Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian
subsidiary company
A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company (law), company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company. Two or more subsidiaries that either belong to the same parent company ...
of
General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
. It was an Australian
automobile manufacturer
The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % such ...
, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own
marque
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
in Australia. In its last three years, it switched entirely to importing cars. It was headquartered in
Port Melbourne
Port Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Port Phillip local government areas. Port Melbourne recorded a populatio ...
, with major industrial operations in the states of
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
and
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
. The 164-year-old company ceased trading at the end of 2020.
Holden's primary products were its own models developed in-house, such as the
Holden Commodore
The Holden Commodore is a full-size car that was sold by Holden from 1978 to 2020. It was manufactured from 1978 to 2017 in Australia and from 1979 to 1990 in New Zealand, with production of the locally manufactured versions in Australia endin ...
,
Holden Caprice
The Holden Caprice is a full-sized car which was produced by Holden in Australia from 1990 to October 2017. The similar Holden Statesman, which was also introduced in 1990 as a model below the Caprice, was discontinued in September 2010. Betwe ...
, and the
Holden Ute
The Holden Ute was a coupe utility built by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors, since 2000. Before then, Holden had marketed their Commodore-based utility models under the Holden Utility (VG) and Holden Commodore utility (VP, V ...
. However, Holden had also offered
badge-engineered
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a manu ...
models under sharing arrangements with
Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...
,
Isuzu,
Nissan
, trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...
,
Opel
Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
,
Suzuki
is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...
,
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
, and
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors LimitedCompany No. 00135767. Incorporated 12 May 1914, name changed from Vauxhall Motors Limited to General Motors UK Limited on 16 April 2008, reverted to Vauxhall Motors Limited on 18 September 2017. () is a British car compa ...
. The vehicle lineup had included models from
GM Korea
GM Korea Company ( ko, 한국지엠주식회사) is the South Korean subsidiary of multinational corporation General Motors. GMK is also the third largest automobile manufacturer in South Korea. GM Korea's roots go back to the former Daewoo Motors ...
, GM Thailand, GM North America. Holden had also distributed GM's German Opel marque in Australia in 2012 and 2013.
Holden was founded in 1856 as a
saddle
The saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not kno ...
ry manufacturer in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
. In 1908, it moved into the automotive field. It became a subsidiary of the United States–based General Motors (GM) in 1931, when the company was renamed General Motors-Holden's Ltd. It was renamed Holden Ltd in 1998 and adopted the name GM Holden Ltd in 2005.
Holden briefly owned assembly plants in New Zealand during the early 1990s. The plants had belonged to General Motors from 1926 until 1990 in an earlier and quite separate operation from GM's Holden operations in Australia. Holden's production became increasingly concentrated in South Australia and Victoria after the Second World War. However, Holden had factories in all the mainland
states of Australia
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
when GM took over in 1931, due to the combining of Holden and GM factories around the country under Holden management. In the postwar period, this decentralisation was slowly reduced and, by 1989, the consolidation of final assembly at
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, South Australia was largely completed, except for some operations that continued at
Dandenong, Victoria
Dandenong is a list of Melbourne suburbs#Southeastern municipalities and their suburbs, southeastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, about from the Melbourne CBD. It is the municipal council, council county seat, seat of the City ...
until 1994. Engine manufacturing was consolidated at
Fishermans Bend
Fishermans Bend (formerly Fishermen's Bend) is a precinct within the City of Port Phillip and the City of Melbourne. It is located on the south of the Yarra River in the suburb of Port Melbourne and opposite Coode Island, close to the Melbourne ...
, Victoria, which was expanded to supply markets overseas.
Although Holden's involvement in exports had fluctuated from the 1950s, the declining sales of large sedan cars in Australia led the company to look to international markets to increase profitability . From 2010, Holden incurred losses due to the strong Australian dollar and reductions of government grants and subsidies. This led to the announcement, on 11 December 2013, that Holden would cease vehicle and engine production by the end of 2017. On 29 November 2016, engine production at the
Fishermans Bend plant was shut down. On 20 October 2017, production of the last Holden designed Commodore ceased and the
vehicle assembly plant at Elizabeth was shut down. On 17 February 2020, General Motors announced that the Holden marque would be retired by 2021. On 30 October 2020, the GM Australia Design Studio at Fishermans Bend was shut down. Holden has been replaced by
GM Specialty Vehicles
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American multinational automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and was the largest in the world for 77 years bef ...
(GMSV), which imports the
Chevrolet Silverado
The Chevrolet Silverado is a range of trucks manufactured by General Motors under the Chevrolet brand. Introduced for the 1999 model year, the Silverado is the successor to the long running Chevrolet C/K model line. Taking its name from th ...
and the
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a two-door, two-passenger luxury sports car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet since 1953. With eight design generations, noted sequentially from C1 to C8, the Corvette is noted for its performance and distinctive ...
. The parts supplier known as the Holden Trade Club was renamed GM Trade Parts. An extensive Holden service network continues to help maintain the many Holdens that remain in operation in Australia.
History
Early history
![Holden and Frost Grenfell Street](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Holden_and_Frost_Grenfell_Street.jpg)
In 1852,
James Alexander Holden
James Alexander Holden (1 April 1835 – 1 June 1887) was the businessman who founded the South Australian company which eventually produced the Holden automobile.
History
James Alexander Holden was born in Walsall (at that time in Staffordshire ...
emigrated to South Australia from
Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
, England, and in 1856 established J. A. Holden & Co., a saddlery business in
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
. In 1879 J. A. Holden's eldest son
Henry James (H. J.) Holden, became a partner and effectively managed the company. In 1885, German-born
H. A. Frost
Henry Adolph Frost (26 June 1844 – 21 July 1909) was a German-born saddler and businessman known for his association with the company which eventually produced the Holden automobile. His name may have been originally Heinrich Friedrich Adolphe F ...
joined the business as a junior partner and J. A. Holden & Co became Holden & Frost Ltd.
Edward Holden
Sir Edward Wheewall Holden (14 August 1885 – 17 June 1947) was an Australian industrialist who took his family carriage and saddlery business, Holden & Frost, into a partnership with General Motors to create Australia's first automobile manuf ...
, James' grandson, joined the firm in 1905 with an interest in automobiles. From there, the firm evolved through various partnerships, and in 1908, Holden & Frost moved into the business of minor repairs to car upholstery.
The company began to re-body older chassis using motor bodies produced by F. T. Hack and Co from 1914. Holden & Frost mounted the body, and painted and trimmed it. The company began to produce complete motorcycle sidecar bodies after 1913.
After 1917, wartime trade restrictions led the company to start full-scale production of vehicle body shells. H. J. Holden founded a new company in late 1917, and registered Holden's Motor Body Builders Ltd (HMBB) on 25 February 1919, specialising in car bodies and using the former F. T. Hack & Co facility at 400
King William Street in Adelaide before erecting a large four-storey factory on the site.
By 1923, HMBB were producing 12,000 units per year.
During this time, HMBB assembled bodies for
Ford Motor Company of Australia
Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited (known by its trading name Ford Australia) is the Australian subsidiary of United States-based automaker Ford Motor Company. It was founded in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Comp ...
until its
Geelong
Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...
plant was completed. From 1924, HMBB became the exclusive supplier of car bodies for GM in Australia, with manufacturing taking place at the new
Holden Woodville Plant (which was actually in the adjacent suburb of
Cheltenham
Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
). These bodies were made to suit a number of
chassis
A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
imported from manufacturers including
Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
,
Buick
Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...
,
Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...
,
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
,
Dodge
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
,
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
,
Fiat
Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
,
Hudson
Hudson may refer to:
People
* Hudson (given name)
* Hudson (surname)
* Henry Hudson, English explorer
* Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back
* Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...
,
Oakland
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
,
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produ ...
,
Overland,
Reo,
Studebaker
Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers M ...
, and
Willys-Knight
Willys-Knight is an automobile that was produced between 1914 and 1933 by the Willys-Overland Company of Toledo, Ohio.
John North Willys purchased the Edwards Motor Car Company of Long Island, New York, in 1913, moving the operation to Elyr ...
.
In 1926, General Motors (Australia) Limited was established with assembly plants at
Newstead, Queensland
Newstead is an inner northern riverside suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. At the , it had a population of 7,496.
Geography
Newstead is north-east of Brisbane central business district, bounded by Breakfast Creek to the north and the B ...
;
Marrickville, New South Wales
Marrickville is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Marrickville is located south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the largest suburb in the Inner West Council local governme ...
; City Road, Melbourne, Victoria;
Birkenhead, South Australia
Birkenhead is a north-western suburb of Adelaide 14 km from the CBD, on the Lefevre Peninsula, in South Australia, and lies within the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. It is adjacent to Peterhead, Exeter and Glanville. It is bounded to the ...
; and
Cottesloe, Western Australia
Cottesloe is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia, within the Town of Cottesloe. Cottesloe was named for Thomas Fremantle, 1st Baron Cottesloe, a prominent Tory politician and the brother of Admiral Sir Charles Fremantle for whom the ...
using bodies produced by HMBB and imported
complete knock down
A knock-down kit (also knockdown kit, knocked-down kit, or simply knockdown or KD) is a collection of parts required to assemble a product. The parts are typically manufactured in one country or region, then exported to another country or region ...
chassis. In 1930 alone, the still independent Woodville plant built bodies for Austin,
Chrysler
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
,
DeSoto,
Morris
Morris may refer to:
Places
Australia
*St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia
Canada
* Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry
* Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba
** Morris, Manitob ...
,
Hillman
Hillman was a British automobile marque created by the Hillman-Coatalen Company, founded in 1907, renamed the Hillman Motor Car Company in 1910. The company was based in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, near Coventry, England. Before 1907 the company had b ...
,
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between th ...
,
Hupmobile
Hupmobile was an automobile built from 1909 through 1939 by the Hupp Motor Car Company of Detroit. The prototype was developed in 1908.
