[JoeT]

60 Years & Seven Million Vehicles: GM Holden Sets Another Automotive Record

GM Holden
18 August 2008
www.holden.com.au

GM Holden’s seven millionth vehicle rolled off the production line today creating a record manufacturing achievement in Australia’s automotive history.

The milestone vehicle was a 60th Anniversary Commodore sedan, identified for dual fuel LPG fitment, delivering family car benefits at small car fuel costs.

The car highlighted GM Holden’s strategy to develop and offer a wide range of fuel saving and environmental technologies to Australian and overseas buyers.

The celebration to mark this significant event was held at GM Holden’s Vehicle Operations assembly plant in Elizabeth, South Australia, with employees and guests including the Premier of South Australia, the Hon. Mike Rann MP; Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator the Hon. Kim Carr; and GM Holden’s Executive Director – Manufacturing, Rod Keane.

Mr Keane said the milestone was an important achievement and testament to GM Holden’s ability to succeed in a changing global environment.

“This is a proud day for every one of GM Holden’s 6500 employees in Australia. It says so much about us as one of this country’s largest manufacturing operations and most trusted brands,” Mr Keane said.

“The next chapter in our history will see us delivering a wide range of energy solutions to meet varying consumer needs and budgets. I believe manufacturing the next million vehicles will be one of the most dynamic periods of GM Holden’s rich history.”

Holden built Australia’s first successfully mass produced car – the 48-215, in November 1948 at Fishermans Bend in Port Melbourne, Victoria. Its one millionth car rolled off the line almost 14 years later. The Holden Commodore, launched in 1978, has been Australia’s best selling car for the past 12 years.

LPG is one of a range of alternative fuel and environmental technologies offered by GM Holden. Others include diesel, ethanol on Saab, and Active Fuel Management which is planned for introduction on some locally-built Holden V8 models.

The GM Holden plant at Elizabeth manufactures 43 models off six variants, including left and right hand drive, making it one of the most flexible plants in GM’s worldwide operations. Almost 50 per cent of production is for export with GM Holden having exported more than 800,000 vehicles since exports began in 1954.

GM Holden Vehicle Production Milestones

First Holden (48-215) launched November 1948 (Fishermans Bend, Vic)

One millionth (EJ) October 1962 (Dandenong, Vic)

Two millionth (HK) March 1969 (Dandenong, Vic)

Three millionth (HQ) June 1974 (Pagewood, NSW)

Four millionth (VC Commodore) June 1981 (Dandenong, Vic)

Five millionth (VN Calais) August 1990 (Elizabeth, SA)

Six millionth (VX Commodore SS) June 2001 (Elizabeth, SA)

Seven millionth (VE Commodore) August 2008 (Elizabeth, SA)

Holden Celebrates 50 Years At Elizabeth Plant ​

 

[Aych Es Vee]

Two millionth (HK) March 1969 (Dandenong, Vic)

Three millionth (HQ) June 1974 (Pagewood, NSW)


a million in five years?
wow, Holden was going much harder back then.

 

[Generation IV]

Two millionth (HK) March 1969 (Dandenong, Vic)

Three millionth (HQ) June 1974 (Pagewood, NSW)


a million in five years?
wow, Holden was going much harder back then.

hahaha, yeh. Is that a typo??? Holden were pushing then, jeez

 

[RedVee8]

Good on 'em.


^ yep those HQs were hot sellers. Plus they had Toranas 4 & 6 & possibly a few 8s, that they were building as well.

 

[Aych Es Vee]

apparently the HQ is still the #1 selling/produced Holden model ever.

 

[asylum]

apparently the HQ is still the #1 selling/produced Holden model ever.

one of the strangest export models too!

 

[RedVee8]

Sorry mate, close but not cigar.
Thats based on the HJ Premier - looks close to the same colour as my old HJ Prem, Antelope.

 

[Aych Es Vee]

Those Mazda Roadpacers were steaming piles.
But pretty collectible now!

 

[asylum]

Sorry mate, close but not cigar.
Thats based on the HJ Premier - looks close to the same colour as my old HJ Prem, Antelope.

yeah close enough though

are the middle of the cars the same, just different front and rear treatments?

bit of info from wiki

The Mazda Roadpacer was a full-size sedan sold by Mazda Motor Corp. of Japan between 1975 and 1977. It was based on the Australian Holden Premier. Premiers were shipped to Japan without engines, and Mazda fitted a 1.3 L 13B Wankel engine into the bay. Although the engine produced 135 hp (100 kW) and 101 ft·lbf (138 Nm) of torque, the Roadpacer weighed 3,500 lb (1,575 kg).

While the 13B produced more power than the 6 cylinder engine fitted to the car as a Holden, the lack of torque meant performance was restrained with a 103 mph (166 km/h) top speed, poor acceleration and terrible fuel consumption. Contemporary reports suggest 9 mpg (26 L per 100 km).

