Holden Commodore 2013 News

Australia is still a nation of gas-guzzlers even though new data shows tailpipe emissions have fallen to their lowest since records were first calculated 10 years ago. Small-car specialist Suzuki topped the latest car emissions study while Jeep ranked last among the Top 15 brands.Figures released by the National Transport Commission show the average emissions for all new cars sold last year fell to 192 grams per kilometre compared to 252g/km in 2002.But our cars are still pumping out 45 per cent more carbon-dioxide compared to those in Europe (132g/km) and we’re not far behind the gas-guzzling capital of the world: North America (231g/km).Although small cars and SUVs have overtaken the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon as our family favourites, Australians have been relatively slow to adopt more efficient vehicles because we are the fourth cheapest developed country in the world for petrol and the sixth cheapest for diesel.“There’s no doubt that one of the biggest factors that drives the European result is their substantially higher fuel taxation,” said the executive director of the Australian Automobile Association, Andrew McKellar.For example, the petrol price average in the UK last year was 217.3 cents per litre compared to 146.6 cents per litre in Australia. Fuel excise in Australia is also among the cheapest in the world: 38.1 cents per litre versus the UK’s 59.3 cents per litre.“Australian car buyers still tend to favour size, power and performance over fuel economy,” said Mr McKellar. However, the study should not be a “black mark” for motorists because Australians are more reliant on the motor vehicle.“In Europe, when you want to travel between cities it’s not uncommon to catch a high-speed train,” said Mr McKellar. “Australia obviously doesn’t have that network so we depend more on cars, and ones that can be driven comfortably over long distances.”The NTC figures also reveal private buyers are doing more to save the planet than are government and businesses. The average emissions of vehicles bought by private buyers last year was 186g/km compared to 198g/km for businesses and 210g/km for government fleets.This is partly because government purchasing policies have favoured Australian-made vehicles, which aren’t as efficient as equivalently-sized imported cars.Toyota has the most efficient locally-made cars, with the Camry and Aurion sedans producing an average of 179g/km, ahead of the Ford Falcon sedan and Territory SUV (213g/km).Despite manufacturing the Cruze small car alongside the Commodore, Holden’s emissions were the highest of the local makers (237g/km), according to the report.Indeed, none of Australia’s three manufacturers figured in the Top 10 list of the most efficient car brands.Top honours went to small car specialist Suzuki, whose average fleet emissions was 158g/km, ahead of BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai.Toyota, Ford and Holden ranked in the bottom of the Top 15 brands, with Jeep ranked highest among the group (226g/km).Toyota may have the largest hybrid model range but it was penalised by its high proportion of commercial vehicles and SUVs.Meanwhile the locally-made Ford and Holden six-cylinder cars outweighed the improvements in with their imported four-cylinder cars.The study covered only the Top 15 brands as they represented 92 per cent of vehicles sold in Australia in 2013.Meanwhile, Australia’s regulations for carbon dioxide vehicle emissions lag European standards by more than six years.The latest “Euro 5” rules, as they are known, aren’t due to be enforced in Australia until November 2016; they were introduced in Europe in September 2010.Europe is targeting even stricter standards by 2015 (to an average emissions rating of 130 g/km) before limboing to just 95 g/km in 2020.The European target for light commercial vehicles such as utes and vans are 175 g/km in 2017 and 147 g/km in 2020.The Top 15 most efficient car brands in AustraliaSuzuki 158 g/kmBMW 158 g/kmVolkswagen 162 g/kmMercedes 165 g/kmHyundai 175 g/kmHonda 176 g/kmSubaru 181 g/kmMazda 184 g/kmKia 184 g/kmMitsubishi 191 g/kmNational average 192 g/kmToyota 203 g/kmFord 205 g/kmNissan 209 g/kmHolden 212 g/kmJeep 226 g/kmAverage CO2 emissions by brand in 2013.Source: National Transport CommissionThis reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

