General Motors announces that they will close operations in Australia. Big news for me backup plan gone I won't ever sell new Holden again. I can pin point own views on demise but all I can say it is what it is. There was the attack of the hatchbacks then the SUVs. The was also a decade delay on coupes eg Monaro. The rise of the dollar and the price of fuel and the fall of the V8 and of course the recalls. Aussies might sit on a land of oil but we some how made it more difficult. Politics worldwide for decades have influenced decisions. Who do I cheer for now after Craig Lowndes at Bathurst? It boiled down to one thing. The public bought what they thought would be more economical and Holden offered older technology. The choice to not launch a V8 really denied their true consumer and as we sadly see the end of Holden as we know it. Support on service and parts for at least 10 years is the parting promise.

HDT slogan Holden Dealer Team. We build excitement.
Fiero slogan. We drive excitement.

I am sure other Aussies that own Fieros are thorough GM fans and are saddened by decisions.
It all could have panned out differently if Pontiac wasn't badged on certain models and the raved about Pontiac GTP Aka Monaro CV8 was actually marketed in states keeping Pontiac alive and perhaps giving the 2020 corvette it's true name the 2020 Fiero.

[This message has been edited by Australian (edited 02-18-2020).]

Sorry,
Don't know enough about the situation in Australia to make any intelligent comments.
All I can say is sorry about the bad luck. There are many things and decisions made elsewhere that effect us in rural Southern Mississippi in how we live our lives also.
Thinking they call that the Butterfly Effect.
------------------
Rams

Isn't it strange that after a bombing, everyone blames the bomber, his upbringing, his environment, his culture, his mental state but …
after a shooting, the problem is the gun....
Open your frigg'n minds, think about all the other tools that can be made into WMDs.

My wife told me to grow up. I told her to get out of my fort!

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 02-18-2020).]

It's a shame to see the Australian Holden plants shut. I have a 2005 Pontiac GTO (Holden Monaro) that I bought new. At the time is was way ahead of anything else here in the states in terms of comfort and handling. The same goes for the Pontiac G8 (Holden Commodore) that followed. I lived in Australia for 3 years, during my trip to Adelaide I made a point to drive up by the assembly plant. I didn't go inside, but wanted to see the birthplace of my car. The cost of vehicle registration in the Northern Territory (I'm guessing the same for the other states/territories) depended on engine displacement, so that along with the cost of fuel in Australia didn't help the cause for the Monaro, Commodore, Utes. Great cars that most here in the US never had a chance to drive.

It is sad...GM cannot cut it way to growth.

In the past 20 years Oldsmobile, Saturn, Saab, Pontiac, Hummer, Opel, Vauxhall, and have been closed or removed from the GM portfolio. GM has removed itself from teh European, Russian, and Australian markets. Deos GM still have a middle east presence? Really GM just operates in China, North America, and Latin America. At least in North America it seems that the only descent products they build are full size pickups and their SUV variants. All other mid-size and small SUV's along with cars (exceptions to with the Corvette) are mediocre products.

Sad part is that, to me, it seems that all vehicle brands suck right now. I don't understand why/how all manufacturers seem to be focusing on electric vehicles when they are less than 3% of overall sales. From a prtical point of view I perfer the Japaneses midset(Toyota/Honda) and would rather see development of hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure instead of electric.

RIP GM.

I wonder how much of an overall engineering/manufacturing cost difference there is between left and right hand controls plays into their marketing decisions.

I believe I read GM is cutting it's business in Thailand too and that their Chinese 'partners' are going to take it over.
I remember Aus Fiero talking fondly of Holdens.
A shame they go by the wayside but I suppose that is the way of the world now.

quote Originally posted by maryjane: I believe I read GM is cutting it's business in Thailand too and that their Chinese 'partners' are going to take it over. I remember Aus Fiero talking fondly of Holdens. A shame they go by the wayside but I suppose that is the way of the world now.

The way I read it, Thailand is the last GM facility making RHD vehicles. GM is not making the money to keep producing the RHD for the few markets they are making them for, so they are quitting.

The Thailand facility is to be sold to something like "The Great Wall Truck Company?"

I still got my Holden, 2014 Chevy SS. First digit of the vin being 6

[This message has been edited by LitebulbwithaFiero (edited 02-18-2020).]

quote Originally posted by olejoedad: I wonder how much of an overall engineering/manufacturing cost difference there is between left and right hand controls plays into their marketing decisions.

Just the tooling costs for those RHD-specific parts adds hundreds if not now thousands of dollars in additional cost per car. It's not just a few parts, and it's a lot of expensive parts, like dashboards. Add to that the costs of those parts are only spread out amongst a very small portion of production, not the entire production run. Given GM is a company run by bean counters, this obviously wouldn't stand, and they were just tolerating it while they had to. Australian cars built in Australia for Australia that were not exported to LHD markets didn't have this issue, but production numbers were relatively low.

The good news for Australia, if they adjust a lot of their outdated and downright ignorant car importation laws, is they could easily and cheaply import other RHD cars from nearby Japan. OR just finally allow LHD cars on Australian roads. They actually require LHD cars brought in under 30 years old to be converted, it's dumber than the chicken tax.

There were so many things that should have happened and didn't happen. I remember arguing for the Monaro to be built but when the fuel went though the roof due to playing the oil price barrel game, oil wars people went to hatches and GM had decent hatches in top of line their GSI top models Opel rebadged were best cars in class fastest but entry level was single overhead cam engines as a sales person you would leave hood down or walk them straight to the GSI. The long Korean warranties took the market over with newer technology as standard. It really was oil price accidently killing off biggest supporter.

[This message has been edited by Australian (edited 02-19-2020).]

If people were buying, And they could produce them there, and make a profit.
They would.
Down under priced themselves out of production.
There is a reason G.M./FORD/TOYOTA all closed up There.
When Toyo, packs up and leaves. You know you've screwed the pouch .

Thanks for the memory
Of headlights that were bright, and driving from the right
The steering rack was lovely and the gearbox oh so tight

Thanks, GM Holden.

[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 03-10-2020).]

Wow. That really "blows the doors off." Or dare I say ... blows The Doors off..!

[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 03-10-2020).]