‘I was battling to hold back tears’ over Holden's demise: Mark Skaife

[@das2419]

Peter Brock would be turning in his grave

[@psk5746]

Even he gave up on Holden and died driving a Ford based car (Daytona Coupe replica)

[@frazerguest2864]

And so too would Mike Raymond.

[@frazerguest2864]

VMAN Viney : Are you always such a dick? Or is your lack of understanding due to being dropped on your head as a kid?

[@Bartman954]

@@psk5746 Can see what you're saying but the replica was based on a Holden VE Commodore chassis and had an LS engine.

[@TechnikMeister2]

Holden lost its way. It allowed dreadful customer service to infect it and the products were second rate. I ran the Lexus Customer Support Center from 2013 to 2016. We used to hear the horror stories from the dealers on the grape vine. The last Commodore was a $30k car at best. They had to be dragged kicking and screaming to offer 3 year warranties when the competition was offering 5 to 7 years. They refused to offer fixed price servicing when the others did. They had no budget for out of warranty dispute resolution and the Consumer Claims Tribunal was full of people taking action against them. So save your tears. It was a fatal, self inflicted wound. The decision was made in Detroit about six months ago because Hyundai merged with Kia and their supply of cheap Asian made cars dried up. When GM sold Opel to Peugeot the Commodore made in Germany ceased to exist. Any Holden dealer with half a brain was trying to get out long ago. As for Supercars, thery were no more Holden than a Nissan. They all run the same frame and engine with just some plastic body parts that look a bit different. Its a sham competition.

[@MrFastFarmer]

lol. You mean Australia lost it's way.

[@truthseeker8483]

@@MrFastFarmer Yes the government has always loved globalisation...

[@drivingschool11]

Well...Hyundai and Toyota customer service is the same, bad...my word! I had a service recall for my Prius. First dealer: computer wasn't working when I arrived and distance is 70 kms. Second dealer, I had to wait for 8 weeks. I am not arguing your comment, but in Victoria customer service doesn't exist any longer no matter any business or department or any Hospital. I reckon! As an example, my 73 years old neighbour doesn't have Netflix since 3 days ago. Customer service said that "we know the issue and soon it will be fixed" soon?..3 days! Another example, 4 weeks ago a friend of mine wanted a smart TV, great! He went to JB HIFI and purchased a brand new one Fallcon smart TV. Smart TV? No bluetooth, no Chromecast and no remote control microphone. I went there and the supposedly salesman said: "customers decide what they want". Bang!

[@MrSkeleton131]

@JIMI JAMES wow that comment just reeks of intelligence

[@AlonsoRules]

If Holden had followed Toyota and gone into the hybrid car market they'd probably still be around. Pursuing a gas guzzling V8 that cost over 50k eventually sent them bust.

[@fordlandau]

My great great grandfather founded the company of HOLDEN and Frost. They were making saddles and bridles in Adelaide in the 19 th century. It’s best to let the name go. GM has demolished the brand over the past 10 years.

[@XXB4XX]

Correct. They released Daewoo and Opel Garbage re-badged as Holden. Their whole range was an unreliable debacle. The Holden badge lost its shine with the VF, it was 15 years too late to release that car. They tried to push Korean budget cars at mid-range prices. The Captiva and Colorado are a perfect example of garbage cars at exorbitant prices.

[@Al-of3zp]

Yeah ok and thats why your name is ford land AU

[@fordlandau]

XXB4XX so true. Holden/GM pushed some awful cars on us in the last 20 years. The Epica. The Malibu. And Worse.

[@fordlandau]

Al yup. Holden by birth. Ford at heart.

[@markfarley4689]

Blame the yanks! You are worthless.

[@makethman007]

My dad used to work for gm in the us in the 60s we were proud now gm has over the last 60 yrs dug its own grave and will eventually disappear run by twits who know nothing what a shame

[@markfarley4689]

Thank the unions for that

[@tc8327]

@@markfarley4689 it is the multi national globalist, and politicians we have to thank. Throw a heap of greed in as well.

[@makethman007]

@@goobs738 run again by incompetent bean counter i could have said woman but that would be sexist...

[@zjm68]

Shonkiness has become Normal in Corporate America and their Society in general Look at the Banks in the lead up to the GFC and now Boeing . They're suckers for Bullshit too and fell for a Con Artist who promised to "Drain the Swamp" and instead he just took over the Swamp and put his people in charge

[@satos1]

This is the end result of previous governments lowering tariffs allowing cheap imports to flood the market. Yes we have higher labour costs but we have to considering everything from utility bills, housing, food and cost of living etc which is so high in this country. People need a decent wage just to live here. Such a sad day.

