[Ruperts Trooper]

After-market conversion to RHD for vehicles designed originally just for LHD is always going to add an unacceptable premium to the price - that will only ever work for niche vehicles in low volumes.

 

[jpd80]

You know, I've often wondered if the conversion could be done easier with BOF vehicles delivered
as a partially knocked down kit so that all the right bits can be fitted a lot more easily.

 

[nadepalma]

This article was published by Autoblog.com, not GM Inside News--which is this site.

Ooooppppsss. Must have been thinking one thing and typing another. Will fix it now.

Thanks!

 

[Rick_VT]

Cant wait to see gm run this one into the ground to with their extensive knowledge of the Australian market.

 

[jpd80]

Beyond Silverado and the RHD Corvette, I wonder what other vehicles GM would try,
would it also be worth considering importing the RHD Acadia?

 

[VS Ute 5Litre]

Beyond Silverado and the RHD Corvette, I wonder what other vehicles GM would try,
would it also be worth considering importing the RHD Acadia?

I'm thinking Tahoe

Perhaps the new Hummer?

 

[kts3502.0]

Whatever they bring over will be sold in very low numbers and be way overpriced for what they are, GM doesn't give a **** about the aussie market here whatever happens is a win, win for them as they sell cars and it's not going to cost them a thing because they wont be doing the RHD conversions.

 

[jpd80]

The big winners are actually Walkinshaw who get paid for every conversion done on behalf of GMSV
and the Australian government piling on Luxury Car Tax and GST on top of those already inflated costs.
All GMNA gets is guaranteed sales to fans who are willing to pay, none of this exists without them.

Let's face it, most of them are leased as business vehicles so payments can be written down against
business use, there's a certain symbiosis (conspiracy) between buyers, Walkinshaw's business model
and the value adding to the tax department collecting LCT and GST. but I guess they're just the tip of
the iceberg compared to mid-sized pickup sales....

 

[chinamonty]

Beyond Silverado and the RHD Corvette, I wonder what other vehicles GM would try,
would it also be worth considering importing the RHD Acadia?

Any future electric vehicle would be my guess. It may just be in their long term strategy they didn't see the point in converting Holden's manufacturing to electric vehicles.

 

[Stéphane Dumas]

Too bad then GM didn't sold Holden to PSA. Now then PSA and FCA had evolved into Stellantis, would you imagine the various "what if?" and others "what might have been" scenarios for Holden? Interesting trivia to note then both Peugeot and Holden have a lion as logo.

 

[carisi2k9]

GM is gone, Holden is dead. Long live H2X where hopefully a bunch of sacked holden workers are heading to right now. I have been conversing with H2X and there is a sign they may do a commodore / falcon replacement since their basic design of their new auto vehicles is modular. Pretty much what GM had planned for that fuel cell / electric concept car a while back.

 

[jpd80]

Too bad then GM didn't sold Holden to PSA. Now then PSA and FCA had evolved into Stellantis, would you imagine the various "what if?" and others "what might have been" scenarios for Holden? Interesting trivia to note then both Peugeot and Holden have a lion as logo.

Holden was offered to PSA as part of the Opel Vauxhall deal but
just didn't want it. At that point GM knew that Holden was finished.

 

[Ruperts Trooper]

Too bad then GM didn't sold Holden to PSA. Now then PSA and FCA had evolved into Stellantis, would you imagine the various "what if?" and others "what might have been" scenarios for Holden? Interesting trivia to note then both Peugeot and Holden have a lion as logo.

Most "what if?" scenarios work out much better for Holden than how GM has dealt with them.

 

[RedHotMike]

Beyond Silverado and the RHD Corvette, I wonder what other vehicles GM would try,
would it also be worth considering importing the RHD Acadia?

Had an Acadia recently as a courtesy car. TBH I was pleasantly surprised. Can't see it working here as a grey import in an already over crowded market segment.

