Holden Commodore 2013 News

The closure of Holden’s Elizabeth factory in Adelaide was planned as part of a global restructure that involves the closure of three plants worldwide. The Detroit-based car giant, which had planned to announce the closure on Friday last week, granted Holden a last-minute reprieve after deciding it didn't want to book the cost of the closure in this quarter's financial results.The postponed announcement has left the Holden workforce in limbo, with deep uncertainty about the company's future in Australia and hardened rhetoric from the government that it would not increase financial assistance to the carmaker. GM signed off on the plans last month, sources close to the decision said.The other closures, which include one in Korea, are expected to go ahead but Holden was granted a stay of execution so that GM could spread its balance-sheet writedowns, which already include up to $1 billion this quarter.Holden on Friday denied that a final decision had been made on the plant's future. However, its closure announcement had already been drafted and circulated, sources said, with workers due to be informed of the decision at yesterday's 2.15pm change of shift. A decision in the early hours of Wednesday morning forced a change of plan.GM had decided "to cut Holden some slack" after it appealed for a stay of execution in the hope of winning over the government on additional funding. Holden wants long-term commitments to help fund the replacement for the Commodore from 2016, which was scheduled to be the Malibu mid-size sedan, and eventually annual "rent" payments to keep its Adelaide plant alive.Without the additional cash, Holden would pull out as early as 2016, at the same time Ford will shut its factories in Victoria. The government dug in its heels on Friday. Tony Abbott said it would offer nothing beyond the $500 million in funding to 2017 promised at the September election. "We think there's more than enough money on the table," the Prime Minister said. "But there is no more."We took a policy to the election that...includes very substantial ongoing support for the motor industry. We stand ready to make that support available." He called on Holden to set the record straight on where it stood. "The message we're getting from Holden is they're in two minds; I would like them to clarify exactly what their position is," he said.The government has asked the Productivity Commission to review the merits of providing financial assistance to the car industry, with a draft report due on December 20 and a final report at the end of March next year. A source close to the government said it believed Holden had already decided it was going and the Coalition was now resigned to the decision. "It's game over," he said, "but this is political poison."The government believes it is being painted as the villain when the decision to quit has already been made. "They have decided to leave Australia; it is now a matter of timing," one minister said. Another raised doubts about the government's strategy. Holden sources said Mr Abbott's comments were an "extraordinary" attempt by the Coalition to "bully" GM into an announcement before Christmas.Coalition sources said Mr Hockey was told of the imminent decision on Wednesday morning, but by that evening GM had changed its plans. Company insiders say Mr Hockey and Mr Abbott are trying to force Holden's hand by making the company's decision public. Sources say the Prime Minister and Treasurer want the bad news of Holden's closure finalised before the end of year.South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said "right-wing ideologues" within the Coalition wanted Holden to leave. He said Holden managing director Mike Devereux had denied reports about the decision and MPs committed to "scorched earth economics" were trying to undermine Holden. "The right-wing ideologues in cabinet are saying...let's scupper this right now," Mr Weatherill said. "If Tony Abbott had any guts at all, he would be here looking these workers in the face and telling them that he has already made up his mind."Australian Manufacturing Workers Union state secretary John Camillo said absenteeism was increasing at the Elizabeth plant because of the uncertainty surrounding its future. "We've got workers, we've got families, we've got communities who are really worried about whether Holden is going to survive or not," Mr Camillo said. GM is understood to have rescheduled the closure announcement for late January, after the Detroit motor show.Additional reporting by PHILIP KING 

After 17 straight years as a Carsguide Car of the Year judge, I was wondering what to expect as we assembled the 10 finalists for the 2013 awards.There are always a few surprises, things to learn and like and loathe, and the field is more varied and relevant this year than at any time in the past. We have baby cars, family cars, an old-school wagon, SUVs, even a new-age Benz, and the value is outstanding in every case.One of the early favourites is the last of the true Aussie cars, the VF Commodore. It looks a little out of place, so big and bland as a starting-price Evoque sedan, and is quickly put right into its place as we begin the 60-kilometre driving loops used to assess the various contenders. That place is the past.These days the Commodore is an all-rounder in a world of specialists, and that's why it - and the Ford Falcon - are heading into history. And why the Commodore cannot win a COTY crown in 