Holden snubs Canberra

[adam perth]

lets face it . Australias role in the Global economy is to mine minerals and gas, and low imput cost agricultural production like wheat, live export and fisheries .. Leave Manufacturing to Asia. ,
Sad I know.

[Dago]

How do you come up with that theory

it's just my personal belief/opinion.

[playwme]

I don't believe it's a Holden if it's built after 1984.

Spot on. And even then 80 to 84 was only continued to ensure there were plenty of 308's and Stateman fronts around for HZ's.

[Robbo]

The WB's were a good vehicle.

[SLR_dave]

Like most following this thread I was expecting the outcome, still, not as quick as it came.

I've been a bit too dispondant to post since the announcement was actually made, guts me to be honest. I dunno what Australia is supposed to drive its economy with when the minerals run out, agriculture wont do it, we'd have to be lucky with the weather to say the least.

It does seem to me, that if the 1 billion over ten years subsidy to produce two new models from 2017 as talked about around the time that VF was launched had remained solid, then those models (probably one being a front wheel drive Commodore) would still be in the pipeline, and no closure would have been announced.

Im not intending to enter into the brief political foray that strayed into this thread here, I've got an interesting idea though.

I need five million Australians to pledge to donate $100 per year for two years, (thats only $25 per quater), or, if done over 4 years, its just $50 per year for 4 years. Total = 1 billion dollars. The idea obviously is to see how GM would respond to a potential public fund to continue manufacturing in Australia as previously planned. No money required unless they open the door.

I reckon if I can get a pledge from just four million people for 100 a year for two years I'd be prepared to write to GM to see if there is a deal worth negotiaing (800 mill over two years has gotta be better than a billion over ten considering interest).

If there is a deal to be had, then a corporation administered on a charity basis can be formed to collect the donations..... call this crazy, but hey, electronic media makes this sort of prospect much easier today than it would have been once. The money would stay in Australia of course, not paid to GM overseas, this also counters the expected drop in the Ausdollar over the two (or four) years. Two years is better it puts the money on the table at the end of 2015.


I wonder, are there four million Australians who would give up $200 over 2 years (4 cases of beer over two years) to keep Holden manufacturing for another decade? It's not just Holden of course, its 50k manufacturing jobs plus a huge amount of the industrial skill base that needs to be protected, I wonder.... four million people.

Comments?

[RAEME]

I can see your thoughts SLR Dave. With the right drive behind it who knows, Australians traditionally don't get behind ideas like that. I think it's a by product of our coulture " shell be right let someone else worry about it" Seems to me all we would be doing is extending the inevitable. It used to be that government local and federal, and owned infrastructure had to drive the two big ones, when that was killed of with the tariffs, drive four cyl Eco cars now etc they lost a lot of instant revenue. Governments didn't care they are only looking to be yes men to who ever calls the shots so they keep their jobs with all the perks mere mortal tax payers can only dream of. Then get their pension, protected super payouts and live the high life. It's another big loss to our country that all our Governments past and present have got to acknowledge their role in our Country's demise on this front. Very sad day for us that unfortunately we have seen quite a bit of in the last decade or so.

[buck]

i noticed clive palmer hasnt said much, maybe instead of building the titanic in china, he could buy the holden plant and build the holden commodore palmer edition, could be another titanic episode? as he said titanic 2 is not designed to make money, so what about a truley australian car designed for the people of OZ, surely the old press dyes are around for the HZ- WB series with an Aussie designed 5.0 litre that could do 6 litres per 100klm?

[RAEME]

i noticed clive palmer hasnt said much, maybe instead of building the titanic in china, he could buy the holden plant and build the holden commodore palmer edition, could be another titanic episode? as he said titanic 2 is not designed to make money, so what about a truley australian car designed for the people of OZ, surely the old press dyes are around for the HZ- WB series with an Aussie designed 5.0 litre that could do 6 litres per 100klm?

Can you imagine it modern running gear, brakes and suspension and the like with a H series body wrapped around it. There would be a large amount of people who would buy them. Overhead cam 5 liter engines, 6 speed boxes IRS rears yeah sign me up.

[buck]

Seems to work in america with the retro mustang, challenger and camaro, why not here, imagine an retro HT or HQ monaro shape with all the new tech, now that would be cool!

[RAEME]

I'm already drooling just thinking of it. Maybe they should do something like it for their final swan song hey buck.