[@bys2]

Maybe if Australians stopped being so lazy and entitled, they'd actually try to do some work and stop blaming it on other countries.

[@wayneballintine9532]

They quit australia 2 years ago when the australian goverment stopped giveing them 222 million dollar's a year of taxpayers money and they wanted more and the govement said noo

[@Rover101]

Well said! It's just too expensive to manufacture things in Australia.

[@AdrianHepburn-vz9yr]

Lowering tariffs raised our standard of living. The problem is structural in Australia with taxes too high and regulations both onerous and too numerous.

[@rods6405]

@@AdrianHepburn-vz9yr How does sending money overseas (when you lower tariffs) raise our standard of living. Our standard of living is in decline our children cannot afford to live in the suburbs of their parents FFS.

[@budawang77]

What do you expect in a conservative, anti-science, do-nothing country where the economy revolves around real estate, finance and digging up dirt?

[@markfarley4689]

Finish your koolaid Ben

[@1969cmp]

Er...... who backs the anti-science gender fluid ideology? Not conservatives.

[@ianpennack]

Ben......Stop complaining and take out another mortgage. The bankers need you.

[@Surfer_Jay]

Ben Coles .. Unfortunately very true!

[@romangladiator6254]

Ben Coles dude a conservative country would have been putting Holden first all the way with a 30% plus of the market!

[@vernontrickey4115]

TRUMP CAN BRING BACK INDUSTRY. AND WHY NOT US ?

[@fastmonaro05]

@@justynthyme He is

[@gerttjildsen5612]

So sad. I`m a pom and bought a 1969 Holden HT Station wagon back in 1990, somewhere in Gippsland .( Kurrumburah?) and i will always cherish my memories of living out of this great car. You can drop a double mattress between the wheel-arches, fix curtains and cook on the fold down rear hatch. and or sleep across the front bench seat (if you`ve had a row with the missus) ;-) Straight six, column shift, 3 speed. I bought it for very little, what Aussies would call a `Bomb`, i did it up with help, and it saw us through a great adventure. Bonza!.

[@dlwdlw2962]

Gert Tjildsen I had a VK driving around Poowong and Warragul

[@MetalMania3DTV-TAS-AUS]

Bet you wish you had it now, as worth loads of cash now for a good one

[@gerttjildsen5612]

Good point Mr Mania, i`m going to google it now and feel sad. ;-(

[@gerttjildsen5612]

Mr Mania You sir are correct! Average condition £5-6 000. A top quality specimen , mint, £10.000.

[@petewielsma423]

Mark nailed it , the VE/VF was a superior , world class RWD car . I believe GM was worried that it was a better product that they were producing so they shut it down to look after the USA manufactured market . When the VE was sold in USA as a Chevrolet SS and Caprice it wasn't even marketed to its full potential . There's a lot of videos on KZbin with Americans now realising just how good these cars were and also wish the Ute was sold there too . Any GM product sold down under should be boycotted , after all , look at the millions/ billions of Aussie taxpayers dollars that got sent to GM , stuff em I say . That's my thoughts anyway , cheers

[@colinstewart1432]

I agree that Aussies should Boycott GM.

[@muaddib4868]

Can't blame them its just too expensive to produce anything in Oz .... thank you unions for pricing yourself out of business .... they served their purpose in the past.... now they are just there for themselves .. nearly 300k a year to be the head of a union

[@Rover101]

@Mellivora Capensis It's more like two billion dollars.

[@Rover101]

Will be interesting to see how the loss of Holden will effect the V8 super cars.

[@ToddHendry]

And our way of living. Not al, to do with the unions.

[@muaddib4868]

@@ToddHendry the increas in the cost of living is directly related to a few factors but one of them definitely is wage growth... forced by the unions 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️

[@ToddHendry]

D B I disagree. It would be individuals if it wasn’t unions.

[@fastmonaro05]

Agree. VF was brilliant. Many people don't get the passion about Holdens or any Aussie made car but we were one of only 13 countries able to design, engineer and build a car that in the end was better than most. Worth something. Only have to look at JEEPS, Land Rover's, VW ect for the problems they have like excessive oil use, dud running gear, gearboxes, fraudulent diesel emissions and crap warranty. You could always get parts for Holdens and Fords and were quite easy to fix mechanically as my brother said. I just don't get this attitude we have today compared to when my dad and my older brothers all bought their Holdens. We had and still do have pride in them. And many other Aussie made things. What ever happen to that?

[@time2kickarse]

Don't forget about the toyota hilux dpf debacle as well as cvt transmission recalls on the current corolla as well as the brake master cylinder recall on corolla too amongst other things.

[@heybird5660]

what about the injectors on the vf ss & the steering recall on all vfs.

