Holden Culls 30 Dealers.

[csv8]

http://www.news.com.au/technology/in...c21c61864fe38a

[GASWAGON]

Yep just heard about this on 'AutoExpert' on Youtube.

So we have the factory closure and now 30 Dealers being axed also.

Not pretty!

[Trump]

It begins...

[Windsor220]

We have 2 dealers that are close to me only 5km apart. Surprised they haven't cut one of them before

[amiers]

By 2021 you will be popping down to your local Chevy dealer.

[minheim]

Will be a sad day when the factories close later this year bringing the final curtain down on local car manufacturing. Also tough for dealer staff and probably means more lost sales for Holden as the dealer foot print is removed from some areas. I shudder to think what would happen to Ford dealers if the Ranger sales dropped sharply. I guess the only light for many dealers is longer warranties and the service work that brings in.

As a teenager I loved walking through the big local car yards looking at falcons and toranas and dreaming of buying a new one. The used car lots were full of local product

[bobthebilda]

Someones got their wires crossed here. Three years ago, we had Gerry Dorizas (Holden Boss) saying that Holden would be back on top of the sales chart by 2020. Would seem short sighted to close dealerships with an impending increase of over 100,000 sales in the next 3 years. Starting to get to the point where you cant believe the word of a car salesman.

[Trump]

It's rather simplistic, but it sure sounds like no Commodore, no Holden.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by CoolBFWagon

Yep just heard about this on 'AutoExpert' on Youtube.

So we have the factory closure and now 30 Dealers being axed also.

Not pretty!

umm you actually watch John Cadogan?

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by Trump

It's rather simplistic, but it sure sounds like no Commodore, no Holden.

Kind of throwing in the towel early aren't they

[Trump]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Kind of throwing in the towel early aren't they

If GM HQ is not going to provide factory RHD versions of their muscle cars (Camaro, 'vette) or their Cadillac range, they may as well. The Korean gang is garbage and they know it, GM Europe can only do so much (Astra) and what's left...

[lra]

Originally Posted by bobthebilda

Someones got their wires crossed here. Three years ago, we had Gerry Dorizas (Holden Boss) saying that Holden would be back on top of the sales chart by 2020.

Yes, we all got a laugh from that, and he lasted a long time with Holden, didn't he.

[Syndrome]

Sales of Australian made Holdens down significantly since 2005
Imported 'Commodore' will not get sales back to 6,000+ per month
GM-Daewoo supplied products very ordinary
Opel supplied models will end once the contracted obligations are fulfilled as I don't see GM souring cars for Australia from a rival
Not much in the GM US line up at the moment too fill the void

=> too many dealer selling too few cars

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

umm you actually watch John Cadogan?

Ye its good for a bit of a laugh and he seems to know a fair bit being an auto engineer.

I love some of the letters he gets sent to him......

And reading the comments below.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Out of interest, does anyone know how many Ford culled when it transitioned from a manufacturer to an importer?

[Trump]

Originally Posted by psychobimbo

Out of interest, does anyone know how many Ford culled when it transitioned from a manufacturer to an importer?

From what I can remember, none. The now-defunct dealers handed back the keys so to speak before then.

[GTLEGEND]

Originally Posted by amiers

By 2021 you will be popping down to your local Chevy dealer.

I think by then you will be buying your car from the local Westfields delivered straight to your door from a central holding depot!

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by Trump

From what I can remember, none. The now-defunct dealers handed back the keys so to speak before then.

There has been dealer rationalization over the last few years.

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by Trump

It's rather simplistic, but it sure sounds like no Commodore, no Holden.

No Ranger equivalent (colorado is pile of steaming proverbial), and no Mustang competitor yet, its game over time for the lame lion. Soon they will be beaten by Hyundai, Mitsubishi and Kia (and haven't ford already have been beaten by these despite having successful Ranger and Mustang)?

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by GTLEGEND

I think by then you will be buying your car from the local Westfields delivered straight to your door from a central holding depot!

Or a car vending machine?

[uniacidz]

I actually think Holden will not survive as a via business model in car sales.

I think the writing is on the wall for Holden in Aus.

Maybe not now, but soon

[Vesper Martini]

I imagine Holden will have the rebadged Opel/Peugeots for a couple of years, then they need to revert to the daewoos.