THE global boss of General Motors, Mary Barra, has thrown a lifeline to Holden's design centre, securing its future and the jobs of 140 car designers once manufacturing comes to an end in 2017 -- and GM's first female CEO is expected to visit the facility within the next 12 months.Mary Barra's senior staff have told Holden executives that the company's design centre in Port Melbourne, which turns 50 this year, will be used to style cars for North America, China, India and the rest of the world.The Holden design facility is one of just 10 studios owned by General Motors globally and has already created the iconic Camaro sold in the US and the Cruze hatch sold internationally as a Chevrolet, among other models not yet on sale.The future of the Holden design centre, which has created every locally-made Holden since the 1966 HD (the Holden's sold before then, including the original 1948 'FX', were designed in the US) was under a cloud in the wake of the factory shutdown announcement."We have support from GM leadership," said former Holden design boss Mike Simcoe, who is now Vice President of GM international design."Mary Barra supports Holden design," said Mr Simcoe, during a rare behind-the-scenes media event at Holden's design centre. "When she was in charge of product development (before she became CEO) she agreed this studio should continue."I can't give you the quote because I can't speak for her, but she was very specific about keeping this place alive." Mr Simcoe said Mary Barra would likely visit Holden but would not speculate when.Mary Barra is currently facing a US senate inquiry into GM's handling of the recall of 4.8 million vehicles said to have a faulty ignition switch, and which is being blamed for accidents that resulted in 13 deaths.Mr Simcoe said it would be some time before a Mary Barra would visit Australia "with her just taking over the company and some of the stuff that's happening over there right now". Mr Simcoe added: "I was unsure about the future (after the manufacturing shutdown announcement). But I can honestly tell the guys who work for me there is no issue."At its peak in the early 2000s, when Holden was developing the VE Commodore, the company hired 250 designers, but has about 140 now working on mostly foreign projects "It's expensive to make things in this country but it's not expensive to design them," said Holden design Richard Ferlazzo.Mr Simcoe said Australia had a wealth of design talent because "we have more car brands on sale in Australia than most other countries, so the people who work here get exposed to more brands, from the cheapest to the dearest".This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

The Corolla was finally crowned Australia's favourite car in 2013 after 46 years in the market -- but you won't hear about it from Toyota. The car giant, which has been the overall market leader for 11 years in a row and 17 years since 1991 but never had the top-selling vehicle, is going to follow Mazda's lead by not advertising the Corolla's sales success."There are no plans at this stage," said Toyota Australia executive director of sales and marketing, Tony Cramb, when asked if the company would advertise the Corolla's historic win.Mazda also gave us the silent treatment when its Mazda3 small car took top sales honours in 2011 and 2012. It is suspected Mazda didn't want to boast that it ended the iconic Holden Commodore's record 15-year winning streak.But it turns out both Toyota and Mazda are wary of their success. Insiders from both companies admit popularity can work against them if they cars are seen as being everywhere. "People want to be seen to be driving something different, not be part of the pack," said one insider.Mazda was also keen to distance itself from the Corolla, which has a reputation for blandness because older models were better known for their reliability than their current styling pizazz.However, it may come as a shock to many Mazda buyers but more Mazda3 small cars were sold in Australia in the past three years than the Corolla. Figures from the car makers show that only 40 per cent of Corollas are bought by private buyers, compared to more than 80 per cent of Mazda3s.Toyota is only the fourth brand in 60 years to win the Australian new-car sales race; the others being Mazda, Holden and Ford. It was the third year in a row Japanese cars have led the Australian car market; locally-made models have been the top sellers since WWI, say automotive historians.The Corolla is the world's biggest selling car, with more than 40 million on the road worldwide, including more than 1.25 million delivered in Australia since 1967.The Corolla was built in Australia from 1968 to 1999, becoming the first Toyota ever assembled outside Japan, but production ended because it became too costly to build small cars locally. The model is now made in 15 factories in 14 countries including Japan, Canada, South America, Turkey, Pakistan, Venezuela, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil, Taiwan, India, and two factories in China.The Corolla won the 2013 new-car sales race after swapping the monthly sales lead three times with reigning champion the Mazda3 – the Mazda led the first three months of the year before the Corolla landed its first win for 2013 in April, and then led the year-to-date tally for the first time in June. In the end, the Corolla was the top selling car for eight months of the year, including the last four in a row.Incredibly, it was only the Corolla's fifth-best result (record was 47,792 set in 2007), another sign of the fragmenting market that is killing local car manufacturing. The Corolla earned top-seller status despite selling less than half the Holden Commodore's annual peak.Korean car maker Hyundai ranked fourth overall but was the second-biggest seller of passenger cars in Australia in 2013. Mercedes-Benz won the luxury car sales category, outselling BMW and Audi. