Holden’s demise a sad day, says RACT

THE RACT says while fewer Tasmanians own a Holden these days, car lovers across the state will be saddened by the end of the iconic brand.

RACT general manager of mobility services Darren Moody said while Holden ownership had fallen in Tasmania in line with the rest of the country, there were still tens of thousands of Holdens on the state’s roads.

“We understand there are a bit more than 50,000 of them registered in Tasmania, that’s from the very first Holdens through to one that might have been sold yesterday. We think that’s about 12 per cent of registered passenger vehicles. That’s a reasonable amount of cars out of the overall fleet,” Mr Moody said.

“The loss of an iconic brand that’s been manufacturing and selling cars in Australia from 1948 through to 2017 and the subsequent loss of the brand overall is a sad day for everybody.”

He said part of the reason for the closure was Holden was selling fewer cars.

“Twenty to 25 years ago one in four cars sold in this country was a Holden. Now it’s one in 30. The Australian new car market is so fragmented there’s just over a million cars sold in a year and 54 manufacturers competing.”

Mr Moody said it was unclear what ramifications the move would have for Motors, the state’s only new Holden dealer.

A statement from AP Eagers, the parent company of Tasmanian Motors Holden, said the company was in talks with General Motors about compensation arrangements for dealerships.