I'd only see them succeeding in the low volume niche areas - Suburban, Camaro (if it's still a thing) and so on with minimal competition in Aus.

 

[nadepalma]

Holden was offered to PSA as part of the Opel Vauxhall deal but
just didn't want it. At that point GM knew that Holden was finished.

Really? I hadn't heard that! Was that reported anywhere?

That's really interesting.

Had an Acadia recently as a courtesy car. TBH I was pleasantly surprised. Can't see it working here as a grey import in an already over crowded market segment.

I'd only see them succeeding in the low volume niche areas - Suburban, Camaro (if it's still a thing) and so on with minimal competition in Aus.

I agree. The market is already "crowded" and anything that is sold will likely have to be a niche product. In that vein, could there be something like a well appointed "Acadia Denali" to justify the higher price point? Perhaps, but very unlikely.

In addition to that, I couldn't imagine them reusing the Acadia moniker since Holden already used it. In light of Holden's death (and the bad feelings it has created among consumers) if GM were to import the Acadia, it would probably be a good idea to use another name.

The one thing I would add to this discussion is that great design and execution creates desirability. Corvettes, Camaros, and pick-up trucks aside, if there is one thing that Italian and French (and other) companies have survived on (and built a "mystique" atop of) over the last four decades, it is the "I must have it" factor. If GM were to design something that ticked off such boxes (regardless of segment), I could imagine a business case could be made for any product that is sold in limited numbers.

 

[Neanderthal]

So they can't afford to have a whole normal brand of (rebadged) RHD vehicles, but they can somehow work out the finances to re-engineer several models to RHD to sell a few hundred units a year at best?

They need to link up with Mitsubishi for the rebranding parade. Solves two problems.

 

[richmond2000]

my guess is this is ether an "underground" push from inside GM OR likely walkinshaw pushed deal more then a "proper" business plan from GM
I could see the Hummer EV teh Escalade the Camaro and Vette and that is about it for ANY VOLUME

and for the "what if" Holden went with Opel to PSA I doubt PSA has a lot of interest in scratch designing a NEW COMMIE and its RWD platform and as far as I can see Holden was mostly DOA once the Commie was turned into a FWD Opel in drag

 

[jpd80]

my guess is this is ether an "underground" push from inside GM OR likely walkinshaw pushed deal more then a "proper" business plan from GM
I could see the Hummer EV teh Escalade the Camaro and Vette and that is about it for ANY VOLUME

and for the "what if" Holden went with Opel to PSA I doubt PSA has a lot of interest in scratch designing a NEW COMMIE and its RWD platform and as far as I can see Holden was mostly DOA once the Commie was turned into a FWD Opel in drag

The feedback from PSA was that it was only interested in the GM Europe brands
as they are more easily integrated into PSA's business plus they give PSA a leg up
in the German and UK markets. Holden brand gave them nothing they wanted.

 

[carisi2k9]

Agreed that Holden was dead as soon as the decision to cancel local production of Commodore was made. GM made a decision based on their own mismanagement because they wanted Australian Government money even though Holden was still making money even with the VF Commodore. The money was being siphoned back to GM headquarters to keep them afloat. GM is still losing money which should tell you something about how competent the management at GM are.

 

[Downandout]

stupid creating a new GM brand. Just keep Holden as a scaled down brand with 30 to 50 dealers. Sell locally-converted Silverado, as well as current Acadia, Corvette, Trax and Equinox. As the mainstream GM products cease RHD, replace them with more locally converted US product (Tahoe, Colorado ZR2, Suburban) Aim for 20,000 to 30,000 sales a year and you are done. It means no massive re-branding exercise and keeps an existing nameplate to keep up the lucrative parts and servicing of 1.6 million current Holdens on the road. It also keeps their options open as electric cars take off and RHD becomes dead easy.

But still interested what happens with GMSV. Im surprised GM are bothering, but I suppose if they need to have a local presence due to parts and servicing I guess they figure they may as well sell some cars while they are at it.