History
Founding
In 1909, Bobby Hupp co-founded Hupp Motor Car Company, with Charles Hastings, for ...
, and
Willys-Overland
Willys (pronounced , "Willis" )
was a brand name used by Willys–Overland Motors, an American automobile company, founded by John North Willys. It was best known for its design and production of World War II era and later military jeeps (MBs ...
, as well GM cars. The last of this line of business was the assembly of
Hillman Minx
The Hillman Minx was a mid-sized family car that British car maker Hillman produced from 1931 to 1970. There were many versions of the Minx over that period, as well as badge-engineered variants sold by Humber, Singer, and Sunbeam.
From the m ...
sedans in 1948. The
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
led to a substantial downturn in production by Holden, from 34,000 units annually in 1930 to just 1,651 units one year later.
In 1931, GM purchased HMBB and merged it with General Motors (Australia) Pty Ltd to form General Motors-Holden's Ltd (GM-H).
Its acquisition of Holden allowed General Motors to inherit an Australian identity, which it used to cultivate nationalist appeal for the firm, largely through the use of
public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
, a then novel form of business communication which was imported to Australia through the formation of General Motors (Australia) Limited. Throughout the 1920s, Holden also supplied 60
W-class tramcar bodies to the
Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board
The Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) was a government-owned authority that was responsible for the tram network in Melbourne, Australia between 1919 and 1983, when it was merged into the Metropolitan Transit Authority. It had bee ...
, of which several examples have been preserved in both Australia and New Zealand.
1940s
![2012 NRMA Motorfest - Flickr - NRMA New Cars (56)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/2012_NRMA_Motorfest_-_Flickr_-_NRMA_New_Cars_%2856%29.jpg)
Holden's second full-scale car factory, located in
Fishermans Bend
Fishermans Bend (formerly Fishermen's Bend) is a precinct within the City of Port Phillip and the City of Melbourne. It is located on the south of the Yarra River in the suburb of Port Melbourne and opposite Coode Island, close to the Melbourne ...
(
Port Melbourne
Port Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Port Phillip local government areas. Port Melbourne recorded a populatio ...
), was opened on 5 November 1936 by Prime Minister
Joseph Lyons
Joseph Aloysius Lyons (15 September 1879 – 7 April 1939) was an Australian politician who served as the List of prime ministers of Australia by time in office, 10th Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1932 until his death in 1939. He ...
, with construction beginning in 1939 on a new plant in
Pagewood, New South Wales
Pagewood is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 8 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. It is part of the Bayside Council.
Pagewood has a mixture of residential and industrial areas.
Histo ...
.
However, World War II delayed car production with efforts shifted to the construction of vehicle bodies, field guns, aircraft, and engines.
Before the war ended, the Australian government took steps to encourage an Australian automotive industry. Both GM and Ford provided studies to the Australian government outlining the production of the first Australian-designed car. Ford's proposal was the government's first choice, but required substantial financial assistance. GM's study was ultimately chosen because of its low level of government intervention.
After the war, Holden returned to producing vehicle bodies, this time for Buick, Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Vauxhall. The
Oldsmobile Ace was also produced from 1946 to 1948.
From here, Holden continued to pursue the goal of producing an Australian car. This involved compromise with GM, as Holden's managing director,
Laurence Hartnett
Sir Laurence John Hartnett CBE (26 May 18984 April 1986) was an engineer who made several important contributions to the Australian automotive industry, and is often called "The Father of the Holden".
Childhood
Hartnett was born into a middle-c ...
, favoured development of a local design, while GM preferred to see an American design as the basis for "Australia's Own Car". In the end, the design was based on a previously rejected postwar Chevrolet proposal. The Holden was launched in 1948, creating long waiting lists extending through 1949 and beyond. The name "Holden" was chosen in honour of Sir Edward Holden, the company's first chairman and grandson of J. A. Holden. Other names considered were "GeM", "Austral", "Melba", "Woomerah", "Boomerang", "Emu", and "Canbra", a phonetic spelling of
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
. Although officially designated "
48–215", the car was marketed simply as the "Holden". The unofficial usage of the name "FX" originated within Holden, referring to the updated suspension on the 48–215 of 1953.
1950s
![1958 Holden Special (FC) sedan (17714032453)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/1958_Holden_Special_%28FC%29_sedan_%2817714032453%29.jpg)
During the 1950s, Holden dominated the Australian car market. GM invested heavily in production capacity, which allowed the company to meet increased postwar demand for motor cars.
Less expensive, four-cylinder cars did not offer Holdens the ability to deal with rugged rural areas.
Holden 48–215 sedans were produced in parallel with the 50-2106
coupé utility
A coupé utility is a vehicle with a passenger compartment at the front and an integrated cargo tray at the rear, with the front of the cargo bed doubling as the rear of the passenger compartment.
The term originated in the 1930s, where it wa ...
from 1951; the latter was known colloquially as the "ute" and became ubiquitous in Australian rural areas as the workhorse of choice. Production of both the utility and sedan continued with minor changes until 1953, when they were replaced by the facelifted
FJ model, introducing a third
panel van
A panel van, also known as a blind van, car-derived van (United Kingdom) or sedan delivery (United States), is a small cargo vehicle with a passenger car chassis, typically with a single front bench seat and no side windows behind the B-pillar. ...
body style. The FJ was the first major change to the Holden since its 1948 introduction. Over time, it gained iconic status and remains one of Australia's most recognisable automotive symbols. A new horizontally slatted grille dominated the front end of the FJ, which received various other trim and minor mechanical revisions. In 1954, Holden began exporting the FJ to New Zealand.
Although little changed from the 48–215, marketing campaigns and price cuts kept FJ sales steady until a completely redesigned model was launched. At the 2005
Australian International Motor Show
The Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) was an annual auto show held in Australia, alternating between the cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Prior to the Sydney event in 2010, both cities previously hosted separate annual exhibitions. Melbo ...
in Sydney, Holden paid homage to the FJ with the
Efijy concept car
A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...
. Commercial success underpinned the rise of Holden as a cultural icon, as the Holden car became synonymous with the 'Australian way of life', coming to symbolise the stability of post-war Australian capitalism.
Holden's next model, the
FE, launched in 1956, offered in a new
station wagon
A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...
body style dubbed "Station Sedan" in the company's sales literature. In the same year, Holden commenced exports to
Malaya
Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia:
Political entities
* British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
, Thailand, and
North Borneo
North Borneo (usually known as British North Borneo, also known as the State of North Borneo) was a British Protectorate, British protectorate in the northern part of the island of Borneo, which is present day Sabah. The territory of North Borneo ...
.
Strong sales continued in Australia, and Holden achieved a market share of more than 50% in 1958 with the revised
FC model. This was the first Holden to be tested on the new ''Holden Proving Ground'' based in
Lang Lang, Victoria
Lang Lang is a town in Victoria, Australia, 73 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Shires of Bass Coast, Cardinia and South Gippsland local government areas. Lang Lang recorded a population of 2,556 ...
. In 1957, Holden's export markets grew to 17 countries, with new additions including Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Fiji, Sudan, the East Africa region, and South Africa.
Indonesian market cars were assembled locally by P.T. Udatin. The opening of the
Dandenong
Dandenong is a southeastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, about from the Melbourne CBD. It is the council seat of the City of Greater Dandenong local government area, with a recorded population of 30,127 at the . Situated mainly ...
,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, production facility in 1956 brought further jobs; by 1959, Holden employed 19,000 workers country-wide. In 1959, complete knock-down assembly began in South Africa and Indonesia.
1960s
In 1960, Holden introduced its third major new model, the
FB. The car's style was inspired by 1950s Chevrolets, with
tailfins and a wrap-around windscreen with "dog leg"
A-pillars. By the time it was introduced, many considered the appearance dated. Much of the motoring industry at the time noted that the adopted style did not translate well to the more compact Holden. The FB became the first Holden that was adapted for left-hand drive markets, enhancing its export potential, and as such was exported to New Caledonia,
New Hebrides
New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium (french: link=no, Condominium des Nouvelles-Hébrides, "Condominium of the New Hebrides") and named after the Hebrides Scottish archipelago, was the colonial name for the island group ...
, the Philippines, and Hawaii.
![1962-63 EJ Sedan</h1></p>](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/1962-63_EJ_Sedan%3D%3D.JPG)
In 1960, Ford unveiled the new
Falcon
Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene.
Adult falcons ...
in Australia, only months after its introduction in the United States. To Holden's advantage, the Falcon was not durable, particularly in the front suspension, making it ill-suited for Australian conditions. In response to the Falcon, Holden introduced the facelifted
EK series in 1961; the new model featured two-tone paintwork and optional
Hydramatic
Hydramatic (also known as Hydra-Matic) is an automatic transmission developed by both General Motors' Cadillac and Oldsmobile divisions. Introduced in 1939 for the 1940 model year vehicles, the ''Hydramatic'' was the first mass-produced fully-a ...
automatic transmission. A restyled
EJ series came in 1962, debuting the new luxury oriented
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
model. The
EH update came a year later, bringing the new
Red motor, providing better performance than the previous
Grey motor. The
HD series of 1965 had the introduction of the
Powerglide
The Powerglide is a two-speed automatic transmission designed by General Motors. It was available primarily on Chevrolet from January 1950 through 1973, although some Pontiac models also used this automatic transmission after the fire at the Hyd ...
automatic transmission. At the same time, an "X2" performance option with a more powerful version of the six-cylinder engine was made available. In 1966, the
HR was introduced, including changes in the form of new front and rear styling and higher-capacity engines. More significantly, the HR fitted standard front seat belts; Holden thus became the first Australian automaker to provide the safety device as standard equipment across all models. This coincided with the completion of the production plant in Acacia Ridge, Queensland.
By 1963, Holden was exporting cars to Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean.
Holden began assembling the
compact
Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to:
* Interstate compact
* Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines
* Compact government, a type of colonial rule utilized in British ...
HA series
Vauxhall Viva
The Vauxhall Viva is a small family car that was produced by Vauxhall in a succession of three versions between 1963 and 1979. These were designated as the HA, HB and HC series.