These things are nowhere near as good as the other two Koreans in the market, never have been.

It must have been a kick in the shins for Holden when they heard of the Opel sale.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

I imagine Holden will have the rebadged Opel/Peugeots for a couple of years, then they need to revert to the daewoos.

These things are nowhere near as good as the other two Koreans in the market, never have been.

It must have been a kick in the shins for Holden when they heard of the Opel sale.

Oh no not Daewoo's.

My mum had a 4 cyl. Holden Vectra (Opel) years ago that was nice to drive but the fricken ECU shat itself and replacement cost was 2k.

[roddy1960]

G'day...Watch this interesting doco from the U.S..sort of about all this and GM to a large degree.
Kind of says a lot I think how this is all happening. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFcpcEv_JC4
Cheers Rod

[roddy1960]

G'day ...Forgot to add on previous post. Last weekend we had our annual StMarys Car and Bike Show with about 320 entries . Ford is always well represented but it was incredible that I counted just one single FGX (XR6 Sprint) but at least 10 new Mustangs. Actually on the main concourse were seven new Stangs and a few more elsewhere..One single FGX.
The FPV/Tickford/XR Club of Tasmania though had a nice few FG GT's etc.

My point is this . I think Ford may well have handled the demise of our car industry a little bit better than Holden. Holden as sad as it is , may well cease as an entity in the not too distant future . Ford maybe less so on the basis that the Mustang has created it's own market already even in a little State like Tassie.

I was talking to one of the Stang owners (Competition Orange) who bought the V8 , but went and bought a Race Red Ecoboost one too. He said that hardly a day passes in Hobart that he doesn't spot another Mustang but he hardly sees a FGX at all these days..Here's one of at least 10 Mustangs there last week .http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/ro...0.jpg.html?o=0

Cheers Rod.

[Blue Roo]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

umm you actually watch John Cadogan?

Yep! John Cadogan is Australia's version of Donald Trump. Just minus the politics.

[Sam1112]

Perhaps like GM in Europe they will sell off the Holden name and brand to another car company once/if it goes down hill after the Commodore is gone, they will see it as a good way to boost their local sales, perhaps PSA would buy it too and just sell their new rebadged Vauxhall's as Holden here. Maybe a chinese car company would take on the badge, would people buy a great wall if it had a Holden Badge on it??? Not knowing that is was a chinese car.

[Trump]

Originally Posted by Sam1112

Perhaps like GM in Europe they will sell off the Holden name and brand to another car company once/if it goes down hill after the Commodore is gone, they will see it as a good way to boost their local sales, perhaps PSA would buy it too and just sell their new rebadged Vauxhall's as Holden here. Maybe a chinese car company would take on the badge, would people buy a great wall if it had a Holden Badge on it??? Not knowing that is was a chinese car.

The Holden brand is worthless anywhere else but here, and its local value is dropping daily. GM HQ will simply shelve it, with the only reminders being the cars they built here...

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by Trump

The Holden brand is worthless anywhere else but here, and its local value is dropping daily. GM HQ will simply shelve it, with the only reminders being the cars they built here...

G'day , You are most probably right..None of us want to see that though but there's not a lot that can be done about it because as you say , not too many really know much about the rich history of Holden. Can you imagine us saying that until the past decade or two ?..
I found this a few weeks ago .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIRuU8qot3s

.It was a Four Corners story made not too long after the closure announcement was made about three years ago.
It affects us all ...I think us Ford fans will feel for the Holden crew , Holden workers and all in a few short months time and we'd all hope somehow the Holden badge will find a way to survive long term and probably a bit the same for Toyota. Not quite as passionate tribal rivalry perhaps but Aussie industry lost just the same. Cheers Rod.

[ronwest]

Originally Posted by Trump

The Holden brand is worthless anywhere else but here, and its local value is dropping daily. GM HQ will simply shelve it, with the only reminders being the cars they built here...

I think that's right. However I think that Ford's stocks will also continue to diminish.

Of my 4 kids + spouses (9 cars) there is one Holden or Ford (VF SS).

In my street of 30 houses I'm the only one with a Holden or Ford (1 Holden, 2 Fords).

Twice a week I walk up to our local school to pick up my grandkids. Not a Holden or Ford to be seen in the parking area or pick up line.

Sadly, most peeps have moved on...