Holden Efijy Concept To Go Into Limited Production?

[JoeT]

Efijy In High Demand

Stephen Ottley
14 September 2007
www.carsguide.com.au

Holden considers producing a limited edition run of the hero car.

Oil-rich sheiks, mega-millionaire British businessmen and even the brother of Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, are fighting to get their hands on the Holden Efijy.

They have bid millions for the one-off Holden hero car, which has just starred in the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit.

None of the potential buyers has come close to claiming the car, but their interest could spark a plan to build $1 million-plus copies.

GM Holden has officially dismissed the chance of building any extra Efijys beyond the one-off motor show dream machine, but the worldwide interest in the car could lead to a potentially lucrative opportunity to commission a limited production run.

Even so, if Holden gets enough serious offers for the car it could make a viable business case to build the 21st century hot rod in limited numbers with a $1 million price tag.

The exact interest in the car is unclear, but GM Holden executives confirm there have been semi-serious approaches from several people with the cash to splash on an Efijy.

Click here to continue article

Holden's FJ Efijy Concept Steals The 2005 Sydney Motor Show!
Holden Efijy Wows Woodward Dream Cruise
Holden Efijy Wins 2007 'US Concept Of The Year' Award
Efijy Concept Wins US Hot Rod Magazine 'Hot Rod Of The Year' Award
Holden Efijy At The 2007 North American International Auto Show!
Video: 'The Car Show' Efijy Story (5mins)
Video: 'Beyond Tomorrow' Efijy Story (7mins)

Holden Efijy at the 2007 Woodwards Dream Cruise

[01cavalier]

It's interesting that this wouild create demand when they have said they would not build it. If they sold it as an extremely low volume car and could sell it at a high price, it would be an excellent halo car. I'd say go for it. Just make very few for the markets.

[mitchikins]

Could this be the key to Holden breaking out as a global brand?

We all know that GM Holden is one of the best GM brands with it's brilliant engineering and product versatility (think how many off shoots the simple opel omega/ vt commodore platform had). It had, until the VE, some of the least funding out of all the brands, yet it managed to remain a highly lucrative enterprize and a market leader. The VE is one of, if not the best GM cars this side of a Cadillac.

I can see this leading to Holden spreading into more markets and becoming more like BMW in terms of product, maybe not pricing, as it needs, in order to be truly Australian, (which presumably would be part of the appeal... ie. it would be an import), it needs to remain financially accessable in it's home market.

[Tequilujan]

Damn that thing is beautiful. Why can't we have it?

[dallennium]

Now that would be the perfect car to stage a PONTIAC renaissance!

[mcool]

Originally Posted by mitchikins

Could this be the key to Holden breaking out as a global brand?

We all know that GM Holden is one of the best GM brands with it's brilliant engineering and product versatility (think how many off shoots the simple opel omega/ vt commodore platform had). It had, until the VE, some of the least funding out of all the brands, yet it managed to remain a highly lucrative enterprize and a market leader. The VE is one of, if not the best GM cars this side of a Cadillac.

I can see this leading to Holden spreading into more markets and becoming more like BMW in terms of product, maybe not pricing, as it needs, in order to be truly Australian, (which presumably would be part of the appeal... ie. it would be an import), it needs to remain financially accessable in it's home market.

I thought the same thing too when I came back from working in Australia at the Olympics. The fact is, IMO, Holden has since built its existence today off of export programs to the rest of the world. With its VE/WM volume sustained by the Middle East and increasingly other markets like ours, it doesn't make much sense to try to build Holden outside of the small Aussie and NZ markets when we can get the product via nearly anyone of GM's other brands.

Holden seems to have made the most with much of the least, taking Opel leftovers and spinning greatness and earning the justification to lead in an increasingly vital part of the GM empire (RWD cars).

At the same time, especially in the last few years, Holden has the rest of GM to thank for its versatility and ability to offer one of the broadest lineups in GM. Thanks to Opel for the small cars, now mainly the small-premium Astra. Thanks increasingly to GMDAT for the value-positioned range which are now Holden's small cars and midsize Epica, and Cativa. Thanks to GM NA for powertrain powerhouses.

I think GM should make the Efijy if it can do so for a good profit... but it shouldn't be another Veyron or Ford GT, where the profit picture is unlikely despite the great PR buzz.

[lonestarnox]

Yawn

[Jaymac332]

Originally Posted by dallennium

Now that would be the perfect car to stage a PONTIAC renaissance!

No, not Pontiac, they have the GTO, G8, and Solstice. Where this needs to go is Buick. The first time I saw this car I said to myself, "Is that some sort of Buick Led Sled?" This would be the perfect halo car for getting some positive publicity on Buick, especially considering no one else has thought of it yet. Why wouldnt this sell? I am personally in love with it. They make a V6 version of it, I could imagine it selling like crazy.

[ColinOpseth]

Originally Posted by lonestarnox

Yawn

/me sticks a carrot in your mouth.

Admit it; it's a cool car. You're just jealous because you can't afford to buy one.

[Aych Es Vee]

Funnily enough, HSVs website has a countdown leading to The Sydney Motor Show which is next month, and the countadown says;
"The biggest moment in HSVs first 20 years"
http://www.hsv.com.au/index_eseries.asp


Now ...... this article mentions Walkinshaw groups able-ness to build Efijy copies. Walkinshaw owns HSV.

Could an announcement to produce Efijys, by HSV, be their biggest moment in their first 20 years?



What a dream that would be

[stevecmh]

that would be so amazing if they built that.. i hope to GOD they do

[Aych Es Vee]

Originally Posted by dallennium

Now that would be the perfect car to stage a PONTIAC renaissance!

No, if this car should ever be produced, its SHOULD NOT be rebadged as anything.
People need to hear of HOLDEN, a car manufacturer from the land downunder, ....and this is the car that will make Holden a global name.

[GotAWD]

Originally Posted by lonestarnox

Yawn

you gotta be kidding dude, that is the most nicest production car (if it does make it) that has ever been produced in my time. the ladies would want to be in it and the dudes want to be driving it. thats the closest thing to a hotrod in our time. forget teh camaro, ute, corvette SS/z07/bluedevil. that is what i would love to own if anything in my time. that screams style, elegance, it is to be seen in.


that car should be made. thats my vote.

D

[JoeT]

If a limited edition (20?) were to be released it will only ever be a Holden, nothing else.

[Aych Es Vee]

Originally Posted by JoeT

If a limited edition (20?) were to be released it will only ever be a Holden, nothing else.

fact.