2013.There was a time when big Fords and Holdens made all the sense in the world, as they could cover every base from commuter car and taxi work to a family fun runner, a working wagon, and even a hotrod sporty sedan. It was a one-size-fits-all solution, even if the tailoring was never an ideal fit.Now the world has arrived in Australia, with 60-plus brands all competing in the toughest new-car scene on the planet, and there are cars which do every job better than a Commodore or Falcon. It's bespoke tailoring at its best.We have the proof right in front of us as the COTY contenders run through the loops and hoops.If you want a classy new family car, the Mazda6 is better.If you want a roomy family wagon, the Kia Rondo is better.If you want a flexible runabout, the Subaru Forester is better.If you want maximum bang for your bucks, the Mercedes-Benz A200 is better.So the Commodore finishes in the middle of the pack and, despite our patriotism and support for carmaking in Australia, that's what it deserves. It's a good car, and easily the best car to wear a Holden or Commodore badge, but that's just not good enough in 2013.This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover 

Ian McLeod, the managing director of Coles, is fast becoming a hero to those of us who park our cars correctly. He calls out employees who park lazily -- and he gets results.We now know what happened after Mr McLeod took a "selfish" and "inconsiderate" staff member to task for taking up three whole parking spaces with his Holden Commodore. The driver moved the car and confessed to their parking sins. But then things got complicated. And Mr McLeod had to send another fired-up email."Firstly thank you to the owner of the Commodore who has apologised and moved their vehicle," Mr McLeod wrote to staff, in a message obtained by news.com.au. "However, I am appalled two of the small car spots vacated have now been filled (by the two large cars above). Could the owners of these two vehicles please move their vehicles to the brickworks and explain to me why parking in these bays was appropriate."This lazy park had Mr McLeod angry earlier that morning. The first email spray that morning - it got results.A former Coles worker who wished to be anonymous said: "It's the worst place to park, so good on him." Mr McLeod gave up his executive car space so other workers could park, the one-time employee said, and he regularly parks his vehicle outside to "keep it fair for everyone".Coles spokesman Jon Church said Coles called out bad behaviour. "Ian is not looking to become Melbourne's next parking commissioner but he and the whole Coles team has done a lot to change the culture here during the last five years and when we see things happening that don't fit with our values we call it out," Mr Church said.He added the approach was supported by staff because it creates a focused and enjoyable atmosphere. Another former staffer told us Mr McLeod "sets a good example for everyone". Now everyone just needs to follow it.Ian McLeod loves fresh produce and proper parking. 

Holden says it’s as True Blue as football, meat pies and kangaroos -- but a secret document has revealed the cars it plans to build with more than $275 million taxpayer dollars will be less Australian than a Toyota Camry.The local content of the latest Holden Commodore has already dropped to 50 per cent, while less than one-third of the Cruze small car is made from Australian-sourced components, even though Holden has received $1.8 billion in government assistance over the past 12 years.By comparison, the local content of the Toyota Camry and Ford Falcon sedans are 70 per cent, according to figures supplied by the car-makers.Holden’s confidential plan to increase the foreign parts in its cars will likely come as a kick in the guts to local automotive parts suppliers who today (Monday December 2) will hold a rally at Adelaide’s Stamford Hotel before lodging their submission to the Productivity Commission.“The Productivity Commission must understand that this isn’t just about economics, it’s about families and communities,” said John Camillo, the SA secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.The Federal Coalition Government has postponed any new taxpayer assistance deals with car makers and automotive component suppliers until after the Productivity Commission delivers an interim report on the industry by December 20 and a final report on March 31.Critically, this is after a global General Motors deadline to allocate investment in future models and it is feared the fate of Holden's factory may already be decided.Holden yesterday declined to comment on its future model plans. But the SA Government “Cabinet In Confidence” document -- partly funded by and compiled with co-operation from Holden -- says there will be a “significant reduction” in locally-made components for the two cars General Motors plans to build in the future.