Holden enthusiasts drive through Adelaide to mark Elizabeth plant's imminent closure

[davidc4430]

Holden enthusiasts drive through Adelaide to mark Elizabeth plant's imminent closure

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-15/thousands-of-holden-fans-take-to-the-streets-in-adelaide/90503...

[not_for_sale2025]

And the Ford enthusiasts look on with awe and envy!

[bsal6160]

maybe Holden shouldnt have bought the bankrupt Daewoo factory and concentrated on making Holdens cheaper. Any wonder they are now closed. Cheaper to buy an imported car than one manufactured here. THAT was there downfall.

[davidc4430]

And how many cheap carpy cars have the govt allowed to be imported into australia in the past 20 years

sold to aussies who thought 'hey i can afford a new car" only to find out their 'new' car was a lemon?

think "Great Wall" cars, carp chinese cars that fall apart and ya cant get fixed.

there are plenty of other examples.

every time someone spent their money buying one of these 'great new cheap cars' it was taking money out of our second hand market.

yes, a second hand aussie built car might not look new but looked after they are fantastic. my commodore station wagon was $22,000 second hand in 2007 (2005 model) new was more like $45,000 i think.

its still in excellent condition, kept garaged and serviced. todays value is about $6,000 i think.

but thats how the system should work, people who can afford new buy new then trade in after a couple of years so people like me can buy a good used car.

but when the govt allowed our market to be flooded by cheap nasty imports it killed the second hand car market.

except those cheap imports are scrap value now, you cant give them away.

[serendipityricho]

There is a Holden Museum in Trafalgar -Gippsland Victoria.

In an old butter factory-open to the public.

About 100 different models and other products made by Holden.

Even a boat............

Sorry cant do links -but have a look on the net.

Richo.

[viewmont1071]

my good ole mate Hollywood pipes just sold an Australian Pontiac Parisienne complete with factory RHD and GMH body plate...... The only real australian Holden that you could ride.......... was a saddle.the rest are but knock offs

If you get the chance get a copy od AUGE magazine circa 1973 "Australia the awakening giant to see how big somebody thought we once were going to get. By default it documents the downfall of the aussie manufacturing/assembly structure

[chameleon54]

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@davidc4430 wrote:

And how many cheap carpy cars have the govt allowed to be imported into australia in the past 20 years

sold to aussies who thought 'hey i can afford a new car" only to find out their 'new' car was a lemon?

think "Great Wall" cars, carp chinese cars that fall apart and ya cant get fixed.

there are plenty of other examples.

every time someone spent their money buying one of these 'great new cheap cars' it was taking money out of our second hand market.

yes, a second hand aussie built car might not look new but looked after they are fantastic. my commodore station wagon was $22,000 second hand in 2007 (2005 model) new was more like $45,000 i think.

its still in excellent condition, kept garaged and serviced. todays value is about $6,000 i think.

but thats how the system should work, people who can afford new buy new then trade in after a couple of years so people like me can buy a good used car.

but when the govt allowed our market to be flooded by cheap nasty imports it killed the second hand car market.

except those cheap imports are scrap value now, you cant give them away.

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Theres always been cheap, nasty imports on the Australian market. remember  those baltic states cars that where sold in Australia in the 50,s and 60,s. Things like the original Skoda Octavia, CZ & ural Motorcycles etc.

I,m one of those buyers who purchased a cheap new car instead of my regular second hand aussie built car. It was a Hyundai Excel. Those things where bullet proof and many are still going today. I would go so far as to say dollar for dollar it is the best car I have owned. I purchased a Mazda 3 thinking it would be similar. It was a piece of lightweight junk.

Why should Australians pay two or three times as much for their cars to protect grossly overpaid automotive workers jobs.???    The maths is simple. Their unions demanded too much in wages and priced themselves out of a job. Now everybody loses.