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan was the third best-selling medium-size sedan behind the Toyota Camry and Mazda6.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowlingTop 10 cars 2013Toyota Corolla 43,498 up 12.1 per centMazda3 42,082 down 4.6 per centToyota HiLux 39,931 down 1.7 per centHyundai i30 30,582 up 7.9 per centHolden Commodore 27,766 down 9.1 per centToyota Camry 24,860 down 8.7 per centMitsubishi Triton 24,512 up 32.4 per centHolden Cruze 24,421 down 16.3 per centNissan Navara 24,108 down 7.4 per centFord Ranger 21,752 down 7.2 per centTop 10 brands 2013Toyota 214,630 down 1.6 per centHolden 112,059 down 2.3 per centMazda 103,144 down 0.7 per centHyundai 97,006 up 6.0 per centFord 87,236 down 3.5 per centNissan 76,733 down 3.8 per centMitsubishi 71,528 up 21.5 per centVolkswagen 54,892 stable 0.0 per centSubaru 40,200 stable 0.0 per centHonda 39,258 up 9.6 per centFalcon and Commodore hit new all-time lows in 2013Ford Falcon: 10,610 (compared to a peak of 81,000 in 1995)Holden Commodore: 27,766 (compared to a peak of 94,500 in 1998)A decade of record sales2004: 955,2292005: 988,2692006: 962,6662007: 1,049,9822008: 1,012,1642009: 937,3282010: 1,035,5742011: 1,008,4372012: 1,112,0322013: 1,136,227Locally made cars: then and now1999: 223,083 (including 184,000 Commodores and Falcons)2013: 118,510 (down 15 per cent on 2012, and the lowest since 1958) 

To a large extent the reason American automotive companies General Motors, Ford and Chrysler - once known in Australia as ''The Big Three'' - thrived so well in Australia was because American driving conditions were much like ours where huge distances needed to be covered over appalling roads.Unlike British automotive manufacturers who were busy building small four-cylinder, four-speed cars suitable for puttering around the Cotswolds, American car makers had their eyes fixed on developing countries like Australia where motorists were crying out for a powerful six-cylinder car with a lazy three-speed gearbox suitable for a long outback drive.It's no wonder American manufacturers wanted to set up factories in Australia. For three consecutive years during the 1920s Australia was the biggest export market for the US. Why wouldn't you build a car in Australia?From the moment the first locally made General Motors Holden's car - the 48/215 - rolled off the brand-new Australian production line in 1948 we embraced an Australo-American-style of motoring for the next 30 years. In time the six-cylinder found under the bonnet of a garden-variety Holden or Ford Falcon grew a bit more into a range of brutal, thirsty V8s fuelling the emergence of a uniquelyAustralian tribal culture whereby families swore Civil War-style blood-oaths to champion either Holden or Ford. But the mid 1970s saw very real threats to the Australian car industry - spiraling inflation, a global oil crisis and the introduction of new safety compliance rules coupled with drastic exhaust emission controls placed whopping pressure on local car manufacturers.On top of that Australian motorists were now warming to smaller, cheaper Japanese imports. GMH was in trouble. In 1976 a new management team arrived headed by Minnesota born Chuck Chapman, chief engineer for General Motors' German subsidiary Opel. Chapman, used to piloting less powerful but better handling European cars, took one drive of the locally built Australian product and embarked on an automotive jihad to fix the lousy ability for the Kingswood to do everyday things - like turn a corner or stop.It was time to introduce the sort of European technology few Australians had experienced - rack and pinion steering and Macpherson strut suspension - that continental car manufacturers had been employing since WWII.Further it was time to replace the old billiard-table sized Kingswood with something more compact, more efficient, more stylish - more European - so GMH experimented with a hybrid of two popular German General Motors cars - the Opel Rekord and Senator.It took some time to get it right. The Rekord when thrashed on outback roads had a tendency to break in half and the whole