“The Next Gen plan sees two vehicle ranges with the majority of components for each being imported,” says the report prepared by University of Adelaide Professor Goran Roos. "Accordingly the Next Gen plan would see a significant reduction in the Australian-based suppliers to GM Holden.”The report contradicts Holden’s public claim that if its factory and the jobs of its 1760 production line workers are saved, Australian component manufacturers will also benefit.Holden boss Mike Devereux says the “ripple effect” of a shutdown would be felt across the parts supply industry -- and up to 7000 jobs in South Australia and up to 18,000 in Victoria would be lost.But, in fact, if General Motors receives the funding boost it needs to continue production in Australia, some local parts suppliers are likely to lose their contracts with Holden and may themselves face a shutdown.Critically, even if local parts suppliers can match or undercut the price of foreign rivals, they are unlikely to be awarded the business because of General Motors’ global parts supply 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’s decision to increase the foreign content of its “Next Generation” cars now risks bringing Toyota and the rest of the Australian automotive manufacturing industry down with it.If Holden weakens the parts supply base, the remaining component manufacturers may not have the economies of scale to help Toyota find the $400 million in annual savings it needs to survive.Toyota Australia says it must slash $3800 -- or about 15 per cent of the production cost -- from each car it builds if it is to retain the Middle East export deal that is critical to keeping its Altona factory running.Only 35,000 Camry and Aurion V6 sedans are sold locally each year; about 70,000 Camrys are exported. Toyota Australia says it must build a minimum of 80,000 cars a year to remain viable.In Tokyo last week, the executive vice president and member of the board of Toyota, Nobuyori Kodaira, said local parts suppliers were key to the survival of Toyota’s Australian operations.“In Australia currently we are having a difficult situation,” said Mr Kodaira. “Because this is a business we need to have economic viability.“In order to continue the manufacturing there, we are cooperating with our suppliers on activities such as rationalisation and also cost reduction. We definitely think those activities are necessary.”A Toyota insider told News Corp Australia: “If Holden goes, we’ll be right behind them. It won’t be announced straight away … but we’ll be gone too.”Toyota Australia executives are still fighting hard to save the Altona car assembly line and engine plant, by trying to find new ways to cut production costs.In Tokyo last week a Toyota Australia executive said a decision about Altona would come from Japan by mid-2014. But representatives for the company have since told News Corp Australia a deadline has not been set, and it may be in the second half of 2014.In the meantime about 2000 of Toyota’s 2500 factory workers at Altona have been asked to vote on an amendment to their workplace agreement that cuts bonuses but improves shift flexibility.Unlike Holden workers -- who in September voted for a three-year wage freeze if production is secured from 2016 to 2022 -- Toyota factory workers will get to keep two longstanding pay rises due next year: a 3.25 per cent increase in April and 2 per cent in September.The Toyota workers must cast their vote by Friday the 13th of December. If Toyota were to close its Altona facility, it would likely happen in 2018, at the end of the next Camry model cycle.In August this year, Toyota Australia announced it had received $30 million in government funding to go towards an update for the Camry to be built at Altona from 2015 to 2018. There is no suggestion this deal is under threat.As reported by Carsguide last month the SA Government briefing paper forecast the possibility of a Holden shutdown in 2016, the same year as Ford. The secret document also said Holden’s factory shutdown could be delayed until 2018 -- even if it did not proceed with the two new “Next Generation” models -- by extending production of the current Commodore and Cruze."Our key working assumption is that manufacturing/assembly of mass-market vehicle platforms at GMH is not sustainable,” the report said.“It is therefore likely that vehicle assembly will eventually cease: 2016 being the earliest likely date.”The report also found Holden exaggerated its sales forecasts for the two new cars, which means State and Federal Governments would again be threatened with a shutdown at a later date.“The sales assumptions of the Next Gen case err towards the optimistic,” the report says. “(Holden assumes) all unit sales of the current Commodore sedans migrate to the new proposed front-wheel-drive large vehicle, and that all current unit sales of the Commodore wagon migrate to the Next Gen small vehicle wagon.“The case assumes an overall increase in sales of small vehicles … in the most cost competitive segment of the market. We believe that these assumptions have greater downside risk than upside risk,” the report found.Carsguide understands that under the “Next Generation” plan Holden expects to build just 65,000 cars per year at Elizabeth, down from approximately 84,000 this year and a peak of 165,000 in 2004.Holden has received more than $1.8 billion in taxpayer support over the past 12 years, and in March 2012 had signed a deal with the former Federal Labor Government for a further $275 million to build two new models.But since Ford announced in May this year that it will shut its Australian factories in 2016, Holden has asked for a funding increase because it says economic conditions have “changed dramatically”.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

