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HSV Aussie made Holden ends but will live on...
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griffo Offline
#1 Posted : Wednesday, 3 January 2018 3:54:18 PM(UTC)
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HSV ends for for Aussie made Holden but will now modify Colorado utes and convert Chevrolet Camaro muscle cars and Silverado pick-ups from left-hand-drive to right-hand-drive.

A lot of you guys most likely knew all this, I found it a Interesting read.....

Link:
http://www.news.com.au/t...ec35e58516ba445123c77881

Edited by user Wednesday, 3 January 2018 3:59:59 PM(UTC)  | Reason: spell
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Silverfox Offline
#2 Posted : Wednesday, 17 January 2018 9:38:09 PM(UTC)
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Hi.

Thinking about the HSV Business Model and how all of this has wound up and I feel that in a way they are the last man standing in Australian car manufacture....probably not completely correct to say that but they do get cars in and change them in house to suit their market and then market the completed (changed) product.

Sadly, I see high performance sporty road cars becoming the lesser component in their market and tarted up SUVs becoming the main line.

"HOLDEN MONARO. OUT TO DRIVE YOU WILD!"
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hainzy Offline
#3 Posted : Friday, 8 June 2018 4:05:19 PM(UTC)
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Would be great if HSV had bought Holden and kept them going. They could have just kept developing the VF... Big job though!! Would be great if a lot of things happened differently but unfortunately due to a variety of factors, Holden probably wont be around much longer. The new commodore is certainly turning out to be a sales flop. GM execs will be happy to sell Holden off. They already sold off Opel, which will be the death knell for the ZB. The government didn't support Holden and was happy to shut it down too. Soon all we'll have is fond memories and the classics in our sheds.
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HK1837 Offline
#4 Posted : Friday, 8 June 2018 5:25:35 PM(UTC)
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Can you actually buy a ZB? I have not seen one on the road yet. Either that or they are so uninspiring to look at that they just blend in with all the other imported vanilla stuff that you don't notice them.
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commodorenut Offline
#5 Posted : Friday, 8 June 2018 8:02:28 PM(UTC)
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The ZB has been outselling its most direct rival - the Mondeo - since it went on sale in Feb. I've seen quite a few on the road.

I know 2 people who have bought them - one private, one a company car (his choice) - both the 2.0L version. The guy with the company option had a string of Camrys before the ZB. He was told 4 cylinder mid-size, his choice up to $42K. He's not a car guy at all, and I was amazed that he chose the ZB. I asked him why, when there's so much competition - Camry, Mazda 6, Subaru Liberty, Mondeo and a myriad of others, and he replied "it's the only one made in Germany, and it's nicer to drive than the others" - can't argue with that answer from joe public who doesn't buy a car based on emotions.

I drove the other (private) one, and when you compare apples & apples - ie, what a Mondeo and a Camry drive like, the ZB is actually pretty decent. Sure, it's nothing like a VE or VF, but when you look at it as a car in that class, it is a worthy contender - but you won't change the mindset of the repeat Camry buyers, which wipes out over half the potential buyers in the ZB's market.

The sooner people wake up & realise that it's never intended to be a DIRECT replacement for the rear-drive, large-engine, sedan, wagon & ute we've come to love, and has stepped down a size class, they'll see that it's right at home where they have positioned it. The only error was continuing the Commodore nameplate on it - they would have been better with a fresh nameplate.

The Ford camp will crow that the Commodore is nothing against a Mustang - but that's not its new target market. It's squarely up against the Mondeo, and it's outselling it. If Ford can justify keeping the Mondeo going in that crowded segment, Holden can certainly do the same with the ZB.

The large car market was shrinking to extinction. The mid-size market is only just surviving. SUVs have done their damage to both. From a marketing perspective, GMH have done the smart thing by entering a market with potential. It's up to the GMH marketing guys to capitalise on the 99% of the population who aren't "car guys" and sell it to them - they could well start by using the German manufacture as a selling point over others made in cheap labour countries. Sure, some of the market are also made in Japan, which can be a selling point for them, but many are from SE Asia & Eastern Europe locations too.