project would regularly return to the drawing board requiring considerable beefing-up for Australian conditions.In the end GMH got it right. The gamble to upgrade and modernise the Holden sedan proved a quantum leap.The arrival of the VB Commodore in 1978 was heralded in ads as ''world class''. And for an Australian car it was, being awarded Wheels magazine's car of the year and praised for it's value for money, ride quality and handling - all things we weren't terribly familiar with back then.Despite the occasional hiccup the Commodore has reigned as the company's undisputed flagship, but in 2013 our motoring tastes have changed. Today's Commodore still presents astonishing value but Australians no longer have the hard-wired urge to own a big six or eight cylinder sedan.Where once TV ads for Holden cars showed a family-filled Commodore belting along a bush track, today's advertisements depict Australians as aspirational, funky city dwellers grooving from the gym to a café to a nightclub in a car a third of the size.As we know, the Holden Commodore's American parent has all but scuppered it with the announcement General Motors will shut-up shop in Australia. And the release of sales figures this week announcing 2013 as being the Holden's worst-ever year - the mighty Commodore slipping some 9 per cent in 2013 - justifies their decision. Chuck Chapman, the Commodore's overseer, never saw the demise of his creation - he passed away on December 18, 2012.

Following Holden's announcement that it will stop making cars in Australia after 2017, there's been strong concern about what would happen to the badge, with the big question being whether it would continue in Australia or be replaced by Chevrolet.Holden has responded with a new ad campaign titled Here To Stay, which doesn't shy away from the shutdown decision that will see about 2900 jobs go in Victoria's Port Melbourne and South Australia's Elizabeth plants. However the campaign aims to send a message to Australia that there is more to Holden than the factory floors, and there will be more imported cars to come wearing the Holden brand.But while the campaign has appeared very quickly, it wasn't part of the initial shutdown planning, Holden's executive director of vehicle sales, service and marketing, Philip Brook, says. "When we were notified of the shutdown decision this wasn't on the list of things we were planning to do," he says. "But what became apparent over the first three or four days was that there was a lot of misinformation out there -- there were some sensationalist headlines about 'Holden's gone and we're leaving the country altogether'."That was the impression people were getting ... and there were a couple of articles that were just plain wrong around us walking away from the Holden brand and using Chevrolet, and people has said we'd studied that -- absolutely categorically incorrect. And that we were bringing Commodores in from China -- again absolutely incorrect."Brook says the aim of the campaign is to make sure the public knew what Holden is planning for the future. "We wanted to get out and really clear things up with the public and make sure they understood that the Holden brand has been around for 100 years and we plan to be around for a very long time to come," he says."We just wanted to clear up the confusion, so it's really to let all of Australia understand we're here, and we've got a massive job to do -- we've got hundreds of thousands of cars and engines to build in the next four years.And we plan to continue selling Holdens well into the future, because it's two car lines that we build here in Australia but the rest of our model range is imported and we're going to transition to a fully imported model range."Brook says the campaign was also aimed at supporting the brand's own dealer network. "We've also got more than 230 dealers and thousands and thousands of staff that are employed by those dealers and massive investments that they've made over the years in Holden. And really what we wanted to do was support them as well, so this campaign is just about clearing things up."He says the creative approach for the campaign, and its launch, were both achieved with astonishing speed -- and largely sparked by the response from friends of people at Holden HQ. "We basically made the announcement about manufacturing on Tuesday and briefed the agency -- AJF in Melbourne who do all our ad creative work -- on the Thursday and they turned around the concept overnight."Normally  a campaign like this would take us months and we turned it around in a week so we're very happy with the work that's been done in a such period of time. But it was just a simple message, nothing more and nothing less than 'we've been around for a long time and we're going to be around for a long, long time