The Viva was introduced a year after Vauxhall's fellow GM compa ...
in 1964. This was superseded by the
Holden Torana
The Holden Torana is a mid-sized car that was manufactured by Holden from 1967 to 1980. The name apparently comes from an word meaning "to fly" in an unconfirmed Aboriginal Australian language. The original HB series Torana was released in 19 ...
in 1967, a development of the Viva ending Vauxhall production in Australia. Holden offered the LC, a Torana with new styling, in 1969 with the availability of Holden's six-cylinder engine. In the development days, the six-cylinder Torana was reserved for motor racing, but research had shown a business case existed for such a model. The LC Torana was the first application of Holden's new three-speed Tri-Matic automatic transmission.
Bebbington (1998) Bebbington is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Anthony Bebbington (born 1962), English university professor
* David W. Bebbington (born 1949), British historian
* Keith Bebbington (born 1943), English former footballer ...
, p. 103. "Also introduced on the LC was the Tri-matic automatic transmission. This was GM-H's own three-speed unit." This was the result of Holden's A$16.5 million transformation of the Woodville, South Australia, factory for its production.
![1968 Holden Monaro (HK) coupe (20857278732)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/1968_Holden_Monaro_%28HK%29_coupe_%2820857278732%29.jpg)
Holden's association with the manufacture of Chevrolets and
Pontiac Pontiac may refer to:
*Pontiac (automobile), a car brand
*Pontiac (Ottawa leader) ( – 1769), a Native American war chief
Places and jurisdictions Canada
*Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality
** Apostolic Vicariate of Pontiac, now the Roman Catholic D ...
s ended in 1968, coinciding with the year of Holden's next major new model, the
HK . This included Holden's first
V8 engine
A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and us ...
, a Chevrolet engine imported from Canada. Models based on the HK series included an extended-length prestige model, the
Brougham
Brougham may refer to:
Transport
* Brougham (carriage), a light four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage
* Brougham (car body), an automobile with a similar style
Automobile models
* Cadillac Brougham, 1987–1992
* Chrysler New Yorker Brougham, c. 1 ...
; and a two-door
coupé
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
, the
Monaro. The mainstream
Holden Special
The Holden Special is a mid-size car that was manufactured by Holden for Australasia. Introduced as the top-level trim in the new Holden FJ range of 1953, the Special was complemented by the entry-level Holden Standard and the mid-range Holde ...
was rebranded the
Kingswood, and the basic
fleet model, the
Standard Standard may refer to:
Symbols
* Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs
* Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification
Norms, conventions or requirements
* Standard (metrology), an object th ...
, became the Belmont. On 3 March 1969,
Alexander Rhea
Alexander Dodson Rhea (10 May 1919 – 1 September 2000) was an American industrialist who occupied a series of senior roles with General Motors in the decades following World War II. Between 1949 and 1955 he was treasury and managing director wi ...
, managing director of General Motors-Holden's at the time, was joined by press photographers and the Federal Minister of Shipping and Transport,
Ian Sinclair
Ian McCahon Sinclair (born 10 June 1929) is a former Australian politician who served as leader of the National Party from 1984 to 1989. He was a government minister under six prime ministers, and later Speaker of the House of Representative ...
as the two men drove the two-millionth Holden, an HK Brougham, off the production line.
This came just over half a decade since the one-millionth car, an EJ Premier sedan, rolled off the Dandenong line on 25 October 1962. Following the Chevrolet V8 fitted to the HK, the first Australian-designed and mass-produced V8, the
Holden V8 engine
The Holden V8 engine is an overhead valve (OHV) V8 engine that was produced by the Australian General Motors subsidiary, Holden (GMH), between 1969 and 2000.
The engine was initially fitted to the Holden HT series in 1969 and was later utilise ...
debuted in the Hurricane concept of 1969 before fitment to facelifted
HT model. This was available in two capacities: and . Late in HT production, use of the new Tri-Matic automatic transmission, first seen in the LC Torana was phased in as Powerglide stock was exhausted, but Holden's official line was that the HG of 1971 was the first full-sized Holden to receive it.
Despite the arrival of serious competitors—namely, the Ford Falcon,
Chrysler Valiant
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automotiv ...
, and Japanese cars—in the 1960s, Holden's locally produced large six- and eight-cylinder cars remained Australia's top-selling vehicles. Sales were boosted by exporting the Kingswood sedan, station wagon, and utility body styles to Indonesia, Trinidad and Tobago, Pakistan, the Philippines, and South Africa in complete knock-down form.
1970s
Holden launched the new
HQ series in 1971.
[ Strauss (1998), p. 11.] At this time, the company was producing all of its passenger cars in Australia, and every model was of Australian design; however, by the end of the decade, Holden was producing cars based on overseas designs. The HQ was thoroughly re-engineered, featuring a perimeter frame and
semi-monocoque
The term semi-monocoque or semimonocoque refers to a stressed shell structure that is similar to a true monocoque, but which derives at least some of its strength from conventional reinforcement. Semi-monocoque construction is used for, among ot ...
(unibody) construction. Other firsts included an all-coil suspension and an extended wheelbase for station wagons, while the utilities and panel vans retained the traditional coil/leaf suspension configuration. The series included the new prestige
Statesman
A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level.
Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to:
Newspapers United States
* ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...
brand, which also had a longer wheelbase, replacing the Brougham. The Statesman remains noteworthy because it was not marketed as a "Holden", but rather a "Statesman".
![1976-1977 Holden HX Monaro GTS sedan 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/1976-1977_Holden_HX_Monaro_GTS_sedan_01.jpg)
The HQ framework led to a new generation of two-door Monaros, and despite the introduction of the similar-sized competitors, the HQ range became the top-selling Holden of all time, with 485,650 units sold in three years; 14,558 units were exported and 72,290 CKD kits were constructed.
The HQ series was facelifted in 1974 with the introduction of the
HJ, heralding new front-panel styling and a revised rear fascia. This new bodywork was to remain, albeit with minor upgrades, through the HX and HZ series. Detuned engines adhering to government emission standards were brought in with the HX series, whilst the HZ brought considerably improved road handling and comfort with the introduction of radial-tuned suspension. As a result of GM's toying with the
Wankel rotary engine
The Wankel engine (, ) is a type of internal combustion engine using an eccentric rotary design to convert pressure into rotating motion. It was invented by German engineer Felix Wankel, and designed by German engineer Hanns-Dieter Paschke. T ...
, as used by
Mazda
, commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan.
In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...
of Japan, an export agreement was initiated in 1975. This involved Holden exporting with
powertrain
A drivetrain (also frequently spelled as drive train or sometimes drive-train) is the group of components that deliver mechanical power from the prime mover to the driven components. In automotive engineering, the drivetrain is the components o ...
s, HJ, and later, HX series
Premiers
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
as the
Mazda Roadpacer AP
The Mazda Roadpacer AP (Anti-Pollution) is a full-size sedan that was sold by Mazda in Japan between 1975 and 1977, although the last car was not sold until 1979. It was based on the Australian Holden HJ and HX series Premier. Premiers were shipp ...
. Mazda then fitted these cars with the
13B rotary engine and three-speed automatic transmission. Production ended in 1977, after just 840 units sold.
Development of the Torana continued in with the larger
mid-sized LH series released in 1974, offered only as a four-door sedan.
Wright (1998)
Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright is ...
, p. 340. The LH Torana was one of the few cars worldwide engineered to accommodate four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines. This trend continued until Holden introduced the
Sunbird
Sunbirds and spiderhunters make up the family Nectariniidae of passerine birds. They are small, slender passerines from the Old World, usually with downward-curved bills. Many are brightly coloured, often with iridescent feathers, particularly i ...
in 1976, essentially the four-cylinder Torana with a new name.
Designated LX, both the Sunbird and Torana introduced a three-door hatchback variant. A final UC update appeared in 1978. During its production run, the Torana achieved legendary racing success in Australia, achieving victories at the
Mount Panorama Circuit
Mount Panorama Circuit is a motor racing track located in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is situated on Mount Panorama (Wahluu) and is best known as the home of the Bathurst 1000 motor race held each October, and the Bathurst 12 Hour ...
in Bathurst, New South Wales.
![1978-1979 Holden UC Torana SL sedan 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/1978-1979_Holden_UC_Torana_SL_sedan_02.jpg)
In 1975, Holden introduced the compact
Gemini
Gemini may refer to:
Space
* Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac
** Gemini in Chinese astronomy
* Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program
* Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Northern ...
, the Australian version of the "
T-car", based on the
Opel Kadett
The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel from 1936 until 1940 and then from 1962 until 1991 (the Cabrio continued until 1993), when it was succeeded by the Opel Astra.
Kadett I (1936–1940)
...
C. The Gemini was an overseas design developed jointly with Isuzu, GM's Japanese affiliate; and was powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine. Fast becoming a popular car, the Gemini rapidly attained sales leadership in its class, and the nameplate lived on until 1987.
![Holden VB Commodore SL E (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Holden_VB_Commodore_SL_E_%28cropped%29.JPG)
Holden's most popular car to date, the Commodore, was introduced in 1978 as the
VB. The new family car was loosely based on the
Opel Rekord
The Opel Rekord is a large family car which was built in eight generations by the German car manufacturer Opel. Between 1953 and 1986, approximately ten million were sold.
In 1986, the Rekord nameplate was replaced by the Opel Omega.
Naming
T ...
E body shell, but with the front from the
Opel Senator
The Opel Senator is a full-size executive car (E-segment) produced by the German automaker Opel, two generations of which were sold in Europe from 1978 until 1993. A saloon, its first incarnation was also available with a fastback coupé body ...
grafted to accommodate the larger Holden six-cylinder and V8 engines. Initially, the Commodore maintained Holden's sales leadership in Australia. However, some of the compromises resulting from the adoption of a design intended for another market hampered the car's acceptance. In particular, it was narrower than its predecessor and its Falcon rival, making it less comfortable for three rear-seat passengers.
