General Motors to shut down Holden operations

After closing the last local Holden Commodore production plants in October 2017, General Motors seems to have signaled the end of the history of the Australian brand. The American group, which took ownership of the entity in the 30s, announced the end of Holden's operations in Australia and New Zealand by 2021.

“At the highest levels of our business, we have the greatest respect for Holden's heritage and contribution to our business, Australia and New Zealand, comments Mark Reuss, president of GM.

After reviewing many possible options, we came to the conclusion that we could not prioritize additional investment over all other considerations we have in a rapidly changing global industry. »

GM, however, assures that in “Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and export markets, GM will honor all warranties and continue to provide service and replacement parts. Local structures will also continue to manage all recalls and safety-related issues, in collaboration with appropriate government agencies. »

Founded in 1856, initially as a saddle manufacturer, the Holden brand quickly moved into the automotive industry, building hulls for Ford before moving into the GM fold.

It was not until 1948 that the first real Holden badged car was launched. The Commodore, unveiled at the end of the 70s, will remain one of the biggest successes of the firm, which quickly relied on motorsport to promote its products.

© Supercars

“We will begin discussions with the Supercars organizers and the Red Bull Holden Racing Team (behind which is the Triple Eight Engineering team and with whom the official Holden contract had been extended until 2021), specifies the brand on its Facebook page. We will keep you informed of these discussions at the appropriate time. »