in the future'."We made the announcement about shutting down manufacturing and then gave it 48 hours to gauge the reaction -- and a lot of us had friends and acquaintances ringing and texting and asking if Holden was finishing, based on the headlines and some of the articles they were seeing. So we wanted to clear that up and get the message out there."And while many businesses would have skirted any bad news in their next campaign following such an announcement, Holden has been very up front about mentioning the shutdown in the commercial."That's part of the Holden brand and being Australian. We've always been honest in our advertising," Brook says. "That's the way we do things -- it's part of our DNA -- that how we've always done things and that's how we'll continue to do things."However, despite the new commercial being panned by social media, and following on from a previous ad campaign based around the 'Think Holden' tagline, Brook says the new commercial is not part of the first steps to have Australia 'rethink Holden' as a full importer.   "This isn't the start of the repositioning," he says. "We've got a number of years yet with the brand and similar sort of products. We've got plenty of time to work through that. This was really just a short sharp campaign and once we get the message out there we'll move on and get back to the main job -- selling cars."

Fast forward. The year is 2020. The last Falcon left the production line over four years ago and it was joined by the last Commodore not long after. Toyota's local operation has also been looking pretty shaky, because the departure of Ford and Holden from the production scene has driven up the cost of parts. Toyota is hanging on, thanks to the extra exports it picked up from Holden - but by the skin of its teeth.No more Falcons or Commodores of course means no more utes either, V8 or otherwise - what's a buyer supposed to do? It's time for a reality check. The missus isn't happy because the beaut VF you bought six years ago has been playing up and will need updating sooner than later (tomorrow if the ball and chain has her way).The question is: what to buy? A hybrid or an electric vehicle maybe or perhaps one of those new-fangled hydrogen jobs - they're supposed to be pretty good on gas? At this point in time, the figures suggest your next car will probably be a Corolla or a Mazda3, because as much as we profess to love them buyers have been deserting the big family six for years while sales of smaller cars and SUVs have continued to rise. That's on paper.But can you really see some big boofy bloke stepping out of an XR6 or V8-powered SS Commodore into one of these econo-boxes? The clock is ticking and it is time to choose. The top 5 selling vehicles in Australia as we speak are: the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Hyundai i30, Toyota Hilux and the Holden Cruze in that order. Forced to choose which one what would you buy if you had to for out for a new set of wheels tomorrow? Will it be one of these vehicles or perhaps a WRX, an EVO or something else with a bit of street cred? 

Holden will likely be without a V8 in its showrooms from 2018 once the Commodore becomes a front-drive four-cylinder sedan.  However the global boss of General Motors, Dan Akerson, has once again cast confusion over Holden's future plans.Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington this week, Mr Akerson, who retires from GM next month, told reporters the Holden brand would be supplemented by "iconic" Chevrolets such as the Camaro and Corvette sports cars, and that Cadillac may be revived.He told a Wall Street Journal and AP reporter representing News Corp Australia: "We will import from different countries, not just South Korea."We may bring in iconic Chevrolets such as the Corvette and the Camaro and Cadillac someday, yes."However, Mr Akerson made similar promises at the beginning of the year -- and was contradicted by other senior GM executives.  At the Detroit motor show in January, Mr Akerson told Carsguide the new Corvette would be sold in Australia.But less than 24 hours later the head of international operations Tim Lee said the Corvette would not be made in right-hand-drive, adding in the blunt exchange: "This is a non-story from my point of view. You can write what you want to write, I really don’t give a shit. But it is not in the mainstream plan."Mr Lee also said at the time: “I have no idea what said but we have no plan to put a right-hand-drive under that bonnet. The Corvette is a Chevrolet, it’s not a Holden, it never will be, next question.”A Holden spokesman this week told Carsguide he was unaware of any plans to bring the Camaro and Corvette to Australia. Carsguide understands the business case for right-hand-drive versions of those cars is yet to be approved.