[ Robinson (2006), p. 23, 26–27.] With the abandonment of left-hand drive markets, Holden exported almost 100,000 Commodores to markets such as New Zealand, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Malta and Singapore.
During the 1970s, Holden ran an advertising jingle "Football, Meat Pies, Kangaroos, and Holden cars", a localised version of the "Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pies, and Chevrolet" jingle used by GM's Chevrolet division in the United States.
Holden discontinued the Torana in 1979 and the Sunbird in 1980. After the 1978 introduction of the Commodore, the Torana became the "in-between" car, surrounded by the smaller and more economical Gemini and the larger, more sophisticated Commodore. The closest successor to the Torana was the
Camira, released in 1982 as Australia's version of GM's medium-sized "
J-car".
[ Robinson (2006), p. 24.]
1980s
![1987 Holden Camira (JD) SLE sedan (2015-07-14) 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/1987_Holden_Camira_%28JD%29_SLE_sedan_%282015-07-14%29_01.jpg)
The 1980s were challenging for Holden and the Australian automotive industry. The Australian Government tried to revive the industry with the
Button car plan
The Button car plan, also known as the Button plan, was the informal name given to the Motor Industry Development Plan, an Australian federal (Labor) government initiative intended to rationalise the Australian motor vehicle industry and transi ...
, which encouraged car makers to focus on producing fewer models at higher, more economical volumes, and to export cars. The decade opened with the shut-down of the Pagewood, New South Wales production plant and introduction of the
light commercial Rodeo
Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...
, sourced from Isuzu in Japan.
The Rodeo was available in both two- and four-wheel drive
chassis cab
A chassis cab, also called a cab chassis or half truck, is a type of vehicle construction, often found in medium duty truck commercial vehicles.
Instead of supplying the customer with a factory pre-assembled flatbed, cargo container, or other eq ...
models with a choice of petrol and diesel powerplants. The range was updated in 1988 with the TF series, based on the
Isuzu TF
The Isuzu Rodeo is an automotive nameplate that was used by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Isuzu between 1988 and 2004. Isuzu has utilized the "Rodeo" name on two different vehicles—a compact pickup truck sold in Japan—and a midsize SU ...
.
Other cars sourced from Isuzu during the 1980s were the four-wheel drive
Jackaroo (1981), the
Shuttle (1982) van and the
Piazza
A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...
(1986) three-door sports hatchback. The second generation
Holden Gemini
The Holden Gemini is a compact car that was produced by Holden and sold in Australasia from 1975 to 1986. It was based on the Japanese Isuzu Gemini, one of the many models based on the GM T-car platform.
First generation
TX (1975–1977)
...
from 1985 was also based on an Isuzu design, although, its manufacture was undertaken in Australia.
While GM Australia's commercial vehicle range had originally been mostly based on
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
products, these had gradually been replaced by
Isuzu products. This process began in the 1970s and by 1982 Holden's commercial vehicle arm no longer offered any Bedford products.
The new
Holden WB
The Holden WB series is an automobile which was produced by Holden in Australia from 1980 to 1984. It is a facelifted version of the Holden HZ series, which it replaced. Unlike the HZ and every other full size Holden series before it, the Hold ...
commercial vehicles and the
Statesman WB limousines were introduced in 1980. However, the designs, based on the HQ and updated HJ,
HX and
HZ models from the 1970s were less competitive than similar models in Ford's lineup. Thus, Holden abandoned those vehicle classes altogether in 1984.
Sales of the Commodore also fell, with the effects of the
1979 energy crisis
The 1979 oil crisis, also known as the 1979 Oil Shock or Second Oil Crisis, was an energy crisis caused by a drop in oil production in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. Although the global oil supply only decreased by approximately four per ...
lessening, and for the first time the Commodore lost ground to the Ford Falcon. Sales in other segments also suffered when competition from Ford intensified, and other Australian manufacturers:
Mitsubishi
The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries.
Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...
,
Nissan
, trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...
and
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
gained market share. When released in 1982, the Camira initially generated good sales, which later declined because buyers considered the 1.6-litre engine underpowered, and the car's build and ride quality below-average.
The Camira lasted just seven years, and contributed to Holden's accumulated losses of over A$500 million by the mid-1980s.
![1988 Holden Calais (VN) sedan (2015-07-14) 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/1988_Holden_Calais_%28VN%29_sedan_%282015-07-14%29_01.jpg)
In 1984, Holden introduced the
VK Commodore, with significant styling changes from the previous
VH. The Commodore was next updated in 1986 as the
VL, which had new front and rear styling. Controversially, the VL was powered by the 3.0-litre
Nissan ''RB30'' six-cylinder engine and had a Nissan-built, electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission. Holden even went to court in 1984 to stop local motoring magazine ''
Wheels
A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction with axles, allow heavy objects to be ...
'' from reporting on the matter. The engine change was necessitated by the legal requirement that all new cars sold in Australia after 1986 had to consume unleaded petrol. Because it was unfeasible to convert the existing six-cylinder engine to run on unleaded fuel, the Nissan engine was chosen as the best engine available. However, changing currency exchange rates doubled the cost of the engine and transmission over the life of the VL. The decision to opt for a Japanese-made transmission led to the closure of the Woodville, South Australia assembly plant. Confident by the apparent sign of turnaround, GM paid off Holden's mounted losses of A$780 million on 19 December 1986.
At GM headquarters' request, Holden was then reorganised and recapitalised, separating the engine and car manufacturing divisions in the process.
[ Robinson (2006), p. 27. "...on 19 December 1986 GM paid off Holden's accumulated losses of around A$780m, leaving the company free of debt. This was a new beginning, but GM insisted the company be split in two..."] This involved the splitting of Holden into ''Holden's Motor Company'' (HMC) and ''Holden's Engine Company'' (HEC). For the most part, car bodies were now manufactured at
Elizabeth, South Australia
Elizabeth is an outer northern suburb of the Adelaide metropolitan area, South Australia, 24 km north of the Adelaide city centre. It is located in the City of Playford. At the 2016 census, Elizabeth had a population of 1,024.
Establish ...
, with engines as before, confined to the Fishermans Bend plant in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The engine manufacturing business was successful, building four-cylinder ''
Family II'' engines for use in cars built overseas. The final phase of the Commodore's recovery strategy involved the 1988
VN, a significantly wider model powered by the American-designed, Australian-assembled 3.8-litre
Buick V6 engine
The Buick V6, popularly referred to as the 3800 in its later incarnations, originally and initially marketed as ''Fireball'' at its introduction in 1962, was a large V6 engine used by General Motors. The block is made of cast iron and all use two ...
.
Holden began to sell the subcompact
Suzuki Swift
The is a supermini car (B-segment) produced by Suzuki. The vehicle is classified as a B-segment marque in the European single market, a segment referred to as a supermini in the British Isles. Prior to this, the "Swift" nameplate had been app ...
-based
Barina in 1985. The Barina was launched concurrently with the
Suzuki
is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...
-sourced
Holden Drover
Drover or Drovers may refer to:
Animal moving
* Drover, a person who moves animals over long distances in droving
* Drover (Australian), a person who moves animals over long distances in Australia
* Drover (dog), a dog used for droving
People
* ...
, followed by the
Scurry later on in 1985. In the previous year,
Nissan Pulsar
The is a line of automobiles produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan from 1978 until 2000, when it was replaced by the Nissan Bluebird Sylphy in the Japanese market.
Between 2000 and 2005, the name "Pulsar" has been used in Australia and New ...
hatchbacks were rebadged as the
Holden Astra
The Holden Astra is a small car formerly marketed by Holden. The first couple of generations of Astra were made only for Australia, and was a derivative of the locally produced Nissan Pulsar. With the Button car plan coming into effect, it was ...
, as a result of a deal with Nissan. This arrangement ceased in 1989 when Holden entered a new alliance with Toyota, forming a new company:
United Australian Automobile Industries
United Australian Automobile Industries (UAAI) was an automobile model sharing firm that operated in Australia between 1987 and 1996 as the result of an agreement between Holden (the Australian subsidiary of General Motors) and Toyota Australia. ...
(UAAI). UAAI resulted in Holden selling rebadged versions of Toyota's
Corolla and
Camry
The Toyota Camry (; Japanese: トヨタ・カムリ ''Toyota Kamuri'') is an automobile sold internationally by the Japanese auto manufacturer Toyota since 1982, spanning multiple generations. Originally compact in size (narrow-body), the Camry ...
, as the
Holden Nova
The Holden Nova is a compact car that was produced by the Holden-Toyota alliance, known as United Australian Automobile Industries (UAAI) in Australia between August 1989 and 1996. The alliance, and therefore the car, was a result of the Button ...
and
Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
respectively, with Toyota re-branding the Commodore as the Lexcen.
1990s
![1998 Holden Caprice (VS II) sedan (2015-07-09) 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/1998_Holden_Caprice_%28VS_II%29_sedan_%282015-07-09%29_01.jpg)
The company changed throughout the 1990s, increasing its Australian market share from 21 percent in 1991 to 28.2 percent in 1999.
Besides manufacturing Australia's best selling car, which was exported in significant numbers, Holden continued to export many locally produced engines to power cars made elsewhere. In this decade, Holden adopted a strategy of importing cars it needed to offer a full range of competitive vehicles. During 1998, General Motors-Holden's Ltd name was shortened to "Holden Ltd".
On 26 April 1990, GM's New Zealand subsidiary
Holden New Zealand
General Motors New Zealand Limited (formerly named Holden New Zealand Limited from 1994 until 2020), is a subsidiary of General Motors that distributes GM' motor vehicles, engines, components and parts in New Zealand.
This company was incorpora ...
announced that production at the assembly plant based in
Trentham would be phased out and vehicles would be imported duty-free—this came after the 1984 closure of the
Petone
Petone (Māori: ''Pito-one''), a large suburb of Lower Hutt, Wellington, stands at the southern end of the Hutt Valley, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour. The Māori name means "end of the sand beach".
