:''This article is about the Australian car manufacturer. For other uses, see
Holden (disambiguation).''
'Holden', officially 'GM Holden Ltd', is an
Australian
automaker based in
Port Melbourne,
Victoria, originally independent but now a subsidiary of
General Motors (GM).
The Holden automotive
marque is one of GM's "alpha" brands. Holden has taken charge of vehicle operations for General Motors in
Australasia and holds partial ownership of
GM Daewoo in
South Korea on behalf on GM.
[1]
Over the years, Holden has offered a broad range of locally produced vehicles, with supplementary models imported from various parts of the General Motors empire. In the past, Holden has offered
rebadged Nissan and
Toyota models in sharing arrangements.
Holden cars are manufactured at
Elizabeth, South Australia, while engines are produced at
Port Melbourne, Victoria.
Historically, production or assembly plants were operated in all mainland
states of Australia:
Woodville, South Australia (body production only),
Pagewood, New South Wales,
Dandenong, Victoria,
Acacia Ridge, Queensland and
Mosman Park, Western Australia. Consolidation of all car production at Elizabeth, South Australia, was completed in 1988, although some assembly operations continued at Dandenong until the mid-1990s.
The
Holden New Zealand subsidiary opened an assembly plant based in
Petone,
New Zealand, in 1926, but manufacturing operations ceased after an announcement was made on
April 26 1990 indicating local production would be phased out and vehicles would be imported
duty free.
[2]
History of the marque
Early history
In 1852 James Alexander Holden emigrated to
South Australia from
England and established 'J.A. Holden & Co' in 1856, a saddlery business in
Adelaide.
, James' son, entered the firm in 1905 with a genuine interest in automobiles.
[3] From there, the firm evolved through various partnerships and in 1908, as Holden and Frost, moved into the business of minor repairs to car upholstery.
[4] The company began producing complete motorcycle sidecar bodies in 1913, and Edward experimented with fitting bodies to different types of carriages.
After 1917, wartime trade restrictions led the company to commence full-scale production of vehicle body shells.
J.A. Holden incorporated a new company in 1919, 'Holden's Motor Body Builders Ltd' (HMBB).
HMBB made bodies to suit a number of
chassis imported from manufacturers such as
Buick and
Dodge.
In 1931 General Motors purchased the business and formed 'General Motors–Holden's Ltd'.
Since then two name changes have occurred, the first in 1998 when the company became 'Holden Ltd' and the second in May 2005 when it became 'GM Holden Ltd'.
Australia's own car
Launch of the first Holden in November 1948 by Prime Minister
Ben Chifley.
After the end of
World War II, the
Australian Government took steps to encourage an Australian automotive industry.
[5] While it is widely accepted that General Motors was the only automobile manufacturer to accept the challenge to build "Australia's Own Car," both
Ford and General Motors provided studies to the Australian Government of the day. Ford's long and complex document listed the impact and employment effects of a Ford-based vehicle and associated infrastructure, whereas GM's was a three-page list of the members of parliament and what each member would receive in "financial aid."
Holden's managing director
Laurence Hartnett was particularly enthusiastic about developing and building an Australian car. The
48-215 (also unofficially called the FX), was developed and launched in 1948. The
mid-size 48-215 was fitted with a 132.5
cubic inch (2,171 cc) engine,
and its design was based on a previously rejected post-war
Chevrolet proposal.
General Motors had rejected the design because the engine was deemed too small for the
United States market.
1950s: domination of the Australian market
During the 1950s, Holden dominated the Australian marketplace, offering buyers a combination of style, comfort, performance, economy, and value that no competitor could match.
Less expensive four-cylinder cars did not offer Holden's ability to deal with rugged rural areas.
Another factor in Holden's success was the large investment in production capacity, which allowed Holden to meet increased post-war demand for motor cars.
s were produced in parallel with the
50-2106 coupe utility from 1951, which was known
colloquially as the "Ute" and became ubiquitous in Australian
rural areas as the workhorse of choice. Production continued with minor changes until 1953, when the Ute was replaced by the face-lifted
FJ model.
The FJ was the first major change to the Holden since its 1948 introduction. Over time it gained iconic status and remains one of Australia's most recognisable automotive symbols.
A new horizontally slatted radiator grille dominated the front-end of the FJ, which had other trim changes but no changes to the body panels.
Holden paid homage to the FJ with the
Efijy concept car at the 2005
Australian International Motor Show in
Sydney.