Holden may have started out making horse accessories in 1856, but we all know it as the manufacturer of many of Australia's favourite cars.  From the 48-215 unveiled by PM Ben Chifley in 1948, to today's VF Commodore and JH II Cruze, 'our' Holden is a significant piece of Australia's industrial history. With today's announcement that Holden will cease local production in 2017, we've put together a mega galley of images to commemorate the brand's colourful manufacturing past; including family sedans and wagons, working utes, luxury Statesman and Caprices, and track-bred high performance models.  This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn  Holden milestones1948Prime Minister Ben Chifley unveils the first Holden car, declares “she’s a beauty”. More than 18,000 orders are held before the 48-215 “FX” Holden goes on sale. Some customers sell their place in the queue for £100.1954One in three cars on the road is a Holden.1958One in two cars on the road is a Holden.1960The first export of left-hand-drive Holden vehicles begins with a small shipment of cars to Hawaii.19621 millionth Holden sold (EJ Special sedan, Oct 1962).1964Holden employee numbers peak at 23,914 across seven facilities in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia.19692 millionth Holden sold (HK Kingswood, March 1969).19743 millionth Holden sold (HQ Kingswood, June 1974).1978Holden celebrates 25 years of continuous sales leadership.19814 millionth Holden sold (VC Commodore, June 1981).19905 millionth Holden sold (VN Calais, August 1990, more than twice as many as any other Australian built car at the time).1991Japanese car-maker Toyota beats Holden and Ford to market leadership for the first time in Australia.20016 millionth Holden sold (VX Commodore SS, June 2001).2002The last year Holden led the Australian new-car market.2004Holden produces 165,000 vehicles (the most in its modern era), almost matches the 1963 peak of 166,274. Factory worker numbers in 2004: 7350.2005Holden’s biggest export year: 60,518 cars were shipped, mostly to the US and the Middle East.20087 millionth Holden sold (VE Commodore LPG, Aug 2008).2011After 15 years as Australia’s favourite car, Holden Commodore sales are overtaken by the Mazda3 from Japan. Automotive historians say it is the first time since WWI an imported car has led the new-car market.2013Toyota Corolla on track to become Australia’s top-selling car for the first time.Only five out of 100 new cars sold in Australia is a locally-made Holden.Holden is overtaken in some months by Mazda, Hyundai and Nissan.After several redundancies and a three-year wage freeze, Holden factory worker numbers fall to 1760.Despite a record new-car market, Australian vehicle production falls to its lowest levels since 1958.Holden is on track to export just 14,000 of the 84,000 cars it will make locally. 