Europeans first settled in Pe ...
assembly line due to low output volumes. During the 1990s, Holden, other Australian automakers and trade unions pressured the Australian Government to halt the lowering of car import tariffs. By 1997, the federal government had already cut tariffs to 22.5 percent, from 57.5 percent ten years earlier; by 2000, a plan was formulated to reduce the tariffs to 15 percent. Holden was critical, saying that Australia's population was not large enough, and that the changes could tarnish the local industry.
![1999 Holden Commodore (VT) Executive sedan (2016-01-04) 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/1999_Holden_Commodore_%28VT%29_Executive_sedan_%282016-01-04%29_01.jpg)
Holden reintroduced its defunct Statesman title in 1990—this time under the Holden marque, as the
Statesman and Caprice. For 1991, Holden updated the Statesman and Caprice with a range of improvements, including the introduction of four-wheel
anti-lock brakes
An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a safety anti-skid braking system used on aircraft and on land vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. ABS operates by preventing the wheels from locking up during braking, thereby maintainin ...
(ABS); although, a rear-wheel system had been standard on the Statesman Caprice from March 1976.
ABS was added to the short-wheelbase Commodore range in 1992. Another returning variant was the full-size utility, and on this occasion it was based on the Commodore. The VN Commodore received a major facelift in 1993 with the
VR—compared to the VN, approximately 80 percent of the car model was new. Exterior changes resulted in a smoother overall body and a "twin-kidney" grille—a Commodore styling trait that remained until the 2002
VY model and, as of 2013, remains a permanent staple on HSV variants.
Holden introduced the all-new
VT Commodore in 1997, the outcome of a A$600 million development programme that spanned more than five years. The new model featured a rounded exterior body shell, improved handling and many firsts for an Australian-built car. Also, a stronger body structure increased crash safety. The locally produced Buick-sourced
V6 engine
A V6 engine is a six-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The first V6 engines were designed and produced independently by Marmon Motor Car Company, Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik ...
powered the Commodore range, as did the 5.0-litre Holden V8 engine, and was replaced in 1999 by the 5.7-litre ''
LS'' unit.
The UAAI badge-engineered cars first introduced in 1989 sold in far fewer numbers than anticipated, but the Holden Commodore, Toyota Camry, and Corolla were all successful when sold under their original nameplates. The first generation Nova and the donor Corolla were produced at Holden's Dandenong, Victoria facility until 1994. UAAI was dissolved in 1996, and Holden returned to selling only GM products.
The Holden Astra and
Vectra, both designed by
Opel
Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
in Germany, replaced the Toyota-sourced Holden Nova and Apollo. This came after the 1994 introduction of the
Opel Corsa
The Opel Corsa is a supermini car engineered and produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel since 1982. Throughout its existence, it has been sold under a variety of other brands owned by General Motors (most notably Vauxhall, Chev ...
replacing the already available Suzuki Swift as the source for the Holden Barina. Sales of the full-size
Holden Suburban
The Chevrolet Suburban is a series of automobiles built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. The name started in 1934 for the 1935 U.S. model year, making it the longest continuously used automobile nameplate in production. It has tradi ...
SUV
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
sourced from Chevrolet commenced in 1998—lasting until 2001. Also in 1998, local assembly of the Vectra began at Elizabeth, South Australia. These cars were exported to Japan and Southeast Asia with Opel badges.
However, the Vectra did not achieve sufficient sales in Australia to justify local assembly, and reverted to being fully imported in 2000.
2000s
In the 1990s, Holden's share of the Australian market surged and peaked at 27.5 percent in 2000 before declining to 15.2 percent in 2006.
From March 2003, Holden no longer held the number one sales position in Australia, losing ground to Toyota. Commodore sales had peaked in 1998 at 94 642 vehicles and were relatively stable up to 2004 before going into a steady decline.
Total Holden sales peaked in 2002 at 178 392 vehicles and were stable up to 2005 before declining for the rest of the decade and the next.
This downturn affected Holden's profits; the company recorded a combined gain of A$842.9 million from 2002 to 2004, and a combined loss of A$290 million from 2005 to 2006. Factors contributing to the loss included the development of an all-new model, the strong Australian dollar and the cost of reducing the workforce at the Elizabeth plant, including the loss of 1,400 jobs after the closure of the third-shift assembly line in 2005, after two years in operation. Holden fared better in 2007, posting an A$6 million loss. This was followed by an A$70.2 million loss in the 2008, an A$210.6 million loss in 2009, and a profit of A$112 million in 2010. On 18 May 2005, "Holden Ltd" became "GM Holden Ltd", coinciding with the resettling to the new Holden headquarters on 191 Salmon Street, Port Melbourne, Victoria.
![2001-2002 Holden Monaro (V2) CV8 coupe (2010-09-19) 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/2001-2002_Holden_Monaro_%28V2%29_CV8_coupe_%282010-09-19%29_01.jpg)
Holden caused controversy in 2005 with their Holden Employee Pricing television advertisement, which ran from October to December 2005. The campaign publicised, "for the first time ever, all Australians can enjoy the financial benefit of Holden Employee Pricing". However, this did not include a discounted dealer delivery fee and savings on factory fitted options and accessories that employees received. At the same time, employees were given a further discount of 25 to 29 percent on selected models.
Holden revived the Monaro coupe in 2001. Based on the
Commodore VX architecture, the coupe attracted worldwide attention after being shown as a concept car at Australian auto shows. The VX Commodore received its first major update in 2002 with the VY series. A mildly facelifted
VZ model launched in 2004, introducing the ''
High Feature'' engine. This was built at the Fishermans Bend facility completed in 2003, with a maximum output of 900 engines per day. This has reportedly added A$5.2 billion to the Australian economy; exports account for about A$450 million alone. After the VZ, the ''High Feature'' engine powered the all-new
Holden Commodore (VE)
The Holden Commodore (VE) is an executive car that was produced by Holden from 2006 to 2013. It was the first iteration of the fourth generation of the Commodore. Its range included the luxury variants, Holden Berlina (VE) and Holden Calais (VE ...
. In contrast to previous models, the VE no longer used an Opel-sourced
platform
Platform may refer to:
Technology
* Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run
* Platform game, a genre of video games
* Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models
* Weapons platform, a system or ...
adapted both mechanically and in size, but was based on the Holden developed
GM Zeta platform
Zeta was the original name for General Motors' full-size rear-wheel drive automobile platform developed by GM's Australian subsidiary company Holden and was at one stage referred to as the "GM Global RWD Architecture". The GM Zeta platform r ...
, that was earmarked to become a "Global RWD Architecture", until plans were cancelled due to the 2007/08
global financial crisis
Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003
* ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007
* ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 1989
* ''Global'' (Todd Rundgren album), 2015
* Bruno ...
.
![2009-2010 Holden VE Commodore SS V sedan 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/2009-2010_Holden_VE_Commodore_SS_V_sedan_01.jpg)
Throughout the 1990s, Opel had also been the source of many Holden models. To increase profitability, Holden looked to the South Korean
Daewoo
Daewoo ( ; Hangul: , Hanja: , ; literally "great universe" and a portmanteau of "dae" meaning great, and the given name of founder and chairman Kim Woo-choong) also known as the Daewoo Group, was a major South Korean chaebol (type of conglomerat ...
brand for replacements after acquiring a 44.6 percent stake—worth US$251 million—in the company in 2002 as a representative of GM.
This was increased to 50.9 percent in 2005, but when GM further increased its stake to 70.1 percent around the time of its 2009
Chapter 11 reorganisation, Holden's interest was relinquished and transferred to another (undisclosed) part of GM.
The commencement of the Holden-branded Daewoo models began with the 2005 Holden Barina, which based on the
Daewoo Kalos
Daewoo ( ; Hangul: , Hanja: , ; literally "great universe" and a portmanteau of "dae" meaning great, and the given name of founder and chairman Kim Woo-choong) also known as the Daewoo Group, was a major South Korean chaebol (type of conglomera ...
, replaced the Opel Corsa as the source of the Barina. In the same year, the Viva, based on the
Daewoo Lacetti
The Daewoo Lacetti is a compact car manufactured and marketed globally by GM Korea since 2002. The first-generation Lacetti was available as a four-door sedan and five-door station wagon, styled by Pininfarina—and five-door hatchback styled ...
, replaced the entry-level Holden Astra Classic, although the new-generation Astra introduced in 2004 continued on. The
Captiva crossover SUV
A crossover, crossover SUV, or crossover utility vehicle (CUV) is a type of automobile with an increased ride height that is built on unibody chassis construction shared with passenger cars, as opposed to traditional sport utility vehicles (S ...
came next in 2006. After discontinuing the
Frontera and Jackaroo models in 2003, Holden was only left with one
all-wheel drive
An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand.
The most common forms of all-wheel drive are:
;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one w ...
model: the
Adventra, a Commodore-based station wagon. The fourth model to be replaced with a South Korean alternative was the Vectra by the mid-size
Epica
Epica or EPICA may refer to:
* Epica (band), a Dutch symphonic metal band
* ''Epica'' (Kamelot album), 2003
* ''Epica'' (Audiomachine album), 2012
* The European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA)
* The Epica Awards (International Adver ...
in 2007. As a result of the split between GM and Isuzu, Holden lost the rights to use the "Rodeo" nameplate. Consequently, the Holden Rodeo was facelifted and relaunched as the
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
in 2008. Following Holden's successful application for a A$149 million government grant to build a localised version of the
Chevrolet Cruze
The Chevrolet Cruze is a compact car that is produced by General Motors since 2008. It was designated as a globally developed, designed, and manufactured four-door compact sedan, complemented by a five-door hatchback body variant from 2011, and ...
in Australia from 2011, Holden in 2009 announced that it would initially import the small car unchanged from South Korea as the Holden Cruze.
Following the government grant announcement,
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and again from June 2013 to September 2013, holding office as the leader of the ...
