^^ Very (tragically) true comment.

[Jon]

I think it's also a shame that Holden have closed up shop, in light of them breaking into the US market in the last decade. The lady I spoke to in Illinois who owned whatever they sold the Monaro as in the USA was very enthusiastic about it and the media and Police certainly liked the saloon models. GM have essentially left the door open for Ford to regain the market share of police cars, post-Crown Vic, with some sort of SUV, from what I saw. Surely, that's a lucrative market in itself? All NZ police cars are Holdens, so let's see what replaces them.

 

The Falcon wagon stopped production in 2010 and the current shape Commodore wagon is way smaller than its predecessors and a 'lifestyle' wagon at best, so the most versatile shape of Aussie family car hasn't been available for quite some time. Holden launched a double cab ute based on the previous model Commodore, named the Crewman but like the Monaro, it was a single model only and wasn't replaced. Got to admit it was a bit uggers, though.

 

What I've only just found out is that Toyota stopped production in Australia last week too, so there's no car manufacturing at all in Australia, even under licence. That was probably already known by most but it was news to me.

[Pillock]

Australian cars are very Australian, built for Australians. 

It would also be interesting to know the average age of a car in Australia, because based on my knowledge (I watched Neighbours for years) they seem to like fixing things up and "mending and making do" rather than chasing the dream of a new car every year (cough cough UK). Even if it's not a battered Ute with bits of road sign making up the majority of the chassis, it's slightly older models on the road everywhere.

 

I wonder if their attitude to fixing/older cars was their downfall? Parent companies like GM say they need to be selling x million cars a year just like they do in Europe and America, and just set targets too high so nothing is profitable? 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

The entire population of Oz and NZ added together is only like 30m or something, less than half that of the UK. Theres no way a population that size can have a car market big enough to sustain the costs of developing cars specially for that market, even if the manufacturer has recourse to the GM parts bin. The Aus car industry had been getting 8 and 9-figure prop-ups (Aussie dollars like) every year for the last 15-20 years and I think the politicians just got fed up of it. Toyota was the only one exporting anything significant, I think they were shipping white saloon cars to the arab states for rich kids to use for drifting etc but when you look at Oz's neighbours there's not a lot of opportunities for selling Oz-built stuff to Thailand, China, Philippines etc so the whole thing looks pretty dubious as a long term prospect.

[willswitchengage]

That factory does not look the peak of cleanliness or modernity. I visited the BMW factory in Oxford earlier this week and it was like a clean room.

[lisbon_road]

My recollection from reading around is that the Japanese factories in Australia had the problem of imports of secondhand cars from Japan, being low cost, nearly new and in good condition.  Why buy a new car when you can have one of them?  And obviously all manufacture of cars was competing with factories in Thailand and elsewhere, with lower costs but also much higher quantities and economies of scale.

 

I am sure that there are lessons for us in here somewhere, but I share Mr_Bo11ox's view that I am not sure I want to open up that box.  Aside perhaps from the thought that just because we have something now, and that it has been logical to have it here, doesn't mean it always will be.

[garethj]

While their home market wasn’t very big it’s a shame they couldn’t export more. I know they’re a long way away but so is Japan and they exported alright in the ‘70s.

 

A roomy car that’s not up it’s own arse, has a good ride and is tough sounds like a good idea to me but I can believe nobody else cares about that stuff.

 

Sad for the employees in the factory and all their suppliers too.

[PiperCub]

My recollection from reading around is that the Japanese factories in Australia had the problem of imports of secondhand cars from Japan, being low cost, nearly new and in good condition.  Why buy a new car when you can have one of them?  And obviously all manufacture of cars was competing with factories in Thailand and elsewhere, with lower costs but also much higher quantities and economies of scale.

 

I am sure that there are lessons for us in here somewhere, but I share Mr_Bo11ox's view that I am not sure I want to open up that box.  Aside perhaps from the thought that just because we have something now, and that it has been logical to have it here, doesn't mean it always will be.

