Holden drives last Aussie cars off line
THE last-ever Australianmade cars are due to roll off Holden’s Elizabeth production line today.
It will mark the end of almost a century of automotive manufacturing for the nation, and 69 years for Holden.
Fewer than half a dozen cars are due to be built before midday in a ceremony attended by 1000 Holden factory workers past and present.
The final examples of the Holden Commodore sedan, wagon and ute – and Caprice limousine – are expected to be kept by Holden as museum pieces.
The last car, a red Commodore V8 sedan, will mark the end of Holden manufacturing – and an industry that represented approximately 50,000 jobs at more than 120 parts suppliers.
Holden began manufacturing cars in Port Melbourne in 1948 but the Elizabeth facility didn’t open until 1958, initially building car bodies before becoming a vehicle assembly line in 1965.
Holden factories at other sites in NSW, Queensland and Victoria followed before they too were shut.
In the end, Holden will have built a total of 7.6 million cars – including more than 2.3 million Commodores, not including exports – versus Ford’s tally of 5.9 million vehicles and Toyota’s total of 3.4 million.
Ford, which had been making cars in Australia for 91 years, closed its Broadmeadows and Geelong assembly lines in October last year.
Toyota, which had been making cars in Australia for 54 years, closed its Camry factory in Altona earlier this month.
Holden shut its Port Melbourne plant in November last year after producing more than 10 million engines over 68 years, stockpiling V6s for the last 12 months of car assembly.
Former Holden boss Mark Reuss, who fought to save Holden during the 2008 global financial crisis – paid tribute on social media in the lead-up to today’s closure.
Although Holden is in the process of culling 30 dealerships it will still have 200 showrooms in Australia, second only to Toyota.
Holden will become solely an importer of vehicles, with 20 new models due by 2020.