Edited by user Friday, 8 June 2018 8:03:27 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Cheers,

Mick
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Judge a successful man not on how he treats his peers, but on how he treats those less fortunate.
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wbute Offline
#6 Posted : Friday, 8 June 2018 8:54:26 PM(UTC)
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I drove across Sydney from Hunters Hill, Victoria road to the M4 and back up the mountains. I started trying to count new Commodores, but gave up because there was none. I gave up even bothering counting Holden’s full stop. As far as I can see, Holden is really not selling cars anyone wants now.
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castellan Offline
#7 Posted : Sunday, 10 June 2018 1:03:53 PM(UTC)
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The new commodore just blends in with all the other crap, so it's hard to recognise them, even driving by the Holden dealer I am like is that one of the small Holden's, they are just so bland.

I hate the grill as it comes across as totally gay and them flaps look Vauxhall and the big round lion is just to big, they should get rid of that great big stupid Lion with the ring around it, that has just worn out it's welcome and just put HOLDEN or something along the lines of the EK front badge or HR-K type of thing.

And go with a more aggressive grill.

It has to stand out more as a Holden, something along the sides and the rear that shouts Holden or Commodore.

No one likes the big ring around the lion badge and that's why some put the Chevy badge on there Holden's because it looks much better, as from the VZ on it's just to big.
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Shearer Offline
#8 Posted : Sunday, 10 June 2018 1:18:55 PM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: commodorenut Go to Quoted Post
The sooner people wake up & realise that it's never intended to be a DIRECT replacement for the rear-drive, large-engine, sedan, wagon & ute we've come to love, and has stepped down a size class, they'll see that it's right at home where they have positioned it. The only error was continuing the Commodore nameplate on it - they would have been better with a fresh nameplate.


I agree, the ZB isn't aimed at the previous Commodore buyers rather aimed for Camry, Mazda 6, VW Passat, etc market.

My guess why Holden chose to keep the Commodore name plate as it's still well known, if Holden chose another nameplate it may flop like the Epica and the Malibu.
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hainzy Offline
#9 Posted : Friday, 15 June 2018 11:37:45 AM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: commodorenut Go to Quoted Post
The ZB has been outselling its most direct rival - the Mondeo - since it went on sale in Feb. I've seen quite a few on the road.

I know 2 people who have bought them - one private, one a company car (his choice) - both the 2.0L version. The guy with the company option had a string of Camrys before the ZB. He was told 4 cylinder mid-size, his choice up to $42K. He's not a car guy at all, and I was amazed that he chose the ZB. I asked him why, when there's so much competition - Camry, Mazda 6, Subaru Liberty, Mondeo and a myriad of others, and he replied "it's the only one made in Germany, and it's nicer to drive than the others" - can't argue with that answer from joe public who doesn't buy a car based on emotions.

I drove the other (private) one, and when you compare apples & apples - ie, what a Mondeo and a Camry drive like, the ZB is actually pretty decent. Sure, it's nothing like a VE or VF, but when you look at it as a car in that class, it is a worthy contender - but you won't change the mindset of the repeat Camry buyers, which wipes out over half the potential buyers in the ZB's market.

The sooner people wake up & realise that it's never intended to be a DIRECT replacement for the rear-drive, large-engine, sedan, wagon & ute we've come to love, and has stepped down a size class, they'll see that it's right at home where they have positioned it. The only error was continuing the Commodore nameplate on it - they would have been better with a fresh nameplate.

The Ford camp will crow that the Commodore is nothing against a Mustang - but that's not its new target market. It's squarely up against the Mondeo, and it's outselling it. If Ford can justify keeping the Mondeo going in that crowded segment, Holden can certainly do the same with the ZB.