[@hammeredhemi1223]

When was the catalyst that brought the demise of Holden you ask? When the government dropped vehicle import tariffs from 45% to 5% on imported cars in 2010 for one. This decision alone brought vehicle manufacturing in Australia to it's knees. As we all know, just as Holden built there best car ever (VF) 2017 Saw the exit of manufacturing from the last three brands where in our prime we had 10 manufactures in Australia. Our Government welcomes corporate invaders as long as there is a dollar in it for them, and to hell with the Australian workers. Taxpayers have paid Billions of dollars to these U.S assholes and our politicians don't have the spine to seize any or all assets and payback the money which is taxpayers money to protect our workers, again were just laughed at by Detroit and Japan

[@rods6405]

So 2010 so Gillard Rudd Governments caused this another reason to hate labor and these 2 pricks.

[@MrBrowne86]

The price of my Kingswood just went up. Only problem is I’ll never sell it.

[@fastmonaro05]

@@justynthyme Piss off idiot

[@fastmonaro05]

We have two HQ's, Sandman and Premier

[@liberty0758]

No one needs that crap anyway

[@fastmonaro05]

@@liberty0758 Bet our CRAP is worth far more than yours

[@liberty0758]

@@fastmonaro05 I'll give you a pack of Tim Tams for it.

[@truthseeker8483]

Australian motor industry was lost when we chose to use American companies to build factories here instead of going it alone. Globalisation has no favourites...Most people buying cars now are not Australians. Most are foreign born who do not care about Holden /Ford but like Toyota, Mercedes, BMW etc etc..another aspect of Globalisation.....Australia is no longer the Australia it was

[@truthseeker8483]

@Joe Shabidu "HOw dare you!" Haha no apparently according to Lefties the Aboriginals had cities they were not just living naked under a tree eating grubs as previously thought...plus they mounted a war against the English...

[@drivingschool11]

Corporations rule Planet Earth but germany slightly is also declining. As an example, Mercedes-Benz moved a factory to Russia because salaries are very very poor. Mitsubishi Magna was also an American company? What about the Nissan Pulsar, Americans?

[@lorenzoabanes6351]

GM has turned into the EA of motoring.

[@dlwdlw2962]

I worked in the welding section in Dandenong Victoria. Then it moved to SA. I have always loved the Holden brand. Goodbye old friend.

[@johnhunter7386]

Maybe GM will change their minds, but I'm not Holden my breath. ( Sorry. I couldn't help myself.😐)

[@truthseeker8483]

Funny guy!

[@Harold_Flite]

We can afFORD you that one.

[@ebony1732]

New Aussie motto 🎵🎵 We like footballs .. Meatpies..Kangaroos & "" Foreign "" cars.. 🎵🎵 NOT !! Thanks Holden .. 😎🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🤘🤘👍👍👌

[@stevenhastings1480]

That's GM slogan

[@fightforjustice3744]

We can only hope that Australians boycott any car that GM try to feed us. That would be fair. And GM should give us our money back.

[@1969cmp]

We need a new Aussie car builder, owned by Australian and not shackled to what market may open up.

[@fordlandau]

I actually like Fords. Ford still has a presence here. GM has shafted everyone. The assets such as Lang Lang and the properties should be given back now. Don't forget the profits all went back to theUSA. The UK lost its car industry over 20 years ago. 1947 and the creation of Australia's own car belong to history. We might be good but we are TOO EXPENSIVE. Remember too that the Commodore always was a reengineered Opel. The last real Aussie Holden was back in the 1970s: HQ to HZ. Thus we now have Asia as the powerhouse of car manufacturing. China built over 4 million cars last year. Sentiment neither makes nor sells cars.

[@psk5746]

@Ronove Rebadged. Holden was always wasting money; designing the last Commodore when even my dog could see people were buying SUVs or small cars; designing and making their own V8 engine when their parent already had one of the best v8 engines ever designed ...

[@magiatrebonis1354]

they shouldnt have banned gtrs to compete against commodores and falcons

[@Rover101]

That was the only way they could stop the gtrs from winning.

[@truthseeker8483]

I lost interest in the big race after that

[@truthseeker8483]

@Joshua N. Ajang Racing is supposed to improve the breed...afterall

[@Rover101]

The Japanese are excellent engineers, probably the best in the world in most respects perhaps second to the Germans.

[@ARIKIP]

Holden didn’t ban the GTR....Group A was at the end so the V8 supercar era was created.

[@_._._._._._._._]

Ford ceased manufacturing in Australia too. No more Falcon but Ford gave fans the Mustang from the US in right hand drive. Problem was that Holden replaced the Commodore with a shitbox 4 or 6 cylinder Opel Insignia that no one wanted. Holden had no V8 replacement. Just ridiculous.

