Holden is Dead – GM Kills Iconic Brand
February 17, 2020
The automotive landscape is a difficult one to navigate these days. Things are a’changing and only the fittest can survive. You’d think that, with heritage stretching back over 140 years, Australia’s Holden brand (Vauxhall, but upside down) would be safe in these difficult times. Sadly though, it’s not. Today, bosses of Holden‘s parent company, General Motors, have announced that operations in Australia and New Zealand will be wound down. The Thailand factory has been sold to China’s great Wall Motors after Holden’s production operations in Australia ended three years ago.
Speaking about the decision, chief executive Mary Barra said: “I’ve often said that we will do the right thing, even when it’s hard, and this is one of those times.”
Holden, which was founded as a saddle maker in 1856, though it wasn’t until 1908 that it started manufacturing cars. In 1931, Holden was acquired by General Motors, starting an 89 year relationship. Over the years, a great deal of Holden’s products, owing to the fact Australia is a right-hand drive country, have been re-badged Vauxhall models. What we know as the Astra, Vectra, Corsa and others have all been built as Holdens, too. However, Holden has built its own cars like the mighty Commodore, a V8 saloon that has enjoyed success both on and off the track.
What makes this news bitterly hard to swallow for Australia is the national passion behind the brand. For decades, the grass banks of Bathhurst have been home to fiercely passionate Holden fans – for many car fans growing up in Australia, it was a case of being a Ford fan, or a Holden fan. It was a brand in the blood of the Australian people.
Holden didn’t just sell re-badged Vauxhalls though. It also put cars into the mix. The mighty VXR8, the Monaro and the Maloo were all products of Holden, complete with huge V8s and sometimes superchargers, too, that permeated the UK market and served to show Vauxhall in a new, exciting, performance light.
This is deeply sad news for the automotive world, but given the rapidly changing landscape, it’s possibly not all that surprising. For now, all we can do is celebrate Holden for the automotive greats it brought to the table, and for being one of the last truly enthusiast-driven car brands out there.
Rest in peace, Holden. You will be missed.
