Holden Likely To Suffer When Pontiac Closes

Some of the best looking cars made by General Motors are born and bred down under by GM’s Australian division, Holden. Holden is actually the oldest company in GM’s stable, founded in 1856 as a saddlery business. By 1905 the company began to build automobiles and in 1931 GM purchased Holden and has operated it ever since.

First Holdens Arrive In 2003

GM Holden Ltd. is now a wholly owned GM business, selling cars in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, China, South Korea, South Africa and elsewhere. The first Holdens arrived in the United States in the form of the Pontiac GTO. After that model was discontinued, Pontiac got the G8, a powerful rear wheel drive sedan based on the Holden Commodore.

It is the opinion of this writer that the Pontiac G8 represents the best product to wear the Pontiac badge in several decades, a true sports sedan offering handling and performance along the lines of the BMW 5 Series, but at priced far less than what the big bimmer retails for.

RIP Pontiac — No More Holden Exports?

Now that General Motors has promised to dissolve Pontiac, that move will likely mean the end of Holden sending cars to the US, at least for now. That’s too bad and for two very good reasons: Holden builds several good products and the loss of Pontiac means that the Australian brand could see its exports halved in the near future.

With fewer cars to export, that move may cost Holden one billion Australian dollars (US$ 715 million) according to News.com.au, not to mention possible layoffs as a result of diminished product demand.

The Pontiac G8 is the second Holden product to be cancelled by GM as the automaker decided in January to not go forward with importing the Holden Ute as the Pontiac G8 sport truck. That model had been warmly embraced by American enthusiasts who nicknamed it the “El Camino” in that it is a reminder of the discontinued Chevy car truck which sported that name.

What About Chevrolet?

Naturally, what is discontinued for Pontiac could perhaps be sold as a Chevrolet. Indeed, the Holden Commodore is sold as the Chevrolet Lumina in several Middle Eastern markets as well as South Africa and could easily be sold through Chevrolet dealerships here.

Get rid of the Lumina name and call the car the Caprice (in North America) and you could have the makings of a terrific flagship sedan for Chevrolet, either replacing or sold alongside the current Impala. And, before you know it, the El Camino could once again grace American streets thanks to the sporty Holden Ute.