The large car market was shrinking to extinction. The mid-size market is only just surviving. SUVs have done their damage to both. From a marketing perspective, GMH have done the smart thing by entering a market with potential. It's up to the GMH marketing guys to capitalise on the 99% of the population who aren't "car guys" and sell it to them - they could well start by using the German manufacture as a selling point over others made in cheap labour countries. Sure, some of the market are also made in Japan, which can be a selling point for them, but many are from SE Asia & Eastern Europe locations too.


Commodorenut that is the best and most sensible explanation I have read all year.

Edited by user Friday, 15 June 2018 11:38:29 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
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wbute Offline
#10 Posted : Friday, 15 June 2018 1:20:18 PM(UTC)
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The first quarter of 2018 saw Commodore sales at 990. Half of them were old stock VF. Were those VF considered as part of the win against the Mondeo?
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Dr Terry Offline
#11 Posted : Friday, 15 June 2018 2:00:53 PM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: wbute Go to Quoted Post
The first quarter of 2018 saw Commodore sales at 990. Half of them were old stock VF. Were those VF considered as part of the win against the Mondeo?


The first full month sales for ZB was March, so the first quarter figures are irrelevant. AFAIK the ZB outsold Mondeo in both March & April.

Dr Terry
If at first you don't succeed, just call it Version 1.0
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HK1837 Offline
#12 Posted : Friday, 15 June 2018 4:17:41 PM(UTC)
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I get the market Holden are targeting, but never been a market I'm interested in (ie front wheel drive and not a V8) so I guess like many others I'm cynical of the whole exercise whether I be right or wrong. Especially since Holden have tried this caper before with Epica, Malibu, Calibra, Vectra etc and none have ever been all that well supported. And they are essentially up against well established stuff like Camry, Mazda 6 and similar product from just about everyone else. I still reckon they should have had a decent tilt at the SUV and dual cab market with stuff that made them stand out, but alas they missed the mark there too.
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wbute Offline
#13 Posted : Friday, 15 June 2018 8:54:06 PM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: Dr Terry Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: wbute Go to Quoted Post
The first quarter of 2018 saw Commodore sales at 990. Half of them were old stock VF. Were those VF considered as part of the win against the Mondeo?


The first full month sales for ZB was March, so the first quarter figures are irrelevant. AFAIK the ZB outsold Mondeo in both March & April.

Dr Terry


How does that work out? March and April are part of the first quarter
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Dr Terry Offline
#14 Posted : Saturday, 16 June 2018 8:45:11 AM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: wbute Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: Dr Terry Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: wbute Go to Quoted Post
The first quarter of 2018 saw Commodore sales at 990. Half of them were old stock VF. Were those VF considered as part of the win against the Mondeo?


The first full month sales for ZB was March, so the first quarter figures are irrelevant. AFAIK the ZB outsold Mondeo in both March & April.

Dr Terry


How does that work out? March and April are part of the first quarter


When I went to school, there were 12 months in a year, therefore 3 months in a quarter of a year. The first quarter was the first 3 months. January, February & March. AFAIK April is the first month of the 2nd quarter.

Dr Terry
If at first you don't succeed, just call it Version 1.0
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wbute Offline
#15 Posted : Saturday, 16 June 2018 8:55:41 AM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: Dr Terry Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: wbute Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: Dr Terry Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: wbute Go to Quoted Post
The first quarter of 2018 saw Commodore sales at 990. Half of them were old stock VF. Were those VF considered as part of the win against the Mondeo?


The first full month sales for ZB was March, so the first quarter figures are irrelevant. AFAIK the ZB outsold Mondeo in both March & April.

Dr Terry


How does that work out? March and April are part of the first quarter


When I went to school, there were 12 months in a year, therefore 3 months in a quarter of a year. The first quarter was the first 3 months. January, February & March. AFAIK April is the first month of the 2nd quarter.

Dr Terry


I am fairly sure Feb and March are in the first quarter though. The ZB went on sale in Feb, so half the sales were not ZB, they were actually VF old stock.
When I went to school, Feb and March were in the first quarter. It must have changed over the years.
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Tour Director Offline
#16 Posted : Saturday, 16 June 2018 9:31:16 AM(UTC)
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