A member of the 2013 Australia's Best Cars judging panel says motorists are spoilt for choice right now. Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania general manager of roadside and technical Darren Moody -- who sits on the panel with judges from motorist clubs around Australia -- says new car buyers have access to record low interest rates and are still getting great value for money, despite a recent dip in the value of the Australian dollar.He and the 11 other judges from around the country had been trying to make life even easier for buyers, testing 50 vehicles in 15 categories for the 2013 best car awards.The awards, run by the Australian Automobile Association, involved all the state auto clubs. In October Mr Moody and the other judges spent six days at the Australian Automobile Research Centre at Anglesea in Victoria testing all the vehicles.The judges' choice this year was the Mazda6 Touring, winner of the category for best medium car under $50,000. "It brings premium features to the category," Mr Moody said. There was no winner in the people mover category this year. AAA chief executive Andrew McKellar said it was the first time in the 13 years of the program that an award has been withheld."It's unfortunate that not one vehicle in that class meets the expectations of an Australia's Best Car," he said.Australia's Best Cars 2013Judges' choice: Mazda6 TouringBest light car: Renault Clio Expression TCe 120Best small car under $35,000: Hyundai i30 ActiveBest small car over $35,000: Audi A3 Sportback TFSI CoDBest medium car under $50,000: Mazda6 TouringBest medium car over $50,000: BMW 320iBest large car under $60,000: Holden Commodore VF SV6Best large car over $60,000: Lexus GS350 F SportBest people mover: Award withheldBest sports car under $50,000: Volkswagen Golf GTIBest sports car $50,000-$100,000: BMW M135iBest SUV under $45,000: Subaru Forester 2.5iBest SUV $45,000-$65,000: Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander CRDiBest Luxury SUV over $65,000: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDIBest all-terrain 4WD under $100,000: Land Rover Discovery 4 TDV6Best 4x4 Dual Cab Ute: Ford Ranger XLRead the full story here. 

Volvo is getting ready to join the V8 Supercars next year – fielding two S60 sedans under the banner of Volvo Polestar Racing in partnership with Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM).However the Swedish brand is already thinking about increasing the number of cars the following year. In 2014, Volvo’s racers -- Scott McLaughlin and a second one yet to be named – will pilot their two cars Holden’s 13 Commodores, Ford's six Falcons, four Nissan Altimas and three Mercedes-Benz E63 AMGS.But Volvo's global motorsport boss Derek Crabb said the prospect of having more S60s appealed to him. "Clearly, the more cars on the grid, the more exposure Volvo gets and the more chances Volvo has of getting a win, which we need," Crabb said. "But then you have to put the cost back into it. So yeah, we dream about year two and year three but let's get through year one first."Polestar Racing owner Christian Dahl agreed. "I think if you are going to fight for the championship in the long term, you need more cars out there because there are a lot of Holdens and only two Volvos," Dahl said. "But that is a question for the future." But for the moment Volvo is dealing with GRM’s sponsor since 2010, Fujitsu, announcing yesterday it would not renew its association with the team next year due to a shift in their "commercial focus".However Garry Rogers is optimistic about finding a new sponsor. "Next year's program has generated a lot of interest and we will now be following up all avenues so as to secure suitable commercial business partners to join the GRM team," he said.

Only 36 per cent of young Australians would buy an Australian-made car, eroding a belief that the nation supports a local car industry. In a national survey by Roy Morgan Research, only about half of the "battlers" - the term for low income families or couples - and older couples and retirees would consider an Australian-made car above an imported car.Roy Morgan director Jordan Pakes says "battlers" and "golden years" - retirees or older couples - surveyed above the average as considering a locally-made car with 55.4 per cent and 49.7 per cent respectively. However, he says these groups of buyers were also less likely to be in the market for a new car.Mr Pakes says "it seems the writing’s on the wall" for local car makers. "Ford’s decision earlier this year to cease local production from 2016 spelled for many the beginning of the end for the Australian auto manufacturing industry," he says. "Now with talk of Holden and Toyota following suite, it seems like the writing’s on the wall."He says that "battlers" and "golden years" groups are less likely to be in the market for a new car in the next four years. "Combined, they make up only about a quarter of the 2.3 million intenders in the new car market," he says."Nevertheless, battlers and golden years comprise a third of Holden’s market and almost a quarter of Toyota’s. Both makes need to consider how shutting down local factories will affect sales among these markets that value Australian-made cars."Market researcher Barry Urquhart of Marketing Focus says Roy Morgan’s survey showing an average of 45.3 per cent of Australia’s 15.6 million motorists preferring a local car could be very optimistic. "When asked a very general question such as 'would you buy Australian?' there is a 78 per cent response in the affirmative," he says. "But come to the point of buying, that percentage plunges to 45 per cent. That’s because there’s no qualifier stating 'if all things are equal' - and they’re not