While the Holden Premier itself was well endowed with items, Mazda decided to add many more, including some people had likely never heard of. Gadgets of note include a central locking system that activated when the car hit 10 km/h (6 mph), a chime system that activated at 90 km/h (56 mph), a dictation system and a stereo able to be controlled from both front and back seats.

The price was also not a bargain at 3.8 million yen (US$10,000) in 1975. This was about twice the price of a contemporary Mazda Cosmo. Originally intended as transport for high-ranking government officials, the car was sold in the wake of the first fuel crisis and was not a commercial success. Production ceased in 1977 with only 840 units sold.

The Roadpacer has the sole distinction of a General Motors product being fitted for production with a rotary engine.

Most were sold to government departments and were later crushed, meaning Roadpacers are rare nowadays; their counterpart model, the Holden Premier is considered a classic car in Australia; but the Roadpacer remains largely unheard of, or is believed to be a rumour.

 

[Slick_Holden]

I'm waiting to see if my theory is correct..

Well done Holden, Stuff the GM part piss that off, You did it on your own, Against budget cut backs and raping of money, You built what you could with what you had, And done it pretty good..

 

[mikmak]

Convenient choice of 7 millionth vehicle. I can see the PR guy whistfully referring to an "image of change. An example that GM is sharing the planets concern for the environment". It shows that these PR guy really have their finger on the pulse.
I think I'm working in the wrong field. :lmao:

 

[FBODYRULES]

Two millionth (HK) March 1969 (Dandenong, Vic)

Three millionth (HQ) June 1974 (Pagewood, NSW)


a million in five years?
wow, Holden was going much harder back then.

yeah they were going harder but less competition I guess, then again less people owned cars per population.
I think everyone was going hard, for example chevy pushed 1mill impala's per year for along time,
and also english rubbish was selling in big numbers

 

[Aych Es Vee]

yeah they were going harder but less competition I guess, then again less people owned cars per population.

less cars per population, and also, far less population
Australia only had 12.5 million people in 1970.
21.5 million now

Well done Holden, Stuff the GM part piss that off, You did it on your own, Against budget cut backs and raping of money, You built what you could with what you had, And done it pretty good..

Holden manages to make pretty damn good vehicles (can anyone argue against that? because I dont think so), on very little budget....
I've always wondered to myself .... If Holden had the budget of say ... what BMW uses to create the 5 series ...... Do you think Holden could make a better car than BMW?
In regard of driving dynamics, the VE Commodore and 5 series are pretty much on par already (or so I hear? I havent driven either). Holden would just need to majorly upgrade quality and luxury features.

there could probably be a debate on that subject.

Another thing to note is that all the technology put into the engines and suspension in 5 series BMWs doesnt even make it drive better (or that much better anyway) than a VE Commodore with a pushrod V8s.

I dont know, am I talking out of my arse here???

 

[RedVee8]

yeah close enough though

are the middle of the cars the same, just different front and rear treatments?

bit of info from wiki

yes mate, close enough.

Different nose cone, tail lights, bumpers, dash - protrudes into the cabin a lot less, seats - different construction & integral headrestraints (tombstone), and of course the biggie - hubcap colour.

 

[Slick_Holden]

less cars per population, and also, far less population
Australia only had 12.5 million people in 1970.
21.5 million now






Holden manages to make pretty damn good vehicles (can anyone argue against that? because I dont think so), on very little budget....
I've always wondered to myself .... If Holden had the budget of say ... what BMW uses to create the 5 series ...... Do you think Holden could make a better car than BMW?
In regard of driving dynamics, the VE Commodore and 5 series are pretty much on par already (or so I hear? I havent driven either). Holden would just need to majorly upgrade quality and luxury features.

there could probably be a debate on that subject.

Another thing to note is that all the technology put into the engines and suspension in 5 series BMWs doesnt even make it drive better (or that much better anyway) than a VE Commodore with a pushrod V8s.

I dont know, am I talking out of my arse here???

I'm with you, You are defintaly not talking out of your arse.
Money can do wonders for quality, Getting the best tools also..
We have to even consider this, Would a 30% increase in budget for the VE have made something in the M5 range in and out?..
They have been saying that, GM pinched 300 million out of holden's budget, I woul love to know where that money would have gone??, Weight loss?, Interior upgrade??, More variety in drivetrains?.

Out of curiosity, What is BMW's budget?..

Just herd the Poms have a 20 billion budget for there Olympics, There Para Olympics has more budget then our total, Another case for fighting out of our weight league and doing great.

