Holden decision ‘sad day’ for motor dealer
LONG-TIME Holden dealer Ireland’s of Cairns is planning a different future following a decision by General Motors to stop selling Holden-badged cars at the end of the year.
GM announced yesterday it would no longer import and sell Holden vehicles but would still be offering parts and service for the next 10 years.
Ireland Holden dealer-principal Richard Ireland said the announcement came out of the blue.
“(But) we’re not going anywhere. It’s a sad day but noone can dwell on that,” he said.
“At the end of the day, we have 105 families to look after.
“I made it clear to staff that we have faced challenges before.
“The dealership completely burned down in 1993.
“We will reconfigure, repurpose and redesign.”
The business has 11 other brands, including HSV (Holden Special Vehicles), Mitsubishi, Chrysler, Jeep, Isuzu trucks and Chevrolet, and there is likely to be a relocation on the Mulgrave Rd site.
“We only have three Holden-focused staff because all our staff work across all the brands,” Mr Ireland said.
He said the GM move had, ironically, made things easier for the family firm.
“For the last two to three years, we have not been selling enough units to support the brand,” he said.
“In some ways, it is a relief because we won’t have to meet the requirements of the brand.”
Mr Ireland said the business would be a service and parts Holden dealership for the next 10 years and beyond.
“There will still be a Holden shingle,” he said.
Mr Ireland said he expected there would be some compensation from Holden. The thirdgeneration, 97-year-old firm would be selling Holdens until stock ran out, he said.
“There is plenty of stock, plenty of opportunity,” he said.
“They will be making some sensational retail offers in the next few days and give people a lot of reasons to buy the product.”
Mr Ireland said HSV was associated with Holden but was a separate entity and he expected the marque to grow.