[6]
While the FJ was little changed from the 48-215, marketing campaigns and price cuts kept vehicle sales steady until a completely redesigned model, the FE, was launched in 1956, and offered as a
station wagon as well as a sedan. Mechanical components carried over from the FJ, but the appearance was very different. Strong sales continued in Australia, and Holden achieved a market share of more than 50 percent.
1960s: response to the challenge of competition
The 1960s brought further change to Holden. The company faced serious competition for the first time when its major competitors began to import cars from overseas. The decade opened with Holden offering its third major new model, the FB. Styling was inspired by 1957 Chevrolets, with
tailfins and a wrap-around
windshield with "dog leg"
A-pillars. By the time Holden introduced the FB in 1960, many considered the appearance dated. Much of the motoring industry at the time noted that the adopted styling did not translate well to the more compact Holden. The FB became the first Holden adapted for
left-hand drive markets, enhancing its export potential.
In 1960,
Ford unveiled the new
Falcon in Australia, only months after its introduction in the
United States, and soon after Holden introduced the FB. The Falcon's headlights were incorporated into the radiator grille, and
automatic transmission was an option, but to Holden's advantage, the Falcon suffered from serious durability weaknesses, particularly in the front suspension. Early tests indicated that the Falcon was not well suited for
Australian conditions, and Falcon customers later agreed.
[7] In response to the Falcon, Holden introduced the face-lifted EK in 1961, featuring two-tone paintwork, chrome trim,
and the option of automatic transmission. The EH, premiering in 1963, featured the new
Red motor, which improved vehicle performance over the previous
Grey motor.
[8]
In February 1965 Holden introduced the HD,
which was quickly replaced by the face-lifted HR in April 1966 because the car's styling proved unpopular. The HR had new front and rear styling and higher capacity engines, and Holden sold in excess of 250,000 units over the two-year production run. In 1968, Holden introduced its next major new model, the HK.
This included Holden's first
V8 engine, a
Chevrolet engine imported from the United States.
A long-wheelbase prestige model, the
Brougham, was based on the HK, and the first full-size two-door Holden, the
Monaro, was also based on the HK sedan.
The name "Monaro" is an
Aboriginal word meaning "higher ground" or "higher plain."
[9] The main-stream
Holden Special was re-branded the
Kingswood, and a basic
fleet model was introduced, known as the
Belmont.
A face-lifted HK, known as the HT, was introduced in 1969. The exterior changes included a new radiator grille,
new rear doors on
sedans (with larger windows), and new rear styling with a larger rear window, boot lid, and tail lights. Holden also introduced the first Australian designed and mass produced V8 engine, available in two capacities: 253 cubic inch (4.2 L) and 308 cubic inch (5.0 L).
The following year, Holden offered the HG: a lightly face-lifted car with a revised radiator grille, tail lights, interior trim, and colours. The HG's big selling point was its Tri-Matic three-speed automatic transmission, which Holden produced at its
Woodville, South Australia, factory.
[10]
Despite the arrival of serious competitors in the 1960s, namely the Ford Falcon,
Chrysler Valiant, and the introduction of
Japanese cars, Holden's locally-produced large six- and eight-cylinder cars remained Australia's top-selling vehicles. Exports boosted sales of the Kingswood sedan, station wagon, and utility body styles to places such as
Indonesia,
Trinidad and Tobago, and
South Africa, where the vehicles were badged as the Chevrolet Kommando.
Torana: the compact car
Main articles: Holden Torana
The
Torana was Holden's first
compact car in a market dominated by Japanese models. The name "Torana" is an
Aboriginal word meaning "to fly."
[11] Since 1964, Holden had assembled the HA series
Vauxhall Viva, marketing the car as "Viva—the GMH small car" and de-emphasising the
Vauxhall brand. The first Torana, the HB, replaced the Viva in 1967, and Holden offered the LC, a Torana with new styling, in 1969. This was the first compact six-cylinder car in the Australian marketplace.
[12]
The next development of the Torana was the LH series, which was introduced in 1974.
The LH was offered as a four-door sedan only, with a three-door hatchback variant added in the superseding LX series (manufactured between 1976 and 1978). The LH and LX series were offered with a wide range of engine choices, ranging from a 1.9 litre four-cylinder, 2.8 litre and 3.3 litre six-cylinder or 4.2 litre and 5.0 litre eight-cylinder.
At the time, the Torana was the only car in the world to be offered with such a diverse range of engines, although the
Chevrolet Nova offered this choice in the 1960s. The four-cylinder Torana later became the
Holden Sunbird, sold from 1974 to 1980.
