Holden Commodore News

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.

To gain approval to develop a new Commodore, General Motors did a top-secret deal with Holden to pair the next generation sedan with a Buick that was originally exclusive to the Chinese market. Holden won the contract to design the car, which was then due to be built in Australia and China. But now that Holden has decided to shut its Elizabeth car assembly line in 2017, China is poised to become the sole producer of the vehicle.Documents obtained by News Corp Australia confirm every Holden fan’s worst nightmare: the next generation Commodore will be a front-wheel-drive car powered by a four-cylinder engine. Every top-selling Holden since the birth of the company in 1948 has been a six-cylinder, rear-wheel-drive sedan. The last time Holden sold a four-cylinder Commodore in the early 1980s, sales tanked. The four-cylinder Ford Falcon released last year has also failed to boost sales, accounting for less than 10 per cent of deliveries.Holden insiders are now fighting to make a V6 available as an option on the future Commodore. When asked why Holden would continue with the Commodore badge given that the 2017 version bears no resemblance to the models before it, a Holden insider said: “It’s easier to explain to buyers that something has changed about a car they know, than to say ‘Here’s the new Holden XYZ’.”The 2017 Commodore will lose its practical box-shaped body and instead take on sleek styling cues from Europe. Sales of European sedans have been revived overseas since they were restyled to look like four-door coupes.A Holden insider says the new Commodore will be almost 5 metres long and almost as wide as the current car, but it will look smaller because of the low roofline. “It’s about making sedans look cool again,” said one Holden insider. “Audi’s done it, Mercedes has done, now we’re going to do it. It’s the only way to bring customers back to sedans.” Sales of traditional sedans have been in free-fall for 10 years as Australians embrace SUVs in record numbers. The shift away from traditional cars is so strong that there will be no wagon version of the new Commodore for the first time ever.Strewth! No V8 mate!The Holden V8 is likely to disappear from showrooms in 2018, once the Commodore becomes an imported four-cylinder front-wheel-drive sedan. Holden’s only hope of getting a V8 into local showrooms is if General Motors decides to convert the next Camaro coupe or Corvette sportscar into right-drive-drive, as Ford has done with the new Mustang.The US media has reported that GM is considering a cheaper version of the new and highly acclaimed Cadillac performance sedan that could eventually replace the Holden-built Chevrolet SS. However, News Corp Australia understands there is as yet no approval for right-hand-drive versions of these vehicles. “Detroit don’t want to give up their (fuel economy) credits on a relatively low volume, low profit sedan,” said one insider. “They’d rather reserve that for their high profit pick-ups. Then you’ve got the added hurdle of making a business case for relatively low volume right-hand-drive versions. The way GM’s thinking at the moment, it won’t happen,” the source said.        

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. 

The move has come as as it became increasingly clear that it does not make financial sense for the company or the country. But did Holden and its factory workers deserve the public bollocking they’ve received from the Federal Government over the past week?Holden’s crime was to build a factory in what was once the semi-rural outskirts of Adelaide in 1963, that 50 years later would be suffocated by low-cost labour from our Asian neighbours.At its peak, Holden employed more than 20,000 workers across seven manufacturing facilities. Now there is just one car assembly line and 1760 workers.Policies from both sides of government over the past half a century have helped shape the economic headwind that Holden drove into: a wealthy nation with a strong currency, high wages and among the lowest import tariffs in the automotive world.Holden, against this stark backdrop, came to the government for assistance, just as it always has done, in much the same way farmers get a helping hand in times of drought.The difference, however, is that the future of Australian manufacturing remains bleak because the economic fundamentals are unlikely to change anytime soon.When Ford announced in May that it would close its Australian factories in 2016, Holden privately wondered why Ford didn’t even give the government the opportunity to help.It has since emerged that even doubling the government assistance to Ford would not have been enough to save it.But because Holden feels that its brand image is so closely linked to manufacturing -- even if most of the cars in Holden showrooms today come from South Korea and Thailand -- it decided to raise its hand, Oliver Twist-style, and utter "please, sir, can we have some more?".Given recent events, however, Holden is probably reconsidering that decision.The one good call the Federal Government has made in the middle of this Holden sledging campaign is to announce that it will buy bomb-proof BMWs for its politicians instead of hand-built Holdens that can barely withstand a hand-grenade.Holden was criticised for not pitching for the business. But Holden knows that the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have specialist divisions that can deliver better equipped armoured cars for less money -- a fitting analogy for the rest of the car industry in fact.For example, the Cruze is the cheapest locally-made Holden in 20 years. But its sales have been dented by better equipped and cheaper cars from Japan -- buoyed by a currency that has been artificially devalued by the Japanese government.So where did it all go wrong for Holden?Holden should have cut its production costs sooner than it did (three months ago it got workers to agree to a three-year wage freeze if the new deal goes ahead).But Holden cannot be accused of not reacting quickly enough to the changing tastes of Australian car buyers.It got the Cruze small car into the Elizabeth factory and built it alongside the Commodore in less than two years, in the height of the Global Financial Crisis, when normally such efforts can take up to five years.No-one wants to take responsibility for Holden's manufacturing shutdown. In the end, Holden was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Official statement from HoldenAs part of its ongoing actions to decisively address the performance of its global operations, General Motors today announced it would transition to a national sales company in Australia and New Zealand. The company also 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,” said GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson. “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.”As a result of the company’s actions, approximately 2,900 positions will be impacted over the next four years. This will comprise 1,600 from the Elizabeth vehicle manufacturing plant and approximately 1,300 from Holden’s Victorian workforce.Holden will continue to have a significant presence in Australia beyond 2017, comprising a national sales company, a national parts distribution centre and a global design studio.GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mike Devereux said an important priority over the next four years would be to ensure the best possible transition for workers in South Australia and Victoria.“This has been a difficult decision given Holden’s long and proud history of building vehicles in Australia,” said Devereux. “We are dedicated to working with our teams, unions and the local communities, along with the federal and state governments, to support our people.”The sale and service of Holden vehicles will be unaffected by this announcement and will continue through the extensive network of Holden dealers across Australia and New Zealand. Warranty terms and spare parts availability will remain unchanged.“GM remains committed to the automotive industry in Australia and New Zealand. We recognize the need for change and understand the government’s point of view. Moving forward, our business model will change significantly however, GM Holden will remain an integral part of its communities and an important employer both directly and through our dealers,” Devereux said.Since 2001, the Australian dollar has risen from US$0.50 to as high as US$1.10 and from as low as 47 to as high as 79 on the Trade Weighted Index. The Australian automotive industry is heavily trade exposed. The appreciation of the currency alone means that at the Australian dollar’s peak, making things in Australia was 65 percent more expensive compared to just a decade earlier.With the decision to discontinue vehicle and engine manufacturing in Australia by the end of 2017, GM expects to record pre-tax charges of $400 million to $600 million in the fourth quarter of 2013. The charges would consist of approximately $300 million to $500 million for non-cash asset impairment charges including property, plant and equipment and approximately $100 million for cash payment of exit-related costs including certain employee severance related costs. Additional charges are expected to be incurred through 2017 for incremental future cash payments of employee severance once negotiations of the amount are completed with the employees’ union. The asset impairment charges will be considered special for EBIT-adjusted reporting purposes. 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.

