I’ve bought myself a VE Series 2 SV6, and far out this is a really interesting watch. They did a bloody good job on mine, almost 200,000 on the clock and it runs and drives like a charm. Awesome car.
A shame it was political ideology at its worst. It was also massively hypocritical given the fact that that the coal industry was getting a 50 cent direct rebate for every litre it spent on fuel. Fundamentally it was about the union & the ridiculous BS that the Productivity Commission put the Car industry under,while saying nothing about mining & coal.
Love my Pontiac G8 GT (Holden Commodore)!! Now I can see why it is so solid and well built...what a shame to shut this down- that plant looks completely modern...
@MichaelKingsfordGrayGM never blamed the union's, executive said they got alot for what they paid their workers. Abbott and Hockey called their bluff and looked shocked when GM told them where to go, then blamed the union's because that's what liberals do, punch down. Blame the lowest paid workers then try to protect the dealers and executives who ran the brand to the ground, hoping to continue their scam jobs with imported product while the engineers and assemblers who designed and built these cool cars are picking grapes for 5 bucks an hour. I'm glad GM shut it all down, shafted all the dealers and useless marketing execs in the end. Funny how the liberal government and media came to their defence but not the workers, isn't it. So you on the liberal leash blame the workers, not the government. The government that signs trade deals that say we promise not to make anything and we will buy all your stuff as long as you buy our coal. What's replaced Australian cars now, Haval and MG. Liberal government pushing people to Chinese cars while talking tough to China for theatrical effect. At the end of the day you get what you deserve.
@@tonyv5202 Youre not wrong, in the US it was a similar story. The public was led to believe the unions were costing GM a lot of money. The media portrayed union workers as lazy and unproductive. That may have been true. But comparing the design of a 1980's GM and a 1980s Honda side by side its night and day. Putting aside the FWD to RWD comparison. The design and engineering of the two vehicles is a comparison of which engineers studied and which engineers partied. The Japanese were and are diligent and honest in their work, the US engineers while did offer some style the actual engineering of American cars was sub par. The people who put them together are not to blame, there were plenty of legitimate reasons to blame union workers but this wasnt one of them. So I have to agree with your assessment.
I worked there from 2004-2009. We were able to bring the labour cost down to $2000 per car, start to finish! From press shop to driving out of General Assembly. We were also told at that time that the average wage at Elizabeth was $24.50 per hour per worker, Koreans were paid $22.50phpw, Thailand $4phpw and China $2.50phpw. If Chinese labour was used to build the Commodore, they would save $1796 per vehicle. Considering the car sells for a $10,000-$30,000 premium in Australia compared to equivalent cars overseas, the selling price in Australia still more than compensates for the extra $1796 per car. You cannot tell me that GM Holden HAD to shut down Elizabeth - the corporate world just can't stop itself making dumb decisions and this is one of them. Now because of the massive consumer backlash and disappointment, GM is now claiming they are going to send a German built replacement for the Commodore to try and save face without having to reverse the decision to shut down GM Elizabeth. Wow a German built replacement how is that going to be cheaper when German auto workers are paid even more per hour than Australians and the cars now have to be shipped all the way around the globe?????? Nice one GM, you just lost another life long customer.
+Jimiluv450 Australian/New Zealand car market is too damn small to remain viable. Even Toyota was losing money with Government cash-tax subsidies. Government/Labor Syndicate mandates ruined car-manufacturing in Australia. Here in the USA,we have a few Australian built Holden Commodores (badged as Chevy Caprice); the build quality is a joke.......same shitty attention to detail by Australian Union labor as UAW does for the Big 3. Plus it cost too much for GM to ship the cars all the way from Australia......which is why the Commodore and Platform mates will continue to be assembled in the North America...when GM Australia closes shop for good.
I'm not sure I agree. The Australian market maybe small, but it was much smaller 50 years ago and the industry was doing fine. Cambodia, population 15 million, got a Hyundai plant in 2010, will get two Indian car plants from 2016 and is even making its own indigenous electric car. Most countries subsidize their car industry. Holden just lost market share building sedans that fewer and fewer people wanted. Tastes went European.
Let's not forget,Ford is also done with Australia...all that is set to remain is small engineering and marketing department to sell re-badged Kia and other Ford World cars assembled in North/South America and Asia.If the Australians don't screw it up,Ford is going to allow you Australians to finish-up R&D on current and future Ford products assembled in other parts of the globe. GM and the Australian Government gave Holden and Labor Unions decades of warnings to get in shape...or it would pull the plug.
mate i worked at dana as labour hire welder making ford and toyota parts around 2009 $24.00 flat rate, working like i slave, line never stopped, you had no time to go to toilet , line going so fast, like a old time sweat shop
Such a shame...we make such great cars. Own a 2007 VE Calais and have a 75 Torry tucked away and love them both. Australia will regret it one day, we should have looked after our manufacturing industry!!!!