And the UC series, which followed the LX in 1978, saw the demise of the V8 engine range.
[13]
The Torana departed from Holden's line-up in 1979, soon followed by the Sunbird in 1980. After the 1978 introduction of the
Holden Commodore, the Torana became the "in-between" car, squeezed out by the smaller and more economical
Gemini and the larger, more sophisticated Commodore. The closest successor to the Torana was the
Holden Camira, released in 1982 as Australia's version of GM's medium-sized "
J-Car."
1970s: from "Australia's Own" to the "World Car"
The
Commodore followed the success of the
Kingswood, becoming Holden's bestselling vehicle to date.
The 1970s opened with the launch of the new HQ series, often considered the most important new model since the original
Holden 48-215.
When the HQ was introduced, Holden was producing all of its passenger cars in Australia, and every model was of Australian design. However, by the end of the decade, Holden was producing cars based on overseas designs. The HQ was thoroughly re-engineered, featuring a perimeter frame and semi-
monocoque (unibody) construction. This provided a level of refinement not seen in this class of vehicle before. Other firsts included a wide, 60
inch (1,500 mm) track, all-coil suspension, an extended wheelbase for station wagons, utilities and
panel vans, and a new prestige brand, the
Statesman, which also had a longer wheelbase.
[14] The HQ framework led to a new generation of two-door
Monaros,
and despite the introduction of the similar sized competitors, the HQ became the number one selling Holden of all time,
[15] with 485,650 sales in three years.
In 1975, Holden introduced the
Gemini, the Australian version of the "
T-Car",
based on the
Opel Kadett C.
Not only was Gemini an overseas design, but it was developed jointly with
Isuzu, GM's Japanese affiliate.
A badge on the rear of the car identified it as a "Holden-Isuzu." The new car was powered by an Isuzu 1.6 litre four-cylinder engine,
and its styling resembled that of the Kadett. Fast becoming a popular car, the Gemini rapidly attained sales leadership in its class, and the nameplate lived on until 1987.
[16]
Holden's most popular car to date, the
Commodore, was first seen in 1978 with the introduction of the
VB.
[17] Holden's new family car was loosely based on the
Opel Rekord E body shell but with the front grafted on from the
Opel Senator to accommodate the larger Holden six-cylinder and
V8 engines. Initially, Commodore maintained Holden's sales leadership in Australia.
[18] However, some of the compromises resulting from the adoption of a design intended for another market hampered Commodore's acceptance. In particular, Commodore was narrower than its predecessor and the Falcon rival, which made it less comfortable for three rear-seat passengers. The Commodore was perceived as being smaller than the Falcon, which came at the expense of sales. The width problem was not resolved until the introduction of the wider
VN in 1988, which became the first
full-size Commodore.
[19]
1980s: toughest decade
The 1980s were challenging for Holden and the Australian car industry. The
Australian Government tried to revive the industry with the
Button car plan. The plan encouraged car makers to focus on producing larger and more economic volumes of fewer models, and it provided incentives for exports.
[20]
Holden faced financial challenges as sales of the
Commodore and
Gemini declined. Competition from
Ford intensified when the
Laser, a compact car based on the
Mazda 323, and an updated
Falcon proved popular. Other Australian manufacturers,
Toyota,
Nissan, and
Mitsubishi Motors were also gaining market share.
[21] When Holden released the
Camira in 1982, a short run of good sales was followed by faltering numbers; buyers considered the 1.6 litre engine to have inadequate power, and the car's reputation was tarnished by below average build and ride quality.
[22]
In 1985, Holden's parent, General Motors, reorganised and recapitalised the business. At this time, the engine manufacturing and car manufacturing divisions were separated.
[23] The engine manufacturing business was successful, building four-cylinder
GM Family II engines for use in cars built overseas.
[24] Holden became the source of engines for the
Vauxhall Cavalier and the
Opel Ascona built in Europe. In the same year, the
Barina supermini was launched, becoming Holden's first truly small car.
The rebadged
Suzuki Swift allowed Holden to broaden its market appeal.
[25]
The
VN Commodore overcame the previous generation Commodore's width problems, and became a successful model for Holden.
Holden began to sell rebadged
Nissan Pulsar hatchbacks as the
Holden Astra in 1985, as a result of a deal with
Nissan.
[26] When Nissan released a new model Pulsar (with an Astra clone) in 1987,
it was powered by the GM Family II engine that powered the Camira.