A decision on Holden's future is a mere pen-stroke, email or phone call away -- and it could now happen before Christmas after the Federal Government increased its pressure on the iconic car-maker.News Corp Australia understands the global CEO of General Motors, Dan Akerson, based at the company's headquarters in Detroit, has the sole discretion to sign away Holden's manufacturing operations and with it the jobs of 1760 factory workers.Contrary to earlier reports -- and protocols at other companies -- the Holden decision does not need to go to the General Motors board, which meets monthly.Mr Akerson is a $12 million-a-year man who served as an officer on a US naval destroyer in the 1970s.  In just three years he has developed a reputation in Detroit as not being afraid to make tough calls, such as shutting factories or axing entire brands, such as Pontiac and Hummer and the sale of Swedish icon Saab.A self-confessed "non-car guy", Mr Akerson has helped reshape General Motors globally since it came out of bankruptcy, driven the company to record profits and, as of yesterday, finished repaying the $50 billion loan from the US Government, which sold its remaining shares in GM.In a recent interview with USA Today, when asked about the secrets to his success and the transformation of General Motors, Mr Akerson said: "You can't live in a crisis mode … fundamentally I've got to run a business that's gonna turn profits."Holden has lost $432 million over the past five years and the company openly admits it loses money on each car it builds locally. Mr Akerson speaks about "fortress balance sheets" and taking emotion out of decisions by being able to "define reality"."That was necessary in this industry and in General Motors," he told USA Today. "Once you define reality you have to provide a vision."With pressure from the Federal Government reaching new heights after the Treasurer Joe Hockey said of Holden in Question Time "either you're here, or you're not", General Motors is increasingly being left with no option but to shut the car-making factory that Queen Elizabeth II visited in its opening year, in 1963.It is possible an announcement by Holden could come on or before December 20 -- the last day of work for Holden factory employees before the scheduled summer shutdown, and the same day the preliminary report by the Productivity Commission is due to be released.An early announcement would alleviate the uncertainty being felt by Holden factory workers and minimise the potential damage being done to the company's brand image.When asked yesterday if Holden felt pressured by the Federal Government to announce a shutdown sooner rather than later, Holden boss Mike Devereux said: "Everything that could have been asked of me has been asked of me (at the Productivity Commission hearing). No decision has been made by General Motors."When asked by News Corp Australia if an announcement would be made before or after Christmas, Mr Devereux and Holden representatives declined to answer.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.Central to the debate over the Holden shutdown is the definition of the word "decision". In car industry terms, executives may have made up their minds on an outcome, but a "decision" is a more formal process.It took Ford more than 300 meetings and seven years to arrive at its decision to shut its Australian factories, and Mitsubishi was questioned for four years before its eventual shutdown, the Federal Government is trying to force Holden to announce its bad news within months.When Ford announced the 2016 shutdown its Australian factories, the decision was made at board level and included input from executive chairman William Clay Ford Jr, and Edsel Ford, both great-grandsons of Henry Ford. It then took several days for the announcement to be made to Ford workers on the factory floor.When asked by the Productivity Commission how much extra money Holden had asked from the Federal Government, Mr Devereux said the government had the figures and would not disclose them publicly.Carsguide understands Holden had asked for an average of $150 million per year -- the annual figures fluctuate to match the progress of vehicle development.In March 2012 Holden agreed to invest $1 billion in two new cars to be built from 2016 to 2022, in return for $275 million in taxpayer assistance -- $215 million from the Federal Government, $50 million from the SA Government and an estimated $10 from the Victorian Government.However after Ford announced in May this year that it was closing its factories in 2016, Holden has asked for an increase in taxpayer support because, it says, market conditions have "changed significantly" since the original deal was signed.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 _______________________________________ 

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 

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