[@batmanlives6456]

W204 C63 just GM being the prick they always have been

[@dalemcmartin9201]

Free trade killed Holden and Ford in this country, and in particular local production. It’s a national disgrace.

[@peejayem4700]

Dale McMartin to be fair though they kept making cars the public didn’t want

[@noobsaibot7006]

Holden and Ford Australia failed to get with the times. Also GM killed Holden's Australian identity. Overall sad day for Australians.

[@sandybrisbane4167]

Skaife has not driven a Holden in 10 years he drives a BMW

[@Harold_Flite]

Like a rat leaves a sinking ship..

[@drivingschool11]

ah! ah!ah!ah! Good one!

[@Cdog79]

He’s a loyal Holden man, as he spent from 1993-2011 driving Holden. He did so much for the brand, and actually inspired me buy a SSV VE Ute. However my old man seen him in Melbourne a few years ago and he was driving a Porsche lol

[@damocastello5048]

Australians should boycott Bathurst seeing American bloody mustangs and Camaros race at Australia’s premier race course. Seeing Aussie made cars not competing at Bathurst and now seeing American barges race in our backyard is a bloody disgrace.

[@The3TGTE]

Peter Brock would be very happy and pleased about this. Probably the best decision holden has ever made.... Good to finaly see the company crumble to there grave. Not once did holden ever make a decent car.....

[@lesliebarker5657]

What happens to the Supercars will we see Holden go to another American model like Ford with the mustang

[@Heavywall70]

Skaifey!!! Legend

[@joevandijk2284]

BOO HOO The gravy train is over for Holden Racing and 888. Lets see if they stay at the pointy end when they have to fight to survive like the rest of the teams

[@americarsqueensland1667]

The car does not mean much to people anymore, the reasons are many with the main ones being, most new cars are intentionally made overcomplicated, needing special tools for almost everything making them difficult for owners to service or repair. Car pretty much all look the same (jellybeans on wheels), ripoff parts prices from manufacturers plus shorter and shorter car life expectancy. Plus government extorting large sums of money from motorists through speed cameras (a minor speeding offence has a big cost, the penalty is way to high for most offences) plus high registration and insurance costs, the growth in toll roads with big toll prices (where is ourfuel tax and rego money going?), plus high petrol prices, higher than ever before compared to wages, ripoffs by councils for parking and parking fine ripoffs. There are many others negative factors mean Driving just isn't fun anymore, it's a chore for most people, ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE, and especially if you live in a Capitol city. It's to expensive to keep a car, why bother, that's what young people think and i can't blame them, I AM a middle aged car enthusiast and i understand whats wrong, so much is wrong. The whole car hobby is a dying breed.

[@Rooster1717]

I also had tears like Skaifey.....tears of joy. Go Ford.

[@747fa]

Some Holden owners in recent times replaced their Holden symbol on the front and rear of their cars from the "lion" to the Chev symbol. And many Australians wouldn't or couldn't buy Holdens. Not surprising Holden has "bit the dust".

[@batmanlives6456]

747Fan yes hope the dickheads that changed the Holden badges to yank wanker badges are finally happy GM are disgusting and people displaying this should be disgusted too

[@rods6405]

Yes I think a Chevy badged is more bogon than a Holden badge.

[@SMHman666]

747Fan Why couldn't they buy a Holden ? Don't talk shit. It's always a choice. Why would you use a business that treats you like crap ?

[@tonys8243]

A national disgrace......

[@anthonyjinks89]

Building cars in Australia is simply too expensive. Our manufacturing is not competitive anymore.

[@rodgeorge7244]

It's sad that Holden and Ford don't make cars in Australia any more but the main reason that Toyota outsold them is because they made great affordable cars I have owned many Holdens and Fords over the last 54 years I have a VS Commodore Wagon in the back yard but my daily driver is a FJ62 Landcruiser and I have owned many Toyotas over the years including a recently purchased 2017 Toyota Camry with 19090 klms on the clock and it is a fabulous car it was also way cheaper than a Holden I rest my case

[@earbus1]

Skaife winning in the Nissan GTR at Bathurst with Richards made me realise that we made redundant cars.

[@ChumpyChicken2]

They were 2 door 4x4 turbo race cars. The competition were 4 door family sedans. It would have been nice if they built a modern 2 door turbo XU-1

[@earbus1]

@@ChumpyChicken2 Yeah I realise that I just meant the should have embraced that tech , I just hope real touring cars come back I may watch Australian racing again it has been a while .

[@earbus1]

@GodBotherer1 Ha ha definitely .

[@rods6405]

@Joe Shabidu Camira dont use that word, drove one for 3 months no power steering impossible to park!