equal."Mr Urquhart agrees with Roy Morgan that the writing is on the wall. "In 1990, Holden and Ford were selling about 150,000 cars a year. Now if they’re selling about 35,000 they are delighted. Local manufacturing is a marginal proposition," he says. "We have to remember that Australia is a very different place with very different values that what we had in the 1990s."Buyers want to purchase brands with aspirational values. Mostly, they want European brands and especially those from Germany and France. It doesn’t really matter if that BMW is made in South Africa or the Volkswagen in Mexico. They want a German car."Mr Urquhart says cars from Holden and Ford are no longer aspirational. "Holdens are often associated with cashed-up bogans. Is that the image you want to present? Look at where we work and you’ll find 78 per cent of employment in the service industries - banking, health, hospitality and so on. What type of cars do these people want to own?"Though the mining industry is seen as a big employer, it attracts less than 4 per cent of Australia’s workforce. If this is the bulk of Holden buyers, then it’s a very, very small sample."Mr Urquhart adds that another reason for a decline in local car sales was that the products weren’t new. "European car makers change the look of their cars - sometimes dramatically - about every three years. Look at Holden and Ford’s local product - they are old cars with the same body shape as years ago. People crave new. They don’t want an old car and they don’t keep their car for long."The writer is on Twitter: @cg_dowling 

As Holden's manufacturing future remains under a cloud the Commodore has had its best monthly sales performance in two years.  Preliminary figures show Holden delivered more than 3300 new Commodores in October, an increase of 35 per cent compared with the same month last year. "It just goes to show that there are a lot of Australians out there who want an Australian-made car," said Holden's sales and marketing executive director, Philip Brook. "It's a great result considering it is a soft market." Industry analysts believe new-car sales dipped by 2 per cent for the second month in a row, but official figures are not released until next week. But it was a somewhat shallow victory for what was Australia's favourite car for 15 years in a row, ranking third behind two Japanese imports, the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 small cars. "The market has changed but the results of the VF (Commodore) prove we're building cars that people want," said Mr Brook. Having clocked up its fifth monthly win this year and the second in a row, the Toyota Corolla is on track to become Australia’s top-selling car for the first time ever. In other upsets, South Korean car maker Hyundai pushed Mazda off the podium for third place for the third time this year. And Hyundai's sister brand Kia pushed Honda outside the top 10 for the second month in a row. In a stark example of the impact of the imported competition, the Volkswagen Golf outsold the locally made Holden Cruze small car for the second month in a row. Top 10 cars October 2013 Toyota Corolla 3860 Mazda3 3610 Holden Commodore 3310 Toyota HiLux 3170 Hyundai i30 2380 Toyota Camry 2250 Ford Ranger 2025 Volkswagen Golf 1965 Holden Cruze 1925 Nissan Navara 1920 Top 10 brands October 2013 Toyota 18,130 -- down 2 per cent Holden 10,530 -- up 3 per cent Hyundai 8130 -- up 7 per cent Mazda 7965 -- up 3 per cent Ford 7485 -- down 10 per cent Nissan 5295 -- down 20 per cent Mitsubishi 5065 -- down 5 per cent Volkswagen 4875 -- down 12 per cent Subaru 2860 -- down 10 per cent Kia 2530 -- down 15 per cent Preliminary results. Official VFACTS data due Monday 4 November, 2013. This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling  

Having been born in England, raised in Canada, and starting his career in Detroit -- before doing a stint in the Middle East ahead of his Holden assignment -- you’d think Mike Devereux had seen it all. But even Devereux was not prepared for the first question from the Holden factory floor when he arrived three and a half years ago.Having replaced Alan Batey and Mark Reuss -- the two successive executives who rescued Holden from closure in the grip of the Global Financial Crisis -- Devereux was revving up the workforce in an Anthony Robbins-style motivational speech. There were tough times ahead, he warned. Improvements needed to be made in quality (the Pontiac version of the Commodore sold between 2007 and 2009 in the US was not Holden’s finest hour, especially when judged against global standards).But most important of all, Holden needed to find ways to become more cost-efficient while building better cars, a challenging double act at the best of times -- and Holden was facing the worst of times. It took Devereux no time at all to figure out that Australia is the most competitive new-car market in the world, with more than 60 brands competing for 1 million sales. (In North America 38 brands compete for their share of 15 million sales).As Devereux finished talking the audience through his vision for success he figured it was a pretty good opening address, all the key points were hit. As part of his direct yet approachable management style that would define his time in the Holden office, Devereux then took questions from the floor. “When are we going to get Christmas cakes back?” a worker asked.Not sure quite what the worker meant, a minder whispered in Devereux’s ear, explaining