@Kurt W In 2015 we, the Australian taxpayers, gave Holden over a quarter of a billion dollars. They promised to hang around for at least 10 years, introduce some new models, etc etc. So within 12 months they shut up shop and sent $110 million back to GM in the US. Now recently Holden had their worst sales month in 70 years, and that's sad. The new French-ish Commodore is conspicuous by its absence on our roads and the factory has stopped production. Apparently there is quite a few unsold ones hanging around all over the country...like lots and lots and that's sad too. Oh and they inflicted cruze and craptiva upon us. So Holden/ GM, you guys suck as do the federal LNP for allowing this to happen. My VC and VL wagons and VS Acclaim were all really great cars...so disappointing. The video was great by the way, its just a shame this is all gone...
It not a shame, it's a disgrace, every person who played a part in the closure, should be held accountable. There are those who shift blame, but there's no excuse. This is an industry which says one thing, Australia!!! Those Mums, Dads and family's who build them can also own one. They were selling heaps of cars and had export expansion potential, despite having to compete with foreign Slave labour imports, urbanisation and other factors.
@@johnsmithjr9843 I think you have it right. My father worked in a senior position for 1 of the car companies. The facts are that Australia gave the Car companies & component suppliers the lowest level of assistance than any country with a motor manufacturing industry. Protection wasn’t always obvious. HSV had huge problems selling cars in the UK because of restrictions on the type of car they imported. The Canberra Bureaucracy had pressure on the industry from the 70’s. & never backed off.
The VF commodore in 2013 retains so many parts inside and out from the VE model, which includes doors, windows, above door trim panel, mirrors, both windscreens, heaps of underbody and engine bay pieces. That’s how revolutionary the VE was. Some of its styling and engineering lasted 2 generations and 11 years.
The VF is basically a facelifted VE. They are essentially the same car but different interior and different exterior. The body, running gear and drivetrain are identical.
Finally have a SS and it's a VE so great to see this video. I've had a few commodores over the years and this VE is the best by far. Such a shame Holden no longer exists. But just want to say Thank you to the workers who worked on my baby! 👍
@@Paul_Rawk had a few fault codes show up but I just replaced the oil pressure sensor and it cleared all the codes I had. Recently replaced the front left upper and lower control arms but that’s nothing major. Other than that, runs perfectly. Had mine 2.5 years now
I own a 2012 VE Z Series SS sedan. I am so glad I bought it and it is my occasional weekend drive, garaged most of the time and only travelled 56,000kms. I love the V8 and we will never see the likes of these cars again. My daily drive is a 2005 VZ SV6 Commodore, which I’ve owned from new and is still going strong. Thank you Holden for two of the best cars I’ve had the privilege to own.
I miss Holden. Such brilliant cars and now its in the past. It shouldn't have shut down, very upsetting. I wonder where all those awesome people are now...!!! 😔
Amazing to watch the process on here. I guess it was all just done in stride for those that worked at Holdens. You guys were great at what you did. I feel very sad for all those that lost their jobs, the workers not high level management! You workers were all part of a wonderful Australian Icon that died a slow death from mismanagement & could have been saved but was scrapped instead. I shed a tear on the day the plant closed, I stopped what I was doing and stood frozen, as if I really believed it would never happen, but it was, it did. Australia is nothing more than a retail show room for imported crap now.. I for one will never buy an import Holden alternative, never!
Children... This was a time when Australia used to be clever... Where we proved to the world we could be innovative, strong & build great big things including the best & most exciting cars... ever...!! We were for ever shooting for the stars & always hit the target... !! ... Then however, we ended up with the worst government in the world ..... Yes the people we were suppose to trust the most terribly let us down... l am so sorry
road2racect Leaving Judas in charge of the money is never a good idea, We need to remain vigilant in a free society, every day we have is a day you'll never get back, do use it wisely and invest in your own education and be pro-active. As Benjamin Franklin said "Educate and inform the masses, as it's truely liberty's greatest defence"
Just so sorry to see a great car manufacturing industry just disappear overnight, as it will be a very big and huge loss to see such an adverse industry just disappear right off of the face of the earth for all Australians, as it will be a very sad loss to us all.
Such a great loss , i just got one of our old company cars , a 2010 VE sport wagon international 3.0 . what a brilliant quality car it is I'm shocked and pissed we canned the last remaining aussie built quality car .
Somewhat topical as just this past Monday(29th May, 2023) I took delivery of a Commodore VE Mk.2 Sportwagon "Equipe". Still getting used to it but enjoying the Cruise Control and the stereo. It'll be good for "Holden"(holding) all my bits & bobs!
Holden just know that the biggest mistake is to shut down Elizabeth production line . Holden is Australian and always will be. When the new model comes out in China no one will buy it.
Aussie TV it wasnt holdens fault the government refused to fund manufacturing companies in australia hence why ford and Toyota had to close australian factories and move offshore as well
Global company or not, there is the issue of moral responsibility, Companies are made up of people and families, often who lived in the area. Australia is a nation of values and what made us the lucky country is the immigrants who brought with them skills, work ethic, values and adopted our way of life. Our local industry is something we could be proud of as a nation. Today, when you go to the supermarket, there's a flood of cheap slave labour produced, throw away products, contrary to our traditional values.
ausknight2k bullshit, they knew well b4, they just wanted to scam as much money from the doey aust government as they could. when they sell off all the assets, do you think they will repay any of the money???HAHAHA
Agreed, the destruction of Holden manufacturing was planned by GM in Detroit many years ago, well before they publicly announced it. Will you ask the same question about Ford and Toyota also repaying scammed money back to the Australian government ?