Holden has contradicted Federal Government leaks by emphatically declaring “no decision has been made” to close its manufacturing operations in Australia. Holden boss Mike Devereux made the comments as he left a Productivity Commission hearing in Melbourne this morning.However a formal decision to shut the Elizabeth car making factory is believed to be a formality given the hardline stance of the Federal Government to not increase taxpayer funding to the industry, and Holden’s request for more assistance. Carsguide understands the decision to shut Holden’s manufacturing operations will eventually come from General Motors executives in Detroit, but Mr Devereux and other Holden executives this morning declined to speculate when that might occur.In the hearing Mr Devereux repeated Holden’s earlier arguments for an increase in taxpayer funding, including its claim that its manufacturing operations created $32.7 billion in economic activity over the past 12 years. However, Mr Devereux also confirmed for the first time that the two vehicles it planned to build from 2016 to 2022 will have much lower levels of local content.It means that saving Holden won’t necessarily save up to 50,000 jobs in the rest of the automotive parts supply industry -- one of Holden’s central arguments during its campaign. "We’ve been relatively public that … were we to move forward the general notion is that you would see globalisation levels for suppliers more in line with what you have today on the Cruze," Mr Devereux told the hearing.Earlier, Mr Devereux said the local content of the Cruze was "25 to 30 per cent", compared to 50 per cent for the Commodore. By comparison the local content of the Toyota Camry and Ford Falcon is 70 per cent, according to figures supplied by the car makers.The deputy chairman of the Productivity Commission and the presiding commissioner on the inquiry into the automotive industry, Michael Woods, asked Holden for access to a report prepared by Adelaide University Professor Goran Roos. The secret document, as reported exclusively by us last month, revealed Holden’s plans for a “significant reduction” in the local content of its future models. The report, labeled "Cabinet in Confidence", was prepared in August 2013 with co-operation and input from Holden and the unions.After the hearing Mr Woods told Carsguide: "We certainly did want to enquire what would be the local componentry of the new models. The whole supply chain is of very great concern to our deliberations."Mr Devereux told the hearing that Australian vehicle component suppliers could pitch for global supply contracts. However, the confidential document that Holden helped prepare claims that local suppliers would likely be locked out of winning overseas contracts. “Even if an Australian-based supplier could offer a cheaper alternative for (Holden) locally it would not be adopted as it could interfere with the broader global GM supplier relations,” the report says.Holden milestones1948Prime Minister Ben Chifley unveils the first Holden car, declares “she’s a beauty”. More than 18,000 orders are held before the 48-215 “FX” Holden goes on sale. Some customers sell their place in the queue for £100.1954One in three cars on the road is a Holden.1958One in two cars on the road is a Holden.1960The first export of left-hand-drive Holden vehicles begins with a small shipment of cars to Hawaii.19621 millionth Holden sold (EJ Special sedan, Oct 1962).1964Holden employee numbers peak at 23,914 across seven facilities in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia.19692 millionth Holden sold (HK Kingswood, March 1969).19743 millionth Holden sold (HQ Kingswood, June 1974).1978Holden celebrates 25 years of continuous sales leadership.19814 millionth Holden sold (VC Commodore, June 1981).19905 millionth Holden sold (VN Calais, August 1990, more than twice as many as any other Australian built car at the time).1991Japanese car-maker Toyota beats Holden and Ford to market leadership for the first time in Australia.20016 millionth Holden sold (VX Commodore SS, June 2001).2002The last year Holden led the Australian new-car market.2004Holden produces 165,000 vehicles (the most in its modern era), almost matches the 1963 peak of 166,274. Factory worker numbers in 2004: 7350.2005Holden’s biggest export year: 60,518 cars were shipped, mostly to the US and the Middle East.20087 millionth Holden sold (VE Commodore LPG, Aug 2008).2011After 15 years as Australia’s favourite car, Holden Commodore sales are overtaken by the Mazda3 from Japan. Automotive historians say it is the first time since WWI an imported car has led the new-car market.2013Toyota Corolla on track to become Australia’s top-selling car for the first time.Only five out of 100 new cars sold in Australia is a locally-made Holden.Holden is overtaken in some months by Mazda, Hyundai and Nissan.After several redundancies and a three-year wage freeze, Holden factory worker numbers fall to 1760.Despite a record new-car market, Australian vehicle production falls to its lowest levels since 1958.Holden is on track to export just 14,000 of the 84,000 cars it will make locally.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling_______________________________________ 