, Australia's Prime Minister at the time, stated that production would support 600 new jobs at the Elizabeth facility; however, this failed to take into account Holden's previous announcement, whereby 600 jobs would be shed when production of the ''Family II'' engine ceased in late 2009. In mid-2013, Holden sought a further A$265 million, in addition to the A$275 million that was already committed by the governments of Canberra, South Australia and Victoria, to remain viable as a car manufacturer in Australia. A source close to Holden informed the ''Australian'' news publication that the car company is losing money on every vehicle that it produces and consequently initiated negotiations to reduce employee wages by up to A$200 per week to cut costs, following the announcement of 400 job cuts and an assembly line reduction of 65 (400 to 335) cars per day. From 2001 to 2012, Holden received over A$150 million a year in subsidy from Australian government. The subsidy from 2007 was more than Holden's capital investment of the same period. From 2004, Holden was only able to make a profit in 2010 and 2011.
2010s
In March 2012, Holden was given a $270 million lifeline by the Australian Federal Government (Labor Party of Australia) along with the South Australian and Victorian state governments. In return, Holden planned to inject over $1 billion into car manufacturing in Australia. They estimated the new investment package would return around $4 billion to the Australian economy and see GM Holden continue making cars in Australia until at least 2022.
Industry Minister
Kim Carr
Kim John Carr (born 2 July 1955) is an Australian former politician who served as a Senator for Victoria between 1993 and 2022. Representing the Labor Party, he was a minister in the Rudd and Gillard Governments.
Carr is a graduate of the Un ...
confirmed on 10 July 2013 that talks had been scheduled between the Australian government and Holden. On 13 August 2013, 1,700 employees at the Elizabeth plant in South Australia voted to accept a three-year wage freeze to decrease the chances of the production line's closure in 2016. Holden's ultimate survival, though, depended on continued negotiations with the Federal Government—to secure funding for the period from 2016 to 2022—and the final decision of the global headquarters in Detroit, US.
Following an unsuccessful attempt to secure the extra funding required from the new Liberal/National coalition government, on 11 December 2013,
[ General Motors announced that Holden would cease engine and vehicle manufacturing operations in Australia by the end of 2017.] As a result, 2,900 jobs would be lost over four years. Beyond 2017 Holden's Australian presence would consist of a national sales company, a parts distribution centre and a global design studio.
In May 2014, GM reversed their decision to abandon the Lang Lang Proving Ground and decided to keep it as part of their engineering capability in Australia.
In 2015, Holden again began selling a range of Opel-derived cars comprising the Astra VXR and Insignia VXR (both based on the OPC models sold by Vauxhall) and Cascada
Cascada (, Spanish for "Waterfall", stylized as CASCADA, CASC''A''DA and cascada) is a German dance music act founded in 2004 by singer Natalie Horler and DJs/producers DJ Manian and DJ Yanou. They are best known for their hit singles " Everyti ...
. Later that year, Holden also announced plans to sell the European Astra and the South Korean Cruze alongside each other from 2017.
In December 2015, Belgian entrepreneur Guido Dumarey
Guido Dumarey (born in 1959) is a Belgian serial entrepreneur, specialized in (automotive) high tech turnarounds.
Punch Powerglide, a motor vehicle automatic transmission plant left by General Motors (GM) in 2012, is situated in Strasbourg, Franc ...
commenced negotiations to buy the Commodore manufacturing plant in Elizabeth, with a view to continue producing a rebadged Zeta-based premium range of rear and all-wheel drive vehicles for local and export sales. The proposal was met with doubt in South Australia, and it later came to nothing. On 20 October 2017, Holden ceased manufacturing vehicles in Australia with the closure of the Elizabeth plant. Afterwards, Holden became an importer of rebadged
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a man ...
cars from various GM subsidiaries located in the United States, Canada, Germany, Thailand, and South Korea.
2020s
On 17 February 2020, General Motors announced that the Holden brand would be retired by 2021, after GM stated it would no longer make right-hand drive vehicles globally, leaving the Australia and New Zealand market altogether.
Vehicles
;Holden-designed models
* Holden Brougham
The Holden Brougham is a large, luxury automobile that was produced by Holden in Australia between July 1968 and 1971.
It was based on the mainstream Holden Premier of the same years, but with a lengthened rear body. The boot was simply exte ...
(1968-1971)
* Holden Camira
The Holden Camira is a mid-size car that was produced by Holden between 1982 and 1989. It was Holden's version of GM's J-body family of cars—GM's third "global" car platform. The name "Camira" comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "wind."
...
(1982-1989)
* Holden Statesman/Caprice (1990-2017)
* Holden Commodore/Berlina/Calais (1978-2017)
* Holden Belmont/Kingswood/Premier (1968-1984)
* Holden Monaro
The Holden Monaro ( ) is a rear-wheel drive coupé manufactured by General Motors Holden in Australia from 1968 to 1975 and later reintroduced from 2001 to 2005. It was also manufactured as a 4-door sedan from 1973 to 1977.
Three generations of ...
(1968-1977; 2001-2005)
* Holden Standard/Special/Premier (1953-1968)
* Holden Sunbird/Torana (1967-1980)
* Statesman
A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level.
Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to:
Newspapers United States
* ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...
(1971-1984)
;Chevrolet-based models
* Holden Astra Sedan (2017–2019)
* Holden Barina
The Holden Barina is a subcompact automobile sold between 1985 and 2018 by Holden in Australasia. Each of the six generations have been badge-engineered versions of various General Motors vehicles, namely Suzuki Cultus, Opel Corsa, and Daewoo ...
(2011-2018)
* Holden Colorado
The Holden Colorado utility vehicle and similar Holden Colorado 7 sport utility vehicle (SUV) were sold in Australasia by Holden. Introduced in 2008 to replace the Holden Rodeo the Australasian Colorado was built by GM Thailand and is essentia ...
(2008–2020)
* Holden Colorado 7/Trailblazer (2012–2020)
* Holden Cruze (2009–2016)
* Holden Malibu (2013–2016)
* Holden Spark
The Chevrolet Spark ( ko, 쉐보레 스파크, translit=) is a city car manufactured by General Motors's subsidiary GM Korea from 1998 to 2022. The vehicle was initially developed by Daewoo and was introduced in 1998 as the Daewoo Matiz ( ko, 대 ...
(2009–2020)
* Holden Suburban
The Chevrolet Suburban is a series of automobiles built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. The name started in 1934 for the 1935 U.S. model year, making it the longest continuously used automobile nameplate in production. It has tradi ...
(1998–2001)
* Holden Trax
Trax may refer to:
Music
* ''Trax'' (album), the debut album from Japanese electronic music group Ravex
*TRAX (band), a Korean rock band
*Trax Records, first house music label owned by Larry Sherman in Chicago
* Trax (sequencer), an old MIDI sequ ...
(2013–2020)
* Holden Volt (2012–2015)
* Holden Equinox
The Chevrolet Equinox is a series of crossover SUVs from Chevrolet introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year. It replaces the North American Chevrolet Tracker and Chevrolet S-10 Blazer. The third-generation Equinox also replaced the first-ge ...
(2018-2020)
;Daewoo-based models
* Holden Barina
The Holden Barina is a subcompact automobile sold between 1985 and 2018 by Holden in Australasia. Each of the six generations have been badge-engineered versions of various General Motors vehicles, namely Suzuki Cultus, Opel Corsa, and Daewoo ...
(2005–2011)
* Holden Captiva
The Holden Captiva is a crossover SUV that was produced from 2006 to 2018 by GM Korea (previously known as Daewoo). The car was sold in Australia and New Zealand under the Holden brand and derives from either the Chevrolet Captiva or Opel Antar ...
(2006–2018)
* Holden Epica (2007–2011)
* Holden Viva
The Daewoo Lacetti is a compact car manufactured and marketed globally by GM Korea since 2002. The first-generation Lacetti was available as a four-door sedan and five-door station wagon, styled by Pininfarina—and five-door hatchback styled b ...
(2005–2009)
;GMC-based models
* Holden Acadia
The GMC Acadia is a crossover SUV manufactured by General Motors for its GMC marque. The first-generation GMC Acadia shared the GM Lambda platform with the Saturn Outlook, the Chevrolet Traverse, and the Buick Enclave. The Acadia went on sale ...
(2018-2020)
;Isuzu-based models
* Holden Camira
The Holden Camira is a mid-size car that was produced by Holden between 1982 and 1989. It was Holden's version of GM's J-body family of cars—GM's third "global" car platform. The name "Camira" comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "wind."
...
(1984–1987), only in New Zealand
* Holden Frontera
Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last three ...
(1995–2004)
* Holden Gemini
The Holden Gemini is a compact car that was produced by Holden and sold in Australasia from 1975 to 1986. It was based on the Japanese Isuzu Gemini, one of the many models based on the GM T-car platform.
First generation
TX (1975–1977)
...
(1975-1986)
* Holden Jackaroo/Monterey (1981–2002)
* Holden Piazza
A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...
(1986–1988)
* Holden Rodeo
The Holden Rodeo is a utility vehicle (pickup truck) that was sold in Australasia (Australia and New Zealand) by Holden. Introduced in 1980, the Rodeo was built by Isuzu over three generations.
Prior to the launch of the Holden Rodeo, Holden h ...
(1981–2008)
* Holden Shuttle
The Isuzu Fargo is a light commercial van manufactured between 1980 and 2001 by Japanese automaker Isuzu in Japan. The Fargo spanned two generations, the first of which was sold between 1980 and 1995 as both van and pickup body styles, wit ...
(1982-1990)
;Nissan-based models
* Holden Astra
The Holden Astra is a small car formerly marketed by Holden. The first couple of generations of Astra were made only for Australia, and was a derivative of the locally produced Nissan Pulsar. With the Button car plan coming into effect, it was ...
(1984–1989)
;Opel/Vauxhall-based models
* Holden Astra
The Holden Astra is a small car formerly marketed by Holden. The first couple of generations of Astra were made only for Australia, and was a derivative of the locally produced Nissan Pulsar. With the Button car plan coming into effect, it was ...