Ausknight2k yes indeed, these 3 companies should have been protected from the imports flooding the country.and given them a chance to develop models that people want.
Unbelievable! And they closed this down? What a shame, they could have continued the line to produce Politicians, CEO's, Used car Salesman, and many more other inanimate objects.
This vid made the ve look fantastic . I had a ve calais v v8 it was ok . I Have a vf v8 calais and it is a bloody great car totally shits on the ve . Bloody shame they closed up . Although my ve & vf have since increased in value .
Thank you for this bittersweet video. All vehicle manufacturing has come to an end including our own beloved Holden. It seems like every second car on the road is from Germany, Japan or Korea. We are now importing vehicles (mainly commercial) from China in increasing quantities. We dig iron ore out of the ground, send it over their to use (abuse) their cheap (slave) labour to manufacture things and then buy the end products back. Did we think China was going to cop this forever? Our leaders are supposedly all for a fair go and anti communist and against human rights violations but their actions are actually promoting the opposite. Next we will be buying cars from New Zealand! The people that run our country have a lot to answer for. From ending vehicle manufacture to keeping negative gearing in place which makes it almost impossible for the average wage earner to buy their own home but makes it easier for the wealthy to add another investment property to their "portfolio", whle touting Australia is the land of the fair go. Crap. FFS our Bathurst 1000 is going to be Ford Mustang vs GM Camaro. May as well make it Daytona AU. Effing embarrassing. Shame on us for letting these crooks get away with it. No wonder they are all laughing their arses off during parliament question time (circle jerk time). I know most of this rant doesn't belong here but seeing this video brings the larger problem into focus.
An absolute disgrace . Instead of supporting the industry the Canberra Productivity Commission & its predecessors spent 30 years trying to destroy the industry. Then it became political with a government hell bent on destroying the industry. We were always efficient in the build both in efficiency & quality despite what Canberra & some media said . The bizarre behaviour of the PM & the treasurer took out both Holden & Toyota. Both were spending over a billion on facilities in this country. I don’t know if Holden would have survived when Peugeot took over GM’s European operations. The interesting thing the Australian motorist is still paying a 5 percent Tariff to support the few companies left. It was the biggest act of bastardry I ever saw a government perform in my adult life.
Well...if Holden had of followed the market and gave consumers what they wanted instead of a big rwd sedan...maybe they would have still been around...the only market for the Bogandore in the end was second hand car yards in Western Suburbs...same happened to Falcon..No One wanted them!!!
@@user-fx2sh6pk9u You are just wrong. The plan was & I am quoting Mark Reuss now the President of GM, and who was then in charge of what the company made & where . He wanted to leave the VF Commodore in production, build the ZB Commodore & the Opel Astra.. The government just weren’t interested. Abbott’s motivation was to kill the unions , nothing more. At the same time he was giving massive fuel excise rebates to mining companies that aren’t even registered in Australia & pay no taxes . As for working conditions, have a look at the production lines on RU-vid videos .Most we’re on about 23 dollars an hour, they had a 12 minute morning break , 25 minute lunch went through to knock off time. Remember Toyota shut down a plant they hadn’t even finished that included a brand new engine plant for its hydrid cars . Whether GM would still be here is doubtful because they sold Opel & all their European Assets amongst other issues the day the ZB Commodore in Australia. The problem with your statement is the small & medium sized market was saturated with different imports & even Toyota was selling about 3000 cars are month.
Shame about the Alloytec in this car, I would of loved to got a VE but that engine makes me steer clear. Got an VY S2 Acclaim and it's nice to be able to drive something that's apart of my countries history.
@@perpetualgrin5804 I know. People were opting to buy the Hyundai and Kia's, but government could have evened the playing field by introducing a tax on imported vehicles to help out the Aussie built car market.
Did GM get full returns in the mega millions it cost to set up Holden's plant? What happens to all the kit & tooling, machine tools, presses etc when they close a plant?
Some went to Precision Components on Port Rd to continue making panels to keep supply up for 10yrs . When Holden closed, so did Precision Components a few months later. Stamps and dies usually get melted down after use and presses go to other high bidding car/truck manufacturers . Holden had the biggest press in the Southern hemisphere, I was there when it was being installed and very impressive
now u aussies see how us yanks feel when our big 3 went to mexico. i swear by toyota who manufactures in the usa. see toyota plants in kentucky, texas, indiana and west virginia
i used to sell to Ford at Braodmeadows vic , their plant was antique compared to GM & yet they took 240 million and still ran off , #StuffGM hope they go broke now no longer in AUS
Why on earth was the Holden manufacturing plant shut down? It is to me a very modern and efficient car assembly and manufacture facility. Make no sense at all.