 

That's a good point about 'Grey' import cars from Japan. Aus/NZ have always been the first stop for secondhand cars from the Jap home market as they are right-hand drive (I read somewhere you can't road register an LHD car in Aus - is this true?) and the nearest market is Aus/NZ.

 

Given the quality of most of these is invariably high being only 4-6 years old (& usually low/moderate mileage too), the prices being low even after shipping, it's not surprising it'd be challenging to sell new stuff for far more money. 

[DaveDorson]

Cars as we know them are a dying breed.

 

It's very indicative of the way the market is going to my mind.

Sad day none the less, but unless you're building "smart" cars for people who live a "smart" lifestyle, you're already behind the curve and the bell tolls I'm afraid.

 

We, in this country have a great history of being behind the curve though, even if we do some of the best engineering/manufacturing in the world, so I echo Mr B's feelings about this being a grim warning of things to come.

[carlo]

That factory does not look the peak of cleanliness or modernity. I visited the BMW factory in Oxford earlier this week and it was like a clean room.

 

Sounds about as soulless as the cars then.  I think I'd prefer car plants with a bit of oil on the floor.

[D Spares & Tyres]

I drove a late nineties Falcon estate when i was out there.

 

Cart springs on the back with an asthmatic 4.0 six out front with all the power of a European 1.2 but 4 times as thirsty.

 

Also had a go in a Holden Calais ( omega with a 5.0 V8 )

 

Nippy enough for a Vauxhall in a tracksuit but cheap feeling and underwhelming

 

 

Subarus and Toyotas are the current proper Aussie car, I mean its not like the residents are true natives either...

[3VOM]

Worth a watch

 

[cort1977]

That's a good point about 'Grey' import cars from Japan. Aus/NZ have always been the first stop for secondhand cars from the Jap home market as they are right-hand drive (I read somewhere you can't road register an LHD car in Aus - is this true?) and the nearest market is Aus/NZ.

 

Given the quality of most of these is invariably high being only 4-6 years old (& usually low/moderate mileage too), the prices being low even after shipping, it's not surprising it'd be challenging to sell new stuff for far more money.

 

It is true that lhd cars are pretty much banned in oz. minor exceptions for old cars in a couple of states maybe. Grey imports have been severely restricted under dealer pressure, the so called hoon laws not helping. Nz has not restricted grey imports nearly so much and there is some prime chod there.

 

Australians are proud of their car industry and the marketing makes a big deal about 'engineered for Australian conditions' but as said above they have stopped buying the cars and the subsidies in place since the late 80s under the button plan have cost a fortune that could probably be better spent elsewhere.

 

It's a shame the Monaro and commodore weren't better marketed in the us but high labour costs and a strong dollar, it was at parity in 2012, probably killed the plan before it really got going.

[cort1977]

Worth a watch

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uFYW5tMoeg

Enjoyed that. Love the fact that it turns out foreigners are to blame. Australian diplomacy at its best!

[sierraman]

I admire the Australian way of life, they’ve got it right, mending things and spending your time outdoors, being quite protective of their way of life, not being over ruled by all this PC nonsense we have to put up with here.

[Guest Hooli]

Australian cars are very Australian, built for Australians. 

It would also be interesting to know the average age of a car in Australia, because based on my knowledge (I watched Neighbours for years) they seem to like fixing things up and "mending and making do" rather than chasing the dream of a new car every year (cough cough UK). Even if it's not a battered Ute with bits of road sign making up the majority of the chassis, it's slightly older models on the road everywhere.

 

I wonder if their attitude to fixing/older cars was their downfall? Parent companies like GM say they need to be selling x million cars a year just like they do in Europe and America, and just set targets too high so nothing is profitable? 

 

You mean you still think of Kylie in a greasy boiler suit...

[Guest Hooli]

I admire the Australian way of life, they’ve got it right, mending things and spending your time outdoors, being quite protective of their way of life, not being over ruled by all this PC nonsense we have to put up with here.

 

Couldn't agree more.