 

[nota]

less cars per population, and also, far less population
Australia only had 12.5 million people in 1970.
21.5 million now

Yes that was back in those supposedly bad high-tariff days when Holden's locally produced cars alone amounted to around 27% of the total AU market - rather than all local producers combined now hanging on desperately, unsustainably, with less than 20% of total market share. It was when GM-H was Australia's most profitable company, and single biggest employer. Back in a high-dollar era when the wide majority of Aussies somehow still managed to afford and proudly purchase vast numbers of 'overpriced' and supposedly 'low quality' local cars from our 'inefficient' local producers

In more recent times the proponents of the logic for maintaining a sufficient level of industry protection are lectured and admonished by those 'modern thinking' economic rationalists that a tariff environment inevitably bred only complacency and sub-standard product, not 'world class' exportables. And yet in that environment GM-H delivered us the superb HQ range eg, which although no longer built in l/h/d for export as were previous Holdens, was still good enough to be wanted, shipped and bought overseas

Contrast yesterdays success with todays gloomy predictions, stemming from tariff reductions. Not too many years ago when Landcruiser occupied a 'top ten' market position (was it top five at one stage?) afaik this single import comprised at retail value to be somewhere around one billion dollars, much of it exported debt

And yet we are advised to persist 'walking into the face of doom' with Bracks dauntlessly recommending a continued reduction of our industry umbrella down to a nominal (terminal?) 5%

 

[mikmak]

^^^and who do you think they'll blame when foreign content of the Commodore and Falcon reaches 95%? You can bet your arse few will remember to point the finger at Bracks. Having said that, I am confident that Commodore and Falcon can still exist, just on a higher class than they currently reside. What needs to happen is introduction of foreign vehicles that are competent enough to slide under the large cars, while improving the appointments and quality in line with a shift up market, ie. the opposite of what Mooney tried. His strategy was "watch me make a quick buck before I beat retreat". Live and learn Mr. Reuss. We want long term strategies, not economic Gold Stars for your resume. Just ask Peter Hamburger about the legacy he put in place and the pedestal on which he shall reside.

 

[MonaroSS]

If I were Bracks I would recommend a 30% import tariff on all cars and trucks, including upon domestic manufactured vehicles. To be considered a domestic manufactured vehicle it would need to be 40% local content if assembled in Australia or made with 60% local content if assembled abroad.

However, all world car manufacturers are free to set up local 40% assembly in Australia or assemble abroad with 60% Aussie components and then claim up to a 100% rebate of the tariff by additionally selling half the number of vehicles sold locally into foreign markets. And the rebate would also apply pro rata.

So if Tata assembled a car in OZ with 40% local content and sold 10,000 vehicles locally they would pay a 30% tariff. But if they sold another 5,000 of those vehicles outside of OZ then they pay zero tariffs on the local sales. Or pro rata if they sold 10K locally and 2.5K overseas they would pay a 15% tariff on the local sales. Or they could build the same vehicles in say India but with 60% Aussie content and so long as they sold another 50% outside of Australia of those foreign assembled high Aussie content vehicles they could still sell in OZ with a zero tariff.

So such a tariff only aids the local manufacturers over foreign competitors if the locals have up to a 50% export program. And to sell those vehicles overseas they must remain competitive in the larger world and not get slack on technology or quality. So this safeguards against protectionism. But it also does not deprive Aussies of foreign vehicles tariff free so long as those manufacturers included Aussie content being 60% if they assemble overseas or 40% if they set up shop here.

And this tariff need not add any cost to high-end vehicles that are never going to be able to include much Aussie content let alone assemble in OZ. This is achieved by the luxury tax being scrapped to balance that out. So such a tariff would have little change in price for anything north of the current luxury tax threshold. It would also have little effect on Holden or Toyota prices, but Ford would have to start an export program. However it would have a considerable effect on limiting lower priced vehicles under the Commodore/Falcon/Camry by adding up to 30% to the price unless they include local assembly or inclusion of Aussie content from Aussie suppliers in their foreign manufacture.

This would make the local manufacture and assembly of smaller cars by Holden, Ford and Toyota very viable and indeed make it appealing for other brands to assemble here and export from here, as they must do to get the rebate.

Such a scheme does not shut out foreign makers as all makers, whether they assemble locally or overseas can access the rebate and are welcome to assemble locally. As Holden, Ford and Toyota would likely make smaller cars here under such a scheme, including I4 engines, then some foreign makers may send CKD kits and buy local brakes, wheels, steering components and engines to fit in their vehicles to satisfy the requirements. It may even mean that some companies like the Europeans and their Chinese or Indian partners may join with others and locals in multiple joint venture arrangements to build and own a local engine plant, which is one of the quickest ways to add local content to a CKD kit. And such a plant would also then generate export sales back to their home markets to amortise the costs.

Such a scheme would guarantee that either Aussie Car manufacture or part suppliers sold about half the content of total local car sales and had about a further 25% of that in exports. But to get that business the local made cars and parts would have to qualify by being competitive in the world market place, because without 50% of their product being sold overseas they would not gain fully from the tariff protections. This protects their local sales; but only if they remain competitive with the rest of the world.

 

[RedVee8]

I cannot justify reducing past 10%, and I think that the 4wds should come back up to 10%.
There has to some protection for the 'locals'.