[@hedylamarr1637]

demise of Oldsmobile and its top selling Cutlass was Holdens wake up call,Holden was asleep .

[@tedburnard841]

hedy lamarr and then they slept through the demise of Buick and Pontiac too

[@wazzajack9253]

Maybe I’m totally naive but couldn’t the Holden car manufacturing plant have continued supported by the government as a specialised industry based on only the Commodore models with six and eight cylinder engines from GM ? Focusing engineering on just that size car market as small as it now is. As for the appeal of cars produced by Holden Special Vehicles with Maloo Utes and muscle cars it produced, enthusiasts in America have wondered why GM didn’t promote it as they could have. Right and left hand drive versions of body styles designed and made in Australia surely could have kept the brand alive.

[@rods6405]

Correct the government should have sold shares in holden (they gave them enough money over the years)

[@1969cmp]

The VF Commodore and FGX Falcon were world class cars.

[@1969cmp]

@Joe Shabidu There was never a VD Commodore. Not a great marketing name. 👍

[@rods6405]

@Joe Shabidu Are you taking the piss out of of 1969cmp? Haha

[@liberty0758]

Holding back tears for an American company. Give me a break...

[@truthseeker8483]

That fact is conveniently forgotten....we should have developed our own company rather than getting foreign companies to do it for us...but that was probably a deal made for our defense...

[@axeman6560]

How much tax payer money was given to GM? And they closed up and left Australia. Fucking disgrace.

[@stuarthancock571]

Oh please the comments here are pure ignorance. SUV's took over the big sedans and station wagons worldwide.Every manufacturer has about 3 or 4 SUV models. Ford tried with the Aussie made Territory but GM weren't interested and imported the Korean Captiva. And the exported VF Commodores to the US? GM only did it to strike a deal with the Australian government so our tax went to the American shareholder. Detroit screwed us over.

[@Jag-leaper]

I have a strong feeling their new global operations are based out of Korea...they "left" Detroit a few years ago

[@time2kickarse]

@Dave Goldspink don't forget zero tax paid to the Government here once money way syphoned off shore using one of the big American accounting firms like KPMG.

[@freeagent8225]

So true people voted with their wallets. No point making something that doesn't sell.The product could be great but the customer decides the future.

[@peterrichards1058]

SUV are boring and the woke motoring industry is now destroying any soul a car enthusiast had. GM wants to make EV and AV and electric cars have no soul or raw emotional sound just bloody boring. Autonomous vehicles will take any pleasure out of driving ,so might as well be on bus. GM will go down the toilet if they stay on this woke SUV EV AV path watch that space.

[@stuarthancock571]

@@peterrichards1058 It's consumer driven mate. The average family goes like this: Grandpa had an EH, Dad had a VK and the son with a young family is buying a Mazda CX7, Nissan Pathfinders etc. Only a bad business man blames the consumer for bad sales. Holden had a Commodore based SUV in the pipeline to be built at Elizabeth, like the Ford Territory, (was going to be called the Nullabor) but white collar wankers binned it and offered the Daewoo Captiva. Traditional Holden families went WTF? And now it is what it is.

[@gteam2]

4:14 Ford Australia has been and still is "in that game"

[@footrot17]

My mates dad for 15 yrs was an electronic engineer at Toyota, they closed and the poor guy can't find or get another job. Feel sorry for the people that got laid off

[@BRETTYZCAR]

Watch them try to fix this years racing season so they can have have a last hurrah. GoFord!

[@jarnosaarinen4583]

I've got my Special Order HSV Calais and my SS ute and i will have them when i die!

[@muzaffarmohamad]

I am sad to actually see the demise of Holden. I used to drive the red motor 186 in the eighties. I drove it from Sydney to Perth, it was the days before the national highways. It was so reliable. The journey was dusty and lonely at times. I camped in the bush and the drive took me 6 days. I made friends with the farmers and Aborogines along the way. My friends and neighbors has the Torana XU1 and the Kingswood. Commodore, I think the SL/E costs $9990 then. Of course petrol was 34 cents per litre in the cities but will cost you 69 cents in the Nullabor. Yes. it's "meatpies, kangaroo and Holden cars". RIP my friend

[@bugsydarko4537]

The cars were too expensive to buy, after sales dealer service was disgraceful, & the warranty t&c's were very leaky & too risky.

[@petersmith2040]

GM stands for Government Motors. Without the bailout from the US Federal Gov't back in 2008, GM would have been out of business globally back then. GM had already pulled out of the EU and Indian markets before this recent announcement of withdrawing HOLDEN from the Australian and NZ markets.

[@rods6405]

Yeh that woman CEO is working out well for them.

[@siddalton5221]

Go Ford!

