HOLDEN'S HISTORY:
1856 - Holden begins as a South Australian saddlery business
1917 - Holden manufactures vehicle bodies
1931 - General Motors buys Holden Motor Body Builders
1948 - The FX, the first Australian-designed car, is released
1951 - Holden's first ute goes on sale
1958 - South Australian manufacturing plant opens at Elizabeth
1968 - Kingswood and Monaro enter the market
1969 - Holden makes its first V8 engine
1971 - Holden launches the HQ model. Considered by some to be the best Holden ever
1978 - Commodore replaces Kingswood
1990 - Holden's last Australian boss, John Bagshaw, quits
2002 - Holden hits its highest market share at 21.6 per cent
2003 - Holden opens $400 million V6 engine plant at Port Melbourne, exports to Korea, China and Mexico begin. Toyota takes Holden's position as top-selling car brand
2009 - Holden's parent company, General Motors, files for bankruptcy in the US but survives
2013 - Prime Minister Tony Abbott says the government will reduce support for automotive manufacturers despite appeals for help
2013 - Holden decides to end manufacturing in Australia by 2017. The iconic Holden Commodore to become a fully imported car
2017 - Holden builds its last car on October 20, ending 35 years of car production on the Elizabeth site.