(1996–2009, 2015–2020)
* Holden Barina
The Holden Barina is a subcompact automobile sold between 1985 and 2018 by Holden in Australasia. Each of the six generations have been badge-engineered versions of various General Motors vehicles, namely Suzuki Cultus, Opel Corsa, and Daewoo ...
(1994–2005)
* Holden Calibra
The Opel Calibra is a coupé, engineered and produced by the German automaker Opel between 1989 and 1997. In the United Kingdom, where it remained on sale until 1999, it was marketed under the Vauxhall brand as the Vauxhall Calibra. It was also ...
(1991–1998)
* Holden Cascada
Cascada (, Spanish for "Waterfall", stylized as CASCADA, CASC''A''DA and cascada) is a German dance music act founded in 2004 by singer Natalie Horler and DJs/producers DJ Manian and DJ Yanou. They are best known for their hit singles " Everyti ...
(2015–2017)
* Holden Combo
Combo may refer to: Technology
*Combo television unit, a television with either a VCR or a DVD player built into a single unit
* Combo drive, a type of optical drive that can read CDs and DVDs
*A guitar amplifier incorporating one or more loudsp ...
(1996–2012)
* Holden Commodore
The Holden Commodore is a full-size car that was sold by Holden from 1978 to 2020. It was manufactured from 1978 to 2017 in Australia and from 1979 to 1990 in New Zealand, with production of the locally manufactured versions in Australia endin ...
(2018–2020)
* Holden Insignia (2015–2017)
* Holden Tigra (2005–2007)
* Holden Vectra Vectra may refer to the following:
*Opel Vectra car (Chevrolet Vectra, Holden Vectra, Vauxhall Vectra)
*Opel Vectra GTS V8 DTM car
*HP Vectra computer series by Hewlett-Packard
*Vectra AI, a private company specializing in artificial intelligence
*V ...
(1997–2006)
* Holden Zafira
The Opel Zafira is a car manufactured and marketed across three generations between 1999 and 2019 by Opel. Based on the Opel Astra platform, it is developed to occupy the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment.
The Zafira was also marketed unde ...
(2001–2005)
;Suzuki-based models
* Holden Barina
The Holden Barina is a subcompact automobile sold between 1985 and 2018 by Holden in Australasia. Each of the six generations have been badge-engineered versions of various General Motors vehicles, namely Suzuki Cultus, Opel Corsa, and Daewoo ...
(1985–1994)
* Holden Cruze (2002–2006)
* Holden Drover
Drover or Drovers may refer to:
Animal moving
* Drover, a person who moves animals over long distances in droving
* Drover (Australian), a person who moves animals over long distances in Australia
* Drover (dog), a dog used for droving
People
* ...
* Holden Scurry
Scurry may refer to:
People
* Briana Scurry (b. 1971), American soccer player
* Carey Scurry (b. 1962), American basketball player
* James Scurry (1766–1822), English soldier and memoirist
* Moses Scurry (b. 1968), American basketball player
* ...
;Toyota-based models
* Holden Apollo
The Holden Apollo is a compact and later mid-size car that was distributed from 1989 to 1997 in Australia by Holden. As a successor to the GM-engineered Holden Camira, the Apollo was a rebadged version of the Toyota Camry, also sold in Austral ...
(1989–1996)
* Holden Nova
The Holden Nova is a compact car that was produced by the Holden-Toyota alliance, known as United Australian Automobile Industries (UAAI) in Australia between August 1989 and 1996. The alliance, and therefore the car, was a result of the Button ...
(1989–1996)
Driveline Components
;Inline-4 engines
* Holden Starfire motor (1978-1986)
* GM Family II engine
The Family II is a straight-4 piston engine that was originally developed by Opel in the 1970s, debuting in 1979. Available in a wide range of cubic capacities ranging from 1598 to 2405 cc, it simultaneously replaced the Opel OHV, Opel CIH and ...
(For Opel
Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
) (1981-2009)
;Inline-6 engines
* Holden straight-six motor The Holden straight-six motor is a series of straight-six engine that were produced by General Motors Holden at their Port Melbourne plant between 1948 and 1986. The initial ''Grey'' motor was so dubbed because of the colour of the cylinder block, ...
(1948-1986)
;V6 engines
* Holden 3800 (1988-2006)
* Holden AlloyTec (2004-2016)
;V8 engines
* Holden V8 engine
The Holden V8 engine is an overhead valve (OHV) V8 engine that was produced by the Australian General Motors subsidiary, Holden (GMH), between 1969 and 2000.
The engine was initially fitted to the Holden HT series in 1969 and was later utilise ...
(1968-2000)
;Transmissions
* Holden TriMatic
Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last thre ...
(1970-1988)
* Holden manual transmission (1948-1986)
;Differentials
* Holden Banjo differential
The Holden Salisbury Differential is an automobile axle manufactured by Holden at its Melbourne plant, alongside the weaker Holden Banjo Differential, introduced in 1948, installed in Holden's debut model, the Holden 48-215, all the way through un ...
(1948-1984)
* Holden Salisbury differential (1968-1988)
Corporate affairs and identity
On 8 May 2015, Jeff Rolfs, Holden's CFO, became interim chairman and managing director. Holden announced on 6 February 2015 that Mark Bernhard would return to Holden as chairman and managing director, the first Australian to hold the post in 25 years. In 2010, Holden sold vehicles across Australia through the Holden Dealer Network (310 authorised stores and 12 service centres), which employed more than 13,500 people.
In 1987, Holden established Holden Special Vehicles
Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) was the officially designated performance vehicle division for Holden. Established in 1987 and based in Clayton, Victoria, the privately owned company modified Holden models such as the standard wheelbase Commodore, ...
(HSV) in partnership with Tom Walkinshaw
Thomas Dobbie Thomson Walkinshaw (14 August 1946 – 12 December 2010) was a British racing car driver from Scotland and the founder of the racing team Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR). He was also involved in professional rugby union, as owner of ...
, who primarily manufactured modified, high-performance Commodore variants. To further reinforce the brand, HSV introduced the HSV Dealer Team
The HSV Dealer Team, previously known as the K-Mart Racing Team, was an Australian V8 Supercar team. The team ceased operations at the end of 2008, with Walkinshaw Racing and Kelly Racing being formed by owners and staff of the former team. The ...
into the V8 Supercar fold in 2005 under the naming rights of Toll HSV Dealer Team.
Holden's logo, of a lion holding a stone, was introduced in 1928. Holden's Motor Body Builders appointed Rayner Hoff
George Rayner Hoff (27 November 1894 – 19 November 1937) was a British-born sculptor who mainly worked in Australia. He fought in World War I and is chiefly known for his war memorial work, particularly the sculptures on the ANZAC War Memoria ...
to design the emblem, which refers to a fable in which observations of lions rolling stones led to the invention of the wheel. With the 1948 launch of the 48–215, Holden revised its logo. It commissioned another redesign in 1972 to better represent the company. The emblem was reworked once more in 1995.
File:Holden logo 1928-1969.jpg, 1928 - 1969
File:Holden logo 1969-1994.jpg, 1969 - 1995
File:Holden logo 1994-2014.png, 1995 - 2014
File:Holden logo 2014-2016.png, 2014 - 2016
Exports
Holden began to export vehicles in 1954, sending the FJ to New Zealand. Exports to New Zealand continued, but to broaden their export potential, Holden began to cater their Commodore, Monaro and Statesman/Caprice models for both right- and left-hand drive markets. The Middle East was Holden's largest export market, with the Commodore sold as the Chevrolet Lumina
The Chevrolet Lumina is a mid-size car that was produced and marketed by the Chevrolet division of General Motors from 1989 until 2001.
__TOC__
Background
The first generation of the Lumina replaced the Chevrolet Celebrity and Chevrolet Mon ...
from 1998, and the Statesman from 1999 as the Chevrolet Caprice
The Chevrolet Caprice is a full-sized automobile produced by Chevrolet in North America for the 1965 to 1996 model years. Full-size Chevrolet sales peaked in 1965 with over a million sold. It was the most popular car in the U.S. in the 1960s ...
. Commodores were also sold as the Chevrolet Lumina in Brunei, Fiji and South Africa, and as the Chevrolet Omega
The Chevrolet Omega is an executive car sold by Chevrolet for the Brazilian market. Replacing the Chevrolet Opala, which was a development of the Opel Rekord C, the original Chevrolet Omega was based on the Opel Omega A and built locally between ...
in Brazil. Pontiac in North America also imported Commodore sedans from 2008 through to 2009 as the G8. The G8's cessation was a consequence of GM's Chapter 11 bankruptcy resulting in the demise of the Pontiac brand.
Sales of the Monaro began in 2003 to the Middle East as the Chevrolet Lumina Coupe. Later that year a modified version of the Monaro began selling in the United States (but not in Canada) as the Pontiac GTO
The Pontiac GTO is an automobile that was manufactured by American automaker Pontiac from 1963 to 1974 for the 1964 to 1974 model years, and by GM's subsidiary Holden in Australia for the 2004 to 2006 model years.
The first generation of the G ...
, and under the Monaro name through Vauxhall
Vauxhall ( ) is a district in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Vauxhall was part of Surrey until 1889 when the County of London was created. Named after a medieval manor, "Fox Hall", it became well known for ...
dealerships in the United Kingdom. This arrangement continued through to 2005 when the car was discontinued. The long-wheelbase Statesman sales in the Chinese market as the Buick Royaum began in 2005, before being replaced in 2007 by the Statesman-based Buick Park Avenue
The Buick Park Avenue is a full-size luxury car built by Buick. The nameplate was first used in 1975 for an appearance option package on the Electra 225 Limited. It became an Electra trim level in 1978 and its own model starting in the 1991 model ...