that Holden workers used to get a Christmas hamper each year but they turned to crumbs in the GFC. Holden was on the brink of extinction and someone on the factory floor wanted cake, Devereux thought to himself. “Let me get back to you on that one,” he said, before asking if anyone had any manufacturing questions.It was a telling insight into just how shielded the workers -- and the rest of Australia for that matter -- were from the grim realities Holden was facing, despite the redundancies leading up to that moment, and the hundreds that would follow. The possibility of life without Holden seemed impossible because it had been bailed out so many times before. It’s not that Holden is too big to fail, it’s too iconic. Or so people naively believe.Car companies are brutally pragmatic these days. All major brands have shuttered dozens of under-performing or unprofitable factories across Europe and the US in the past four years alone. Almost as quickly, they’re replacing them with factories in countries with low-cost labour, primarily China, Thailand and other parts of South-East Asia where cars can be built for a quarter of the cost of Australia.From the moment of that first question, Devereux realised he had a job on his hands to educate his workers -- and the rest of Australia -- about the true challenges facing the car manufacturing industry. What we got was one of the most open and out-spoken car executives Australia has ever seen, traits which only seemed to amplify as time passed.In one of his first media interviews Devereux was asked if he was sent here to shut Holden down. Still getting to know the joint, he said he’d rather not answer that question right now. But those in the room were left with the distinct impression the end was near. What happened after that is unclear. But what we do know is that Mike Devereux very quickly fell in love with Holden, its workers, their passion and, most of all, their capability to design and engineer cars from the ground-up on a fraction of the resources in Detroit or China.Devereux became so intoxicated with the place he is restoring a 1962 EK Holden. His predecessor Mark Reuss also restored a late 1950s FC Holden and took it back with him to Detroit. It’s now in the GM museum, the only Holden represented among hundreds of GM cars from around the world.There is no doubt that passion has helped drive Devereux’s negotiations with State and Federal Governments for more taxpayer assistance. Devereux has pushed for the manufacturing future of Holden against all odds -- and sound economics -- pulling on any lever that might get a deal over the line. But the grim reality is that Holden loses money on every car it builds locally. Over the past 12 years it has produced, on average, a paltry $28 million profit from an average annual turnover of $5.5 billion.When you consider that the balance sheet looks like that after more than $1.8 billion in taxpayer funding over the same period, you can see why Holden cut the Christmas cake. Even if Devereux were able to get a deal done (“governments rent our industry to create jobs, that’s the reality,” he says) it’s worth noting at this point that the Holden taxpayers are trying to save is not the Holden Australians have known to grow and love.The two new cars Holden will build if the factory continues beyond 2016 will be “global” vehicles designed and engineered offshore and made with more foreign parts. In other words, despite the Holden line that local manufacturing will help local suppliers, the next car it calls the “Commodore” will be less Australian than a Toyota Camry.The current Commodore has just 50 per cent local content, and it was designed here. The Cruze small car has just 30 per cent local content. The Toyota Camry has 65 per cent local content (based on figures supplied by the car makers). The Ford Falcon, incidentally, tops the lot with 70 per cent of its parts sourced locally.So, will Holden manufacturing stay or will it go? The odds of it staying, sadly, are now extremely slim. If General Motors was confident Holden's manufacturing operations could survive, they would let Devereux finish the job and bed it down. Most car executive appointments run for three years; Devereux was scheduled to stay for five. His leaving early can only mean one thing. Holden’s manufacturing operations won’t be far behind him.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Two men pretending to be undercover cops stole a man's car after pulling him over for "hooning" in the Perth suburb of Thornlie on Friday night.The 28-year-old victim was driving his Mitsubishi Lancer on Warton Rd about 9.30pm when a Holden Commodore approached him with a blue flashing light on the dashboard.The victim pulled over and was confronted by two men claiming to be undercover police officers, who said they were seizing the man's car for hooning. One man then took the black Lancer and the other man drove off in the Commodore, leaving the victim on the side of the road.Police have described one man as 180cm tall and the other 165cm tall, both with dark skin and dressed in casual clothes."Police are reminding members of the public that if approached by anyone claiming to be a police officer to ask for identification," a police spokeswoman said."All WA Police personnel carry an identification badge. This badge has a photograph of them, their police service number and a police badge/logo on the identification."Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.