General Motors, parent of Holden since 1931, announced on Monday (17/02/2020) the withdrawal of the brand from sales in Australia and New Zealand by the end of 2021. By 201,5 GM had already stopped local production, with resulting in loss of many jobs.
At this stage, over 600 jobs will be lost at the Fishermen's Bend site in Melbourne, the same site where the Australian brand launched its first production line in 1948: the Holden 48/215.
200 employees will remain employed to provide assistance to the owners of the 1.6 million vehicles in circulation.
The decision is part of the downsizing strategy on the international market of the Detroit giant, in fact GM has decided to concentrate its efforts on the United States, South America, China, South Korea and the Middle East.
The news aroused much criticism from the Australian Government at federal and state levels; the brand had received over several billion public of subsidies.
Diego Ghirardi, Ford's chief engineer for Asia, Africa and Australia, recalled that GM's decision to discontinue local production was similar to that of the Ford and Toyota brands, and stressed that it follows the Detroit giant's decision to give up the market share of right-hand drive cars.