[@bcgibson22]

Aussies care about Holden......getting the impression GM don't

[@vernontrickey4115]

WE WERE ALREADY INSPIRED WITH OUR CARS. NOTHING WILL REPLACE THAT. NO DUMB ARSE ENVIRONMENTAL ANYTHING WILL EVER TAKE HERE IS AUSTRALIA. WE WANT OUR INDUSTRY BACK. NOW.

[@54111001]

Skaifee # Respect. I was crying ever since our Tax dollars were going towards GMH, who threatened the Government they would pull out of production in Australia if they didn't. You didn't need a crystal ball to see the future of Holden in Australia ever since. There are also rumours down pit lane that some of these dollars went towards the Holden Racing Team. I can only speculate, but can't see how some of the 2.2 Billion dollars didn't make its way through to HRT. Is this true, if so what a disgrace. As an avid motor sport enthusiast, I feel The Car of the Future or Australian Super Car series, call it what you will, will too follow the way of Holden. Bring back Group A and get on with the job.

[@freeagent8225]

I was battling to hold back the tears on March 31 2008 when Mitsubishi closed and the 380 died. My father drove an 1972 Charger. I never thought the brand of Mitsubishi would disappear from the Australian landscape. Many car fanatics feel that the best made Australian car died almost 12 years ago.

[@randallk2556]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@deficator750]

Once they started hiking up the price for the cars i stopped buying holden, i purchased the older cheaper ones because they pretty much turned to more luxury priced Holden’s starting at 40k+. That pretty much forces the lower and middle classes else where, i mean toyota are constantly bringing in affordable cars.

[@blackterminal]

Australians liked Holden but were not buying new ones.

[@jamieshields9521]

As much Australians stop manufacturing n then stop buying cars i reckon there was room to change car to build local SUV n truck but GM gave up they couldn’t see history repeating. Years ago Australia use to build tractors, local design but became expensive operation n close making way for globe tractors. Ford New Holland n International CaseIH end up merging CNH but look at what get now awesome Magnum n combines. I reckon GM has made wrong decision. I still on fence with dealerships, some were shit n others try fix things GM didn’t care or support in fixing issues but choices of owning new car or ute wasn’t cheap.

[@lobsterwhisperer7932]

Aussies weren't buying the vf commodore...now they feel teary eyed, give me a break and go back to your hilux

[@Rover101]

True. If you don't own a Holden then there's no grounds for complaining.

[@Foxgaming-th7pl]

They have missed the market should have made a ute like a Hilux 15 years ago

[@Foxgaming-th7pl]

Sitting in a Hilux used to drive a vx commodore

[@tomnewham1269]

James Hagin wouldn’t matter. Only 47000 hilux’s were sold last year. That wouldn’t be enough to keep a Toyota or Holden factory from not closing. Skaify hit the nail on the head, people don’t value a car like they use to.

[@rods6405]

@@Foxgaming-th7pl Spot on But Holden and FordAU tried to get into that Hilux landcruiser market but every time they did the Septics said just sell our Bronco Blazer F100-350 Suburban yadda yadda yadda. But the yanks did not understand that the track on those cars was too wide for our bushtracks (carved by landrovers and toyotas) and our streets and car parks. FordAU got away with the Territory but then failed with the marketing of the last model aiming it at woman not men.

[@michaelverkerk9449]

We have lost another set of trade skills and technical skills in this country so if you want to work in the car industry as a designer engineer ECT you have to leave the country and go overseas . We are losing the next generation of youth as important jobs leave this country. In the last 35 yrs we have lost so much of our industries that the country is just about on its knees. We don't even have stamping presses here anymore it will be a very interesting future for this country.

[@noobsaibot7006]

Holden ended up in the grave just like Saab, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Saturn. The reason why these brands got killed off because GM destroyed their identities that made them unique.

[@uliman100]

Quite simple... Toyota makes relaible cars that dont depreciate like other brands... I am not even in Australia and I can tell you that

[@thewholls7176]

People are crying about the Holden brand disappearing well every time I ask one of these people you’re obviously very upset...... when was the last time you actually bought a Holden for the most part they never have or haven’t bought one for bloody decades.........So by en large they have not supported the brand themselves and now they’re crying at the brand is disappearing which is all linked to lack of profitability Grow up people and another point we never even had bloody manufacturing here all we had was assembly and they couldn’t even do that and make it work let alone Manufacturing

[@Karl-Benny]

Love the Brand What Brand its a badge you cant buy an Australian made Holden and the one running around the track has nothing in common other than a badge

[@richardzedman1160]

Its always going to be tough to sell rebadged cars when you don't make anything they were gone already Skaife makes me laugh watching car racing last year he always bang on about the holden factory team lol factory what they have been faking it in the media to prop it up

[@bcgibson22]

'We make good things in Australia'....no, we MADE good things

[@batmanlives6456]

Scarf is a wanker always was

[@Paris.Kalachnikov]

The combined market share of Ford and Holden is exceeded by Toyota because both are a sub standard product that GM and Ford matched by appalling customer service and warranty Mark.

