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GM to retire Holden!

3K views 14 replies 6 participants last post by  cp-the-nerd 
#1 ·
#2 ·
Holden: bringers of the Pontiac G8 and Chevy SS.

RIP friends!
 
#3 ·
The writing was on the wall when Holden production ended in Australia. They've just been importing and rebadging GM cars from foreign markets in a pretty half-hearted manner.

I wonder what this will do to the value of my Chevy SS. So far it has held value incredibly well, it may actually appreciate to some extent if it becomes more desirable.
 
#5 ·
My buddy owns a blue 2004 GTO like the one pictured. Cool car for its time, nice touring coupe with solid practicality. It lacked the high level of performance poise that GM figured out soon after, but it handled reasonably well and had bulletproof powertrains.

It's a real shame we never saw a second generation with the sort of retro-inspired design that other muscle cars took on.
 
#6 ·
The GTO in the photo was one I purchased new; LS1 350hp, 365lbft, Tremec 6 speed, blue leather.

I had it for fourteen years, put 12,000 miles on it. About two years ago I sold it to a young fellow that will now be its caretaker into the future. It is in perfect condition, then and now, and it's his most prized possession. I told him when he bought it from me that it's either an obsolete vehicle, or a future collectors item. This fellow is in his 30's, I'm in my late 60's; I explained that if he kept the GTO in its current unmolested condition until he's my age; he will have a desirable unique and fairly rare old muscle car.

.

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#9 ·
mine was a 2006...we got the LS2 (400HP/400TQ), dual exhaust; one for each side and hood scoops (non functional) mine also had the Sport Appearance Package...I bought mine new as a leftover in 2007 (part of the dealership owners Pontiac collection)...

I kept mine 8 plus years with only 14K miles when I sold it...I vowed when I bought my 2015 SS sedan a week after selling the GTO that I wasn't going to buy a car to keep nice for the next guy but enjoy it for what was made for...

Bill
68285
 
#10 ·
I am about to roll over 20,000 miles on my 2017 SS. I absolutely love driving it. Maybe I'm a car guy with weird taste, but it hits all the right notes for me from the stealth appearance to the accessible performance of the LS3.

Just the other day, I raced some dumb kid in a blacked out, tinted WRX. It was either an STI or had been modded, because it didn't seem like a 14 second car to me. In any case, I beat him once and he refused to make eye contact when I put down my window to say hi, so I beat him again.

It was immensely gratifying because he had every advantage he could hope for in the 30 degree weather with AWD traction and a turbocharger gulping down freezing air.
 
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#12 ·
So I'm not up much on international brands such as Holden, so what exactly is so special about Holden that Chevrolet doesn't have? Are they more of a performance division since they've brought us such gems such as the Chevrolet SS?
 
#13 ·
So I'm not up much on international brands such as Holden, so what exactly is so special about Holden that Chevrolet doesn't have? Are they more of a performance division since they've brought us such gems such as the Chevrolet SS
What comes to mind why Holden is significant to GM; Holden never ceased production of rear wheel drive performance sedans and coupes when GM/USA abandoned rear drivers for front wheel drive models. In Australia, Ford also had a big presence there too and there was competition between the brands, not only in the showroom, but in racing.

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#15 ·
Holden contributed massively to GM's RWD program outside of the Corvette during the past decade. The Zeta chassis that underpinned the 5th generation Camaro (2010-2015) was a product of Holden engineering. It's not an overstatement to say that Camaro's performance and handling prowess changed the performance car industry. The 580 horsepower ZL1 with mag-ride was basically unbeatable for the money.

The racing R&D of the Zeta Camaro echos through GM performance to this day. Beyond that, Holden's rich history has every bit as much meaning to the people of Australia as many see the Detroit automakers in America.
 
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