[27] This arrangement ceased in 1988, when Holden entered a new alliance with
Toyota.
The joint venture formed a new company: United Australian Automobile Industries (UAAI).
[28] In 1989, Holden began selling rebadged versions of Toyota's
Corolla and
Camry, as the
Holden Nova and
Apollo,
[23] while Toyota sold the Commodore as the
Toyota Lexcen.
Toyota's adaption of the Commodore was named after
Ben Lexcen, the designer of
Australia II yacht, which won the 1983
America's Cup, wresting the trophy from the United States for the first time in the competition's history.
[30] This badge engineering scheme did not resonate well with buyers, even though rival Ford had been successful with its
Laser and
Telstar models, which were face-lifeted versions of
Mazda’s
323 and
626, respectively.
[31][32]
In 1984, Holden introduced the
VK Commodore, with significant styling changes from the previous
VH. The next update for the Commodore appeared in 1986 with the
VL, which had new front and rear styling.
Controversially, the VL was powered by the
Nissan RB30 3.0 litre six-cylinder engine and had an electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission. The change to the Nissan engine was necessitated by the legal requirement that all new cars sold in Australia after 1986 had to run on unleaded petrol.
[33] It was not feasible to convert the six-cylinder engine to run on unleaded fuel, and the Nissan engine was chosen as representing the best engine available. However, because of the changing exchange rates over the life of the VL, the cost of the Nissan engines doubled.
[34] The final phase of the Commodore's recovery strategy involved the 1988
VN. The VN was significantly wider than before, and it was powered by the American-designed 3.8 litre
Buick V6 engine.
[35]
The
Holden Astra replaced the widely unpopular
Nova, the result of an Government-backed model sharing scheme.
1990s: comeback years
This decade saw Holden's transformation continue. By the end of the decade, Holden was a confident and successful participant in the Australian car industry, as well as having a place on the world automotive stage. Besides manufacturing Australia's bestselling car, which was exported in significant numbers, many of the Holden's locally produced engines continued to be sent abroad to power cars made outside Australia. In this decade, Holden adopted a strategy of importing cars it needed to offer a full range of competitive vehicles.
[36]
In 1990 Holden revitalised the wide-body Commodore, which was significantly more successful than its predecessor. The defunct
Statesman brand was reintroduced, but the models were sold as the
Holden Statesman and
Caprice. As well as the prestige variants, the
Ute made a return.
[37] The
Buick sourced
3.8 litre V6 engine, produced locally, provided power for the Commodore range, and the 5.0 litre V8 engine was replaced in 1999.
The UAAI badge-engineered cars fared poorly, although the Holden Commodore,
Toyota Camry, and
Corolla were all successful when sold under their original nameplates. Potential customers could see the "copies" were thinly disguised versions of popular cars, and purchased the vehicles from the original manufacturer.
[38] In 1996, UAAI was dissolved, and Holden returned to products from within GM rather than from competitors.
[23] The Toyota-sourced
Nova and
Apollo were replaced with the
Holden Astra and
Vectra, both of which designed by
Opel in
Germany. Assembly of Vectra began at
Elizabeth, South Australia in 1998, and these cars were exported to
Japan and
Southeast Asia with Opel badges.
[40] However, the Vectra did not achieve sufficient sales in Australia to justify local assembly and reverted to being fully imported in 1999.
[41] In 1994, the
Opel Corsa replaced the already available
Suzuki Swift as the source for the
Holden Barina.
[42]
In August 1997 the all-new
VT Commodore was introduced; it was the outcome of an
AU$600 million development programme that spanned more than half a decade. The new model sported a rounded exterior body shell, improved dynamics, and many 'firsts' for an Australian-built car. A stronger body structure contributed to gains in crash safety, and in late 1997, just months after its introduction, it was crowned ''
Wheels Car of the Year''.
A revived Monaro, based on the VT Commodore, attracted wide attention after being shown as a
concept car at Australian
motor shows, and it drew a large waiting list after it was put into production. The revived Monaro was released to the Australian market in October 2001 and ceased production in 2005.
[43][44]
The 2006
Holden VE Commodore was the first vehicle Holden had completely designed and engineered in Australia since 1971.
2000s: Daewoo and the all-new Commodore
Holden's trend of importing many of their models from
Opel in
Germany continued throughout the first half of the 2000s, but Holden looked to the GM-owned
Daewoo in
South Korea for replacements to increase profitability.