[@HX7V]

Short sighted Governments signing free trade agreements with cheap labour countries and continually lowering our import duties caused the loss of car manufacturing in Australia.

[@Desertduleler_88]

Free trade isn't fair trade, weak politician's sold us out.

[@Evvzt]

- Hyundai Stingers welcomed in - but there was no room for the Holden Torana Twin Turbo V6 concept way back early 2000’s DUMB Hopefully HSV comes back with GM rear wheel drive 4 doors and V8 As the flagship stick with the formula

[@toonmag50]

The customer is king. You lot, very similar to the UK 30 years ago, simply stopped buying your own vehicles. You all wanted German and then Japanese, as you believed all the BS. GM simply had enough of it, and left. Problem for Aus, now, is your only proper income comes from big holes in your deserts, the contents of which are used by the Chinese.

[@bradleyfield3944]

Why do hoons drive bombadores?

[@jminnt1020]

Because they rip you fkhead. What do you drive a fkn camry ffs

[@andrewg2618]

This just shows you how much of an illusion that Holden was. As a car manufacturer it was NEVER Australian Skaifey. As a Saddlery company...yes it was Australian. They built Fords too. But when GM bought the name Holden....it was over. That was in 1931. When you analyse it, Ford was actually more Australian.

[@tedburnard841]

Andrew G yes, as a Holden man I have to agree with you. Most management decisions were made in Detroit or New York. I remember as a kid watching the news on the old black and white TV at home when journos were asking Holden management what the price of the new (yet to be released) Holden was going to be. The answer from the Holden top brass was along the lines of “we have not yet had a reply to our telex from New York”

[@alanjm1234]

Sorry, Skaife, but COTF killed supercars for me.

[@hmrmdf]

What people fail to realize younger generation dose not care for holden vs ford or aus made, now that gm killed of the brand and parts will only be available for limited time holden is new saab.

[@myredute]

My first car was a Holden Wagon HK161 & I had it 10 years. I've had numerous cars including Commodores, Rovers, Magnas & now a Merc. The best car I have now is a Ford 1931 A Model because,unlike all the rest it started life in the USA, in 1931, for a sticker price of $475 US & is the 20,000,000th. car Henry Ford built & is absolutely rare. Unlike all the rest it is now valued at $100,000 AUD & is the very reason why Holdens, Fords & many other brands are now worth nothing. They were built as a consumer item & they were consumed, in their thousands. It matters not what you buy today because in the end they all have a service life & like us,they die in the end. Grieve for the loss of the brand & move on..........nothing else matters in this life except family & friends, it's as simple as that!

[@brucehemsworth6844]

Maybe a lot of people wanted brand new imports, rather than a locally made brand new car? Now I can't buy an AUSSIE made car... The people who bought imports I wonder if they thought about the people who lost their jobs?

[@oilyragsgarage7200]

The Commodore should have been killed off many years before, like 15 years ago and started fresh, with a more fuel efficient model. No one wants large engines anymore. They didn't look at the market closely enough.

[@fredoes]

I know a lot of people who still want a v8 so you can't say no one!

[@andrewg2618]

@Joe Shabidu exactly. People are sheep.

[@wazzajack9253]

I guess for V8 Supercars fans that love the muscle cars the T/A competition of Mustangs, Camaro’s and Dodge’s will need to be elevated. After all Holden’s history was based on having a small version of Chevrolet.

[@rods6405]

V8 Supercars is waste they never ever drove out of show room cars they only used the outside panels of the makes the cars were built as race cars from the ground up.

[@MrBfeboi]

the commodore was great value for money vehicle that no one wanted. the market changed but holden didn't. emergence of cheaper small efficient cars and manufacturers giving out proper warranty and luxury cars that were leaps and bounds in terms of quality and finesse killed the brand that wouldn't change. How do they expect ppl to pay for a V8 when prices of fuel keeps going up. No investment or innovation in a powerful / efficient 4 Cylinder or V6 limited their variety of products.

[@allenjones5525]

The comment about being a 'modern nation because you made a car' sort of doesn't recognise that as a nation, during WW2, building aeroplanes , ships and tanks was far more complicated than a car. Therefore, the engineering and skill base was there and would have been wasted if the Chiefly government hadn't encouraged the development of the car industry. The decrease of the skill base re engineering etc with the demise of 'manufacturing' in this country reduces the diversity of employment opportunities as well as creating so worrying aspects for national security,

[@truthseeker8483]

Hey we can always make Lattes or sell Chinese crap...