. Statesman/Caprice exports to South Korea also began in 2005. These Korean models were sold as the Daewoo Statesman
The Holden Caprice is a full-size car, full-sized car which was produced by Holden in Australia from 1990 to October 2017. The similar Holden Statesman, which was also introduced in 1990 as a model below the Caprice, was discontinued in Septemb ...
, and later as the Daewoo Veritas
Veritas is the name given to the Roman virtue of truthfulness, which was considered one of the main virtues any good Roman should possess. The Greek goddess of truth is Aletheia (Ancient Greek: ). The German philosopher Martin Heidegger argues ...
from 2008. Holden's move into international markets proved profitable; export revenue increased from A$973 million in 1999 to just under $1.3 billion in 2006.
From 2011, the WM Caprice was exported to North America as the Chevrolet Caprice PPV, a version of the Caprice built exclusively for law enforcement in North America and sold only to police. From 2007, the HSV-based Commodore was exported to the United Kingdom as the Vauxhall VXR8
The Vauxhall VXR8 is a performance car marketed by Vauxhall Motors, Vauxhall in the United Kingdom between 2007 and 2017, based on two different models produced by Holden Special Vehicles: the HSV Clubsport (2007–2009) and HSV GTS (2010–2017). ...
.
In 2013, Chevrolet announced that exports of the Commodore would resume to North America in the form of the VF Commodore as the Chevrolet SS sedan for the 2014 model year. The Chevrolet SS Sedan was also imported to the United States (but again, not to Canada) for 2015 with only minor changes, notably the addition of Magnetic Ride Control suspension and a Tremec
TREMEC (Transmisiones y Equipos Mecánicos SA de CV, formerly Transmission Technology Corporation, TTC) is a manufacturer of automobile transmissions and drivetrain components based in Querétaro, Mexico.
Company
Torque transfer solutions from ...
TR-6060
The Tremec TR-6060 six-speed manual transmission features six forward speeds and one reverse speed. It is derived from the Borg-Warner T-56, Tremec T-56 6-speed manual transmission. As usual, the forward helical cut gears are synchronized. However ...
manual transmission. For the 2016 model year the SS sedan received a facelift based on the VF Series II Commodore unveiled in September 2015. In 2017, production of Holden's last two American exports, the SS and the Caprice PPV was discontinued.
Leadership
*Edward Holden
Sir Edward Wheewall Holden (14 August 1885 – 17 June 1947) was an Australian industrialist who took his family carriage and saddlery business, Holden & Frost, into a partnership with General Motors to create Australia's first automobile manuf ...
(1917–1934)
*Laurence Hartnett
Sir Laurence John Hartnett CBE (26 May 18984 April 1986) was an engineer who made several important contributions to the Australian automotive industry, and is often called "The Father of the Holden".
Childhood
Hartnett was born into a middle-c ...
(1934–1946)
*Harold E. Bettle (1946–1953)
*Earl C. Daum (1953–1959)
*Harlow C. Gage (1959–1962)
*David L. Heglund (1962–1966)
*Max C. Wilson (1966–1968)
* Alexander D. Rhea (1968–1970)
*A. C. "Bill" Gibbs (1970–1973)
*Damon Martin (1973–1976)
*Charles S. "Chuck" Chapman (1976–1987)
*John G. Bagshaw (1987–1990)
*William J. Hamel (1990–1997)
*James R. Wiemels (1997–1999)
*Peter Hanenberger
Peter Hanenberger is a German-born automotive specialist who worked all 45 years of his professional career for General Motors (GM) and subsidiaries. At the age of 16, he joined GM as apprentice in the Opel technical development center in Rüs ...
(1999–2003)
*Denny Mooney Dennis M. "Denny" Mooney (born 1956 in the United States) is a former General Motors (GM) executive. Mooney joined GM in 1978, and held positions such as head of the Buick-Cadillac-Oldsmobile N-car chassis development team, and executive director f ...
(2003–2007)
*Chris Gubbey Christopher P.M. Gubbey (born 11 May 1956 in Gosport, Hampshire, England) is an auto executive, who currently works for General Motors. Until 2007, Gubbey was the vice president of Shanghai GM. Gubbey is a graduate of Hatfield Polytechnic and has ...
(2007–2008)
*Mark Reuss
Mark L. Reuss is the current President of General Motors.
Early life and education
Mark's father is Lloyd E. Reuss, former president at GM from 1990 to 1992. He received an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University in 1986 and an MBA from ...
(2008–2009)
*Alan Batey (2009–2010)
*Michael Devereux (2010–2014)
*Gerry Dorizas (2014–2014)
*Jeff Rolfs (Interim chairman and managing director) (2014–2015)
*Mark Bernhard (2015–2018)
*Dave Buttner (2018–2019)
*Kristian Aquilina (2019–2020) cting Chairman and Managing Director
Sales
Whilst previously holding the number one position in Australian vehicle sales, Holden has sold progressively fewer cars during most of the 21st century, in part due to a large drop in Commodore sales.
Motorsport
Holden has been involved with factory backed teams in Australian touring car racing since 1968. The main factory-backed teams have been the Holden Dealer Team
The Holden Dealer Team (HDT) was Holden's semi-official racing team from 1969 until 1986, primarily contesting Australian Touring Car events but also rallying, rallycross and Sports Sedan races during the 1970s. From 1980 the Holden Dealer ...
(1969–1987), the Holden Racing Team
Walkinshaw Andretti United is an Australian motor racing team based in the Melbourne suburb of Clayton. The team currently fields two Holden ZB Commodores in the Supercars Championship for Nick Percat and Chaz Mostert, along with a Porsche 91 ...
(1990–2016) and Triple Eight Race Engineering
Triple Eight Race Engineering, (branded as Red Bull Ampol Racing) is an Australian motor racing team competing in the Supercars Championship. The team has been the only Brisbane based V8 Supercar team since its formation, originally operating ...
(2017–2020). Holden won the Bathurst 1000
The Bathurst 1000 (formally known as the Repco Bathurst 1000) is a touring car race held annually on the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is currently run as part of the Supercars Championship, the most recen ...
30 times, more than any other manufacturer, and has won the Australian Touring Car and Supercars Championship
The Supercars Championship is a touring car racing category in Australia, running as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) regulations, governing the sport.
Supercars events take place in all Australian ...
title 21 times. Brad Jones Racing
Brad Jones Racing is an Australian motor racing team owned by Brad Jones based in Albury. The team competes in the Supercars Championship and the Super2 Series. Recently they have also returned to Australian Formula Ford where Brad and Kim be ...
, Team 18
Team 18 (formerly known as Charlie Schwerkolt Racing) is an Australian motor racing team currently competing in the Supercars Championship, running two Holden ZB Commodores. The team's current drivers are Mark Winterbottom and Scott Pye.
Histor ...
, Erebus Motorsport
Erebus Motorsport, (formerly known as Erebus Racing,) is an Australian motor racing team. The team competes in the Supercars Championship with two Holden ZB Commodores. The team's current drivers are Will Brown and Brodie Kostecki.
The team is ...
, Matt Stone Racing
Matt Stone Racing is an Australian racing team competing in the Supercars Championship with two Holden ZB Commodores. Jack Le Brocq drives the No. 34 car, while Todd Hazelwood drives the No. 35 car. They are also competing in the second-tier Du ...
, Tekno Autosports
Tekno Autosports was an Australian motor racing team, established in the 1990s initially for the motor racing activities of Stephen Webb, and later his son Jonathon Webb. The team competes in the Supercars Championship using two Holden ZB Commo ...
and Walkinshaw Andretti United
Walkinshaw Andretti United is an Australian motor racing team based in the Melbourne suburb of Clayton. The team currently fields two Holden ZB Commodores in the Supercars Championship for Nick Percat and Chaz Mostert, along with a Porsche ...
also run Holden Commodores in the series.
See also
*''The Death of Holden
''The Death of Holden: The End of an Australian Dream'' is a 2016 book by Royce Kurmelovs.
Background and synopsis
''The Death of Holden'' is an in-depth reportage into the closure of Australian manufacturing operations by Holden. ''The Death ...
'', a 2016 book
*Holden Dealer Team
The Holden Dealer Team (HDT) was Holden's semi-official racing team from 1969 until 1986, primarily contesting Australian Touring Car events but also rallying, rallycross and Sports Sedan races during the 1970s. From 1980 the Holden Dealer ...
*Holden Elizabeth Plant
The Holden Elizabeth Plant was a vehicle manufacturing facility in the township of Elizabeth, South Australia which operated from 1963 until 2017. It succeeded the Woodville Plant as South Australia's main assembly facility.
The plant pressed ...
* Holden Fishermans Bend Plant
*Holden Special Vehicles
Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) was the officially designated performance vehicle division for Holden. Established in 1987 and based in Clayton, Victoria, the privately owned company modified Holden models such as the standard wheelbase Commodore, ...
* Holden Woodville Plant
*List of Holden vehicles by nameplate
Holden is the Australian subsidiary of the automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Since Holden's inception as a marque in 1948, the vast majority of its vehicles have been marketed with a nameplate, for example, the Holden Kingswood and ...
*Walkinshaw Performance Walkinshaw Performance is an automotive company involved in motor racing and the production of high performance sporting cars for regular road use. The company was founded by former racing driver, Scottish businessman, Tom Walkinshaw and is essentia ...
Notes
References
;Books
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;Internet
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:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
(PDF).
* Mendelssohn, Joanna (28 June 2017)
Celebrating the feminist Holden
The Conversation
''The Conversation'' is a 1974 American mystery thriller film written, produced, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest, Harrison Ford, Teri Garr, and Rober ...
.
* Wagner, David Paul
Canowindra Motors Holden Museum
australiaforvisitors.com. Photographic record of this Holden museum that closed in 2016.
;Magazines
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External links
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{{Authority control
Car manufacturers of Australia
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1856
General Motors marques
Former General Motors subsidiaries
Australian brands
Saddle manufacturers
Australian companies established in 1856
Australian companies disestablished in 2020
Manufacturing plants in Australia
Defunct manufacturing companies of Australia
Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 2020