[45] Holden had already established close research and design links with Daewoo, with whom it exported the large
Statesman model. In 2005, the
Opel-sourced
Holden Barina was replaced by the
Daewoo Kalos, which continued to be sold under the Barina nameplate.
[46] The entry-level
Holden Astra Classic was replaced by the Holden Viva, based on the
Daewoo Lacetti.
The European-sourced Astra nameplate continued but was sold as a more up-market model.
In 2006 Holden begun selling the
Holden Captiva, a
Crossover SUV manufactured by Daewoo with Australian-built versions of the
Alloytec V6 engine.
[47] The third Holden model to be replaced with a South Korean alternative was the
Vectra, surpassed by the
mid-size Epica in April 2007.
[48]
The 1997
VT Commodore received its first major update in 2002 with the
VY,
and in 2006 Holden launched the new
VE.
[49] The VE was the first Commodore model with all-Australian origins, as opposed to previous generations' Opel-sourced
platforms adapted both mechanically and in size for the local market.
[50]
Corporate affairs and identity
Operations at Holden are currently headed by
chairman and managing director
Chris Gubbey. Executives of secondary departments include William Lesner, Alison Terry, Ian McCleave, Tony Hyde, Tony Stolfo, Alan Batey, Rodney Keane, Scott Sandefur, Pierre Matthee, Gene Stefanyshyn, Raymundo Garza, Mark Bernhard, and Fiona Harden.
Vehicles are sold countrywide through the Holden Dealer Network (310 authorised stores and 12 service centres), which employs more than 13,500 people.
Since the 1960s, Holdens have been a staple of domestic
touring car racing, and the quasi-factory
Holden Racing Team (HRT) has successfully participated in
V8 Supercar racing.
[51] In 1987,
Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) was formed in partnership with Tom Walkinshaw, who primarily manufactures modified, high-performance Commodore variants.
[52] To further reinforce the brand, HSV introduced the
Toll HSV Dealer Team into the V8 Supercar fold in 2005 under the naming rights of HSV Toll Racing.
[53]
The logo or "Holden lion and stone" as it is known, has played a vital role in establishing Holden's identity with roots tracing back to 1928. It was then when George Raynor Hof was appointed by Holden’s Motor Body Builders to design the emblem. The fable behind the logo dates back to
prehistoric times when observations were made of
lions rolling stones, leading to the invention of the wheel. With the 1948 launch of the
48-215, Holden revised its logo and commissioned yet another redesign in 1972 to better represent the company.
[31] The emblem was reworked once more in 1994.
[55]
Export markets
The Holden Commodore is just as popular in
New Zealand, where it has hit the number-one slot in the sales charts from time to time, and is often used as a police car. Commodores have also been sold in
South Africa and
Thailand and are currently marketed in parts of the
Middle East badged as
Chevrolet Luminas. In
Brazil badge-engineered Commodores are sold as the
Chevrolet Omega, and both V6 and V8 versions of the Commodore will be exported to the United States as the
Pontiac G8 starting in 2008.
[56] Holden's exports to the Middle East and Brazil were the first
left-hand drive cars built since the 1960s, when Holden sold cars in
Hawaii.
A modified version of the
Holden Monaro (in turn a modified Commodore) has been sold in the
United States as the
Pontiac GTO and its model name through
Vauxhall dealerships in the
United Kingdom.
Vauxhall has commenced sales of the HSV Clubsport R8, badged as the
Vauxhall VXR8.
[57] Since the late 1990s, Holden has exported its luxury
Statesman sedan to the Middle East as the
Chevrolet Caprice and to South Korea as the
Daewoo Statesman. The Statesman is also sold in
China as the
Buick Royaum, which will be later replaced by the
Buick Park Avenue.
[58] Previous Holden export markets include
Brunei,
Fiji,
Indonesia,
Hawaii and
Singapore.
Notes and references
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17. Robinson, p. 18
18. Robinson, p. 22–23
19. Robinson, p. 23, 26–27
20.
21.
22. Robinson, p. 24
23. Robinson, p. 27
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29. Robinson, p. 27
30.
31.
32.
33.
34. Robinson, p. 25
35. Robinson, p. 23, 26–27
36.
37. Robinson, p. 26–27
38.
39. Robinson, p. 27
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50. Robinson, p. 12
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
External links
'Official sites:'
★
Australia •
New Zealand
'Unofficial sites:'
★
Holden Model History
★
The Unofficial Holden Archive
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