No more Holden V8 post VF

[csv8]

30% of sales are V8's and they are stopping it??? Its like Maccas saying "No more Big Macs"!!!!!

[naddis01]

The percentage of V8's is only high now because no one is buying their bread and butter models anymore. I bet in total volume terms the V8 is no more popular now than what is was in the past.

[MethodX]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

What an epiphany. There really has been no Holden V8 since 1998, just crate motors crammed into V6 engine bays...

The phase 3 used a crate motor along with other mustang bits.

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by MethodX

The phase 3 used a crate motor along with other mustang bits.

Yeah 2000 years ago....it's now 2015. Poor little Ford Aus has done a pretty sweet job giving us some good locally built n designed stuff!

[MethodX]

Originally Posted by 1TUFFUTE

Yeah 2000 years ago....it's now 2015. Poor little Ford Aus has done a pretty sweet job giving us some good locally built n designed stuff!

Lets be honest here, on a short leash.

[DanielXR8]

Originally Posted by Adamz Ghia

It's interesting how the two companies are taking a totally different approach. Mustang is a truly global car while The GM's are LHD only. Someone hasn't don't their sums correctly and I can guess which one.

I think its a direct result of the fact that VF was supposed to have a longer life, I would suspect until 2020. But events over took it, when Ford called it a day which put suppliers and Toyota's ongoing investment on shaky ground. Then Joe Hockey dared Holden to close the factory under parliamentary privilege, being the great heroe he is. I don't think it was coincidence that GM met the next day to discuss Holden and the announcement to end Australian manufacturing was announced that same day. With a government hostile to local manufacturing the final nail was hammered into the coffin on an industry that ironically, had been made and championed by a Liberal - Robert Menzies.

Upshot of all this is GM's product planning went to hell. They now have no viable low cost V8 platform for Australia, until at least the next engineering cycle for Camaro.

[amiers]

Originally Posted by DanielXR8

I think its a direct result of the fact that VF was supposed to have a longer life, I would suspect until 2020. But events over took it, when Ford called it a day which put suppliers and Toyota's ongoing investment on shaky ground. Then Joe Hockey dared Holden to close the factory under parliamentary privilege, being the great heroe he is. I don't think it was coincidence that GM met the next day to discuss Holden and the announcement to end Australian manufacturing was announced that same day. With a government hostile to local manufacturing the final nail was hammered into the coffin on an industry that ironically, had been made and championed by a Liberal - Robert Menzies.

Upshot of all this is GM's product planning went to hell. They now have no viable low cost V8 platform for Australia, until at least the next engineering cycle for Camaro.

agreed, but how long could the tax payer prop the car makers up? Ford and Holden were bleeding and lets face it how long are people who don't buy either car going to put up with their tax dollar keeping them alive. before I get jumped on I get the jobs verses tax paid side of the equation but that was heading in the wrong direction to. I own a business and if I get in trouble I cant go to the government and get them to prop me up.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by amiers

agreed, but how long could the tax payer prop the car makers up? Ford and Holden were bleeding and lets face it how long are people who don't buy either car going to put up with their tax dollar keeping them alive. before I get jumped on I get the jobs verses tax paid side of the equation but that was heading in the wrong direction to. I own a business and if I get in trouble I cant go to the government and get them to prop me up.

The money that was invested came back 6 fold. 1 to 3 from direct investment and the rest funny enough in taxes. This was calculated over 10 years. More money is spent in fuel subsidies for mining (who frankly didn't need it).

The fact that the manufacturing will be gone will hurt in terms of jobs. Investment will still continue with the R&D (mainly from Ford now) but jobs will be the biggest loser.

[Hulsty]

Originally Posted by amiers

agreed, but how long could the tax payer prop the car makers up? Ford and Holden were bleeding and lets face it how long are people who don't buy either car going to put up with their tax dollar keeping them alive. before I get jumped on I get the jobs verses tax paid side of the equation but that was heading in the wrong direction to. I own a business and if I get in trouble I cant go to the government and get them to prop me up.

WRONG! It staggers me how ignorant and uninformed people are, thinking tax dollars were being wasted for no return. As per the above post, the government more than made its money back, there is going to be a net drop in revenue and LESS tax dollars once they shut up shop. A waste of tax $$$ for no return would be something like the School chaplaincy program.....

[amiers]

Originally Posted by Hulsty

WRONG! It staggers me how ignorant and uninformed people are, thinking tax dollars were being wasted for no return. As per the above post, the government more than made its money back, there is going to be a net drop in revenue and LESS tax dollars once they shut up shop. A waste of tax $$$ for no return would be something like the School chaplaincy program.....

read what I said again, I see the tax per return equation however as I said it cant gone on for ever. im neither ignorant nor uninformed why? because I own a very large car dealing business and I do know and speak with a lot of people who know.

[Adamz Ghia]

Pretty sure most countries, if not all, prop up their auto industry. Unfortunately our political debate in this country has grown so immature our auto industry never really stood a chance.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by Adamz Ghia

Pretty sure most countries, if not all, prop up their auto industry. Unfortunately our political debate in this country has grown so immature our auto industry never really stood a chance.

Compare the output too. How many cars are we making vs say Germany?

[Kieron]

Originally Posted by Hulsty

WRONG! It staggers me how ignorant and uninformed people are, thinking tax dollars were being wasted for no return. As per the above post, the government more than made its money back, there is going to be a net drop in revenue and LESS tax dollars once they shut up shop. A waste of tax $$$ for no return would be something like the School chaplaincy program.....

Its also staggering how people commenting on the demise of the local car industry don't step back and look at the big picture. Despite the govt. subsidies, both Ford AU and Holden were making huge losses.

The govt could have continued giving subsidies but it wouldn't have saved the local car industry. For instance, to rescue itself, at the core of Fords strategy to survive was 'One Ford', this spelt the end of the Falcon/Territory many years ago, once they were going, local Ford manufacture was going, once Ford goes, pretty hard for Holden/Toyota to remain given the shared supplier base.

So at some point, the axe had to fall on subsidies. A forward thinking govt would realise that and potentially make plans to re-direct that subsidy money into other ventures which have a better ROI. ROI could mean more jobs/$$'s back into the coffers etc

[DanielXR8]

Originally Posted by MethodX

Lets be honest here, on a short leash.

And Prodrive deserve a lot of credit for what they did with the platform over the years.