It is his first public appearance since the leak about a possible Holden factory shutdown. Even though Holden lodged its submission to the Productivity Commission more than a week ago, the company was invited to deliver its submission in person at the commission's headquarters in Collins Street, Melbourne.The public are able to view the proceedings, which are expected to take less than one hour.News Corp Australia understands Mr Devereux is expected to repeat the company's key points for continued taxpayer assistance for Holden and the wider car manufacturing industry.Central to Holden's argument is its claim that it generated $32.7 billion of economic activity in Australia from 2001 to 2012, including $21 billion paid to other businesses for goods and services.During that period Holden received $1.8 billion in Federal funding, but says it "returned" $1.4 billion to the Government via the PAYG income tax of its workers."If Holden did not manufacture in Australia, the economic activity derived from the foreign investment by GM would not go elsewhere in Australia," Holden's submission to the Productivity Commission says. "In fact, it would be invested by GM in another country."The Holden submission also provided a grim assessment of the sharp decline in the local production and export of Holden cars.The production peak of the Elizabeth factory of 165,000 cars in 2004 has been halved, with Holden on track to build just 84,000 vehicles this year.The biggest export year was 2008, when Holden shipped 56,000 cars, mostly to the US, when the Australian dollar was worth $US0.84.Exports have fallen sharply since the Australian dollar reached close to parity; just 13,000 cars were exported last year, about 16 per cent of Holden's local production.At the start of his new role, Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said Holden must export at east 30 per cent of its local production in return for further government funding.Also central to Holden's argument has been the "ripple effect" of job losses at Australian car parts suppliers, if Holden were to shut its factory.However, a confidential report obtained by The Adelaide Advertiser found that the two new cars that Holden planned to build from 2016 to 2022 had a "significant reduction" in local content and instead would have more foreign parts.The Productivity Commission is due to publish a preliminary report on the car manufacturing industry on December 20 ahead of a final report on March 31.In March 2012 Holden agreed to build two new cars from 2016 to 2022 after receiving a pledge for $275 million in State and Federal assistance.But since Ford announced in May this year that it would close its Australian factories in 2016, Holden has lobbied for an increase in funding because, it says, "market conditions have changed dramatically" since the March 2012 deal was signed.The closure of Holden's car-making factory in Elizabeth, South Australia, is widely viewed by the Federal Government and industry observers as a formality.However, contrary to earlier reports, Holden insists a formal decision to close the factory has not been made or signed off by General Motors executives in Detroit.Holden milestones1948Prime Minister Ben Chifley unveils the first Holden car, declares “she’s a beauty”. More than 18,000 orders are held before the 48-215 “FX” Holden goes on sale. Some customers sell their place in the queue for £100.1954One in three cars on the road is a Holden.1958One in two cars on the road is a Holden.1960The first export of left-hand-drive Holden vehicles begins with a small shipment of cars to Hawaii.19621 millionth Holden sold (EJ Special sedan, Oct 1962).1964Holden employee numbers peak at 23,914 across seven facilities in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia.19692 millionth Holden sold (HK Kingswood, March 1969).19743 millionth Holden sold (HQ Kingswood, June 1974).1978Holden celebrates 25 years of continuous sales leadership.19814 millionth Holden sold (VC Commodore, June 1981).19905 millionth Holden sold (VN Calais, August 1990, more than twice as many as any other Australian built car at the time).1991Japanese car-maker Toyota beats Holden and Ford to market leadership for the first time in Australia.20016 millionth Holden sold (VX Commodore SS, June 2001).2002The last year Holden led the Australian new-car market.2004Holden produces 165,000 vehicles (the most in its modern era), almost matches the 1963 peak of 166,274. Factory worker numbers in 2004: 7350.2005Holden’s biggest export year: 60,518 cars were shipped, mostly to the US and the Middle East.20087 millionth Holden sold (VE Commodore LPG, Aug 2008).2011After 15 years as Australia’s favourite car, Holden Commodore sales are overtaken by the Mazda3 from Japan. Automotive historians say it is the first time since WWI an imported car has led the new-car market.2013Toyota Corolla on track to become Australia’s top-selling car for the first time.Only five out of 100 new cars sold in Australia is a locally-made Holden.Holden is overtaken in some months by Mazda, Hyundai and Nissan.After several redundancies and a three-year wage freeze, Holden factory worker numbers fall to 1760.Despite a record new-car market, Australian vehicle production falls to its lowest levels since 1958.Holden is on track to export just 14,000 of the 84,000 cars it will make locally.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling