Guest Guest66881 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 General Motors has announced car maker Holden will stop manufacturing in Australia in 2017. The company issued a press release from its Detroit headquarters. It said it would discontinue vehicle and engine manufacturing and significantly reduce its engineering operations in Australia by the end of 2017. “We are completely dedicated to strengthening our global operations while meeting the needs of our customers,” GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson said. “The decision to end manufacturing in Australia reflects the perfect storm of negative influences the automotive industry faces in the country, including the sustained strength of the Australian dollar, high cost of production, small domestic market and arguably the most competitive and fragmented auto market in the world.” http://au.news.yahoo.com/sa/a/20265871/holden-to-withdraw/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Is anyone surprised? Such a heavily unionised and overpaid workforce was destined for only one outcome ... particularly with a change of Government at Federal level ... Best regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth 666 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Is anyone surprised? Such a heavily unionised and overpaid workforce was destined for only one outcome ... particularly with a change of Government at Federal level ... Best regards. Yep, British Leyland all over!! Maybe we exported a few of the ex-car plant workers after that collapsed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Easy decision for the Pollies to make. Do they subsidise the car industry, like all other car makers are, and keep jobs in Holden and all the other industries that depend on Holden, or do they let them bail? In the long term I think it would cost a lot more in unemployment benefit, social degradation, loss of an industry and associated skills. Aus, the UK, Germany, France, basically anywhere where people working on a production line expect a decent liveable wage may as well get out of the motor industry now and leave it to the Asian countries. May as well say that about all manufacturing tbh. The clothing industry has already gone down that route and the manufacturing for even designer clothes is done in China, Bangaldesh, India, anywhere they can get it made that's cheap. We've seen what that lead to and how much those countries care about workers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibbs Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 The numbers are telling :- http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/holden-to-end-its-australian-car-manufacturing-operations-in-2017/story-fni0fiyv-1226780690797 Not enough market for the Commodore. Shame as the VE was a good car, and the new VF is a step up again. But the market wants small hatchbacks and SUV / 4x4s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Sad but not surprising. We are all paid too much but then we are all paying too much for houses. Vicious circle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 The numbers are telling :- http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/holden-to-end-its-australian-car-manufacturing-operations-in-2017/story-fni0fiyv-1226780690797 Not enough market for the Commodore. Shame as the VE was a good car, and the new VF is a step up again. But the market wants small hatchbacks and SUV / 4x4s. Agree. They would have to start making what the public want, not churning out the same V6 models that have looked dated for a few years, no matter what fancy electronic equipment you put in them. That's what the smart production lines are supposed to be able to do though, change to new models very quickly. I studied that at Uni way back in the 80's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 They tried making smaller cars years ago but people still prefer the imported ones. I cannot say anything as I have never owned a Holden and its people like me who like the Toyotas, Mazdas etc and the imported models. Years ago we looked at Ford and Holden but we did not like the finish on the cars so went for overseas cars. I now have a Ford but where was it built Thailand and where was my Mazda built, Japan. Once farmers always had a Holden Ute what do they have now, Japanese utes, four wheel drives etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 They sound a bit like Rover - nothing really made them stand out. They needed to do something different that the people (not just Australians) needed. If they had done a mazda and developed an mx5. Maybe if they had gone all out and specialized in electric cars or something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacaranda Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 For nostalgic reasons I feel quite sad about this.I went to Holdens on a school trip!:cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibbs Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Agree. They would have to start making what the public want, not churning out the same V6 models that have looked dated for a few years, no matter what fancy electronic equipment you put in them. That's what the smart production lines are supposed to be able to do though, change to new models very quickly. I studied that at Uni way back in the 80's. GM scuppered them by forcing the rebadged Daewoos, and then bringing Opel to the market for a year to compete (why on earth do this?). I'll admit, I've got an Aussie Holden, but then Iv'e also got a Thai Toyota. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeegieDave Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Sad but not surprising. We are all paid too much but then we are all paying too much for houses. Vicious circle. But can it continue as is?? Will there be a very big bubble bursting sometime soon?? :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Les Patterson Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Go and buy one of the up spec HSV's like the GTS and put it in a shed.......will be worth a lot of money in years to come Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibbs Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Go and buy one of the up spec HSV's like the GTS and put it in a shed.......will be worth a lot of money in years to come Yup, I've only a VE GTS. But I'll be looking to keep it long term now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I guess we will be sourcing them from overseas like the rest of the cars we have here. Holden do make an electric car and its a very nice one, like it better than the Toyota version. However they never seem to advertise them anywhere. Also fleets were the main stay for Holden and Ford and of course fleets are turning to smaller vans and cars these days. Also with the employees being given packages with car of their choice, this has made a huge difference to demand. Times are a changing I am just sad that so many people's jobs are to be affected and we all know someone who has lost a job, or is doing it hard. Adelaide and Melbourne will be the hardest hit and of course its the usual areas of both where they will be hit hardest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 That is the end result though of buying overseas cars. It is a bit silly to say you are sorry people are loosing their jobs when you have helped cause them to lose their job. Hopefully the Holden name doesn't disappear. Will the import a large car and brand it a Holden commodore ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibbs Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Holden will be a Daewoo rebranding company. GM wouldn't let them sell Opel (hence the opening, and closing of Opel in the last 12 months). HSV will continue apparently. One of the head guys at Walkinshaw recon it'll be 200,000 jobs gone in the end (due to the supply chain not being needed) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 That is the end result though of buying overseas cars.It is a bit silly to say you are sorry people are loosing their jobs when you have helped cause them to lose their job. Hopefully the Holden name doesn't disappear. Will the import a large car and brand it a Holden commodore ? OK so I am supposed to be happy they lose their jobs as I did not buy Holden. I do think that the writing has been on the wall for a long time and if I had been a worker at either Ford Holden or Toyota I would have been making a contingency plan. Also small business will be affected but as we know keeping all your eggs in the one basket is not a good idea. So personal responsibility does come into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theonetruechris Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 The fact that they wouldn't develop the chassis to take a diesel speaks volumes for it as a manufacturer. The hints were there when they announced the Malibu which allegedly serviced a different market to the commodore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibbs Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 The fact that they wouldn't develop the chassis to take a diesel speaks volumes for it as a manufacturer. GM doesn't have a RWD diesel engine that would be suitable. The engine would have to be outsourced, so add cost to the car. But maybe it would have sold more in Europe as a diesel. Who knows. The V6 is more than economical enough and you don't have to put up with how awful diesel engines are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theonetruechris Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Perhaps RWD was not the basket to put eggs in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibbs Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Perhaps RWD was not the basket to put eggs in. So you want a diesel FWD? Ewww, icky. I've put people on "ignore" for less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Rather obvious Australia is never going to be able to match Asian cost advantages. It is a totally uneven playing field. If profit is the sole motive there is little hope for any manufacturing of any sort to be under taking in Australia. Is reliance on Asia for all manufacturing needs a good thing? Likely not. Skills will be lost and this country will be dependant on those countries regardless of future pricing and costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest66881 Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Australia if not very careful will soon become another shed housing others creations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenon4017 Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Go and buy one of the up spec HSV's like the GTS and put it in a shed.......will be worth a lot of money in years to come What will be worth the money, the car or the shed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.