FAN’S HOLDEN HEARTBREAK
Car giant shuts shop in Aust
BEN Jewell wanted to spend part of his birthday on Monday working on one of his beloved Holden cars.
Collecting the historic and iconic Australian cars has been a passion of his for 25 years, since he was 14.
But the Toowoomba man instead received one of the worst birthday gifts ever – news Holden would soon be no more.
General Motors, the United States-based multinational that had owned Holden since the 1930s, was shutting down the brand in Australia and New Zealand.
MEMBERS of the Toowoomba FX-FJ Holden Club have expressed their sorrow at General Motors’ decision to cease selling cars under the Holden brand name.
It was club vice president Ben Jewell’s birthday on Monday and he wanted to spend part of the day working on one of his beloved cars.
Instead, he watched a livestream online of General Motors announcing the death of the iconic Australian brand.
“I’m disgusted at General Motors,” he said.
“It just shows their complete disregard and lack of empathy for an Australian icon to trash the brand the way they have.”
On Monday General Motors announced the Holden brand would be “retired” across Australia and New Zealand by the end of 2021 as it was no longer competitive.
This follows the closure of its manufacturing operations in Australia in 2017.
GM took over Holden, which was founded in Adelaide in 1856, in 1931.
“We as Australians had an icon in Holden that encompassed what Australia was,” Mr Jewell said.
“We rolled up sleeves and made it happen and we made it work for so long.
“It’s 160 years worth of history that GM has just wiped its hands of.”
Despite the death of the brand, Mr Jewell said his and club members passion for Holden would live on.
“It’s a crying shame what’s happening, but at the end of the day we still love our cars and will still be car enthusiasts,” he said.
“Unfortunately there is no future for Holden, but that won’t stop us from driving them, from loving them and sharing the passion.”