[@rods6405]

Very True. I think the Lithgow automatic gun factory can still be put into operation.

[@dooshdashcams2629]

Geez Mark, could it be the recent ACCC action of 20 plus years of unethical behaviour by Holden and Ford while living off a legacy built by the public not racing?

[@markfarley4689]

Now that the SJW's run your country, you'll probably go back to horse and buggies like when you were just a penal colony.

[@mr.sunnyg5510]

grew up watching this man race, had all the holden gear as a kid and cherish the brand deeply... sorry to say if you don't share my passion for the name, it's apart of Australia more then anything and to palm it off is just unaustralian... whole family owns nothing but holden and they've been more reliable then any car I've come across... my goal was to work at holden but that's gone now (cheers for that, im in my 20s now and can't bitch about the past and how you people and this government along with GM fucked people like me over)... but anyway, guess ill be telling my son in the future when he asks "what's that lion dad?" and I'll say "that's the holden lion mate, when Australia used to build it's own car".

[@maccart67]

Skaifie! What a legend.

[@maccart67]

@Joe Shabidu - Gotta start somewhere, as did Brocky. Jimmy Richards and Skafie did well.

[@jonevans5084]

After 2024, we’ll send President Trump to our Aussie Friends to help straighten out the mess!👍💪🏻🇺🇸😀

[@conseated3616]

Won't be missed.

[@haydengault2568]

Of Brocky was still here he would be shocked

[@4port]

its Self induced death ……… between holden treating their customers with so much contempt and producing shitbox cars for the last 10 years and the unions F..King the Australian companies over what else do you expect......……

[@zjm68]

One of the main men Behind V8 Supercars is surprised Holden died ? Even though his series No Longer required manufacturers to Build actual road going homologated cars . Saw it coming right from the start ! If your going to race Fake cars your fans might as well buy a Thai Dual cab

[@Rari98]

just put a holden badge on a skyline

[@Ride_on54]

HSV aren’t shutting down could be a Camaro?

[@peterdixon7144]

Blame Mary Barra.

[@davesmith147]

The bogans will be crying.

[@jimclarke1108]

Hard to imagine the name HOLDEN would disappear, guess they might change the name to GM dealers and sell Cheve cars and SUVs etc

[@anthonybollini3699]

To my friends in Australia you do make one of the best rear wheel drive cars in the world I know I have a Cadillac that happens to be dna derivative from your VF cars in Australia the Cadillac CTS 6 and the CTS V or 2 of the finest vehicles ever made in the United States with derivatives right from Australia General Motors cherry pick this and you can actually think that new Corvette as DNA from Australia thank you it sucks that Mary Berra and are dim wits down on the riverfront in my Hometown of Detroit can actually think that we can close off making manufacturing and make electric cars at really nobody really wants and hasn't really prove themselves I think Tesla's a pile of ship as someone who's totaled 1 they found out how hard it is and how expensive it is to ensure 1 to be honest with you it's a sad day for the entire Western world when we cannot manufacture anything in our countries I am tired of the 3rd world 3rd world ripping us off constantly maybe our president who everybody thinks is of Have a buffoon Maybe he is correct for once and maybe the rest the world should take suit I feel sorry for you people I really do I cry every night because no one will ever build a rear wheel drive V8 current ever again other than Chrysler in the Italian's would love the steep 6th the challenger and the charger body style even though it sells immensely well here in the States and it's also a police car please accept this heartfelt condolence to your country and to your people you showed me up most respect when I was there working for Holden during the eighties and I felt an AA khinjan ship with everyone there good luck my friends

[@atomikmaster1]

Holden robbed the public of tax dollars to prop up a dead company for decades. They couldn't sell cause they were shit boxes on wheels compared to vehicle around the world. Holden really died when Brock left us. 😢

[@jefflangdon3540]

He kinda gave that away he’s known for a long time.

[@bigbopper546]

He was a nissan guy before they got canned

[@davidjohnston7512]

Baseball,hotdogs,apple pie and Chevrolet.look it up.General motors just adapted it for the Aussie market.Holden was NEVER Australian.

[@actorzone856]

Who cares.

[@peterlee6745]

Always The Top Brass That Take orders From Someone Else. Just Like UK We Lost it 15 years ago NOW all bmw Audi Mercs . So sad 4U Aussie Love Your Muscle Cars . So Got Me a VXR8 /Hsv 6.2. Cheers From a Pom Long Live The V888

[@applemuffin7253]

Mardi Gras/curry pies/designer dogs and Korean cars