Holden Commodore 13 years at the top
January 6, 2009 by Alborz Fallah
Despite momentary threats from Toyota’s Corolla, the Holden Commodore has remained Australia’s favourite passenger car for the 13th consecutive year after finishing 2008 as Australia’s best-selling car.
2008 saw 51,093 Holden Commodores sold in Australia, continuing Commodore’s unbroken record from 1996 as the country’s leading passenger car range.
Despite the general downturn in the market, GM dealers managed to sell 10,848 new cars in December last year, this included 5413 Commodore and 1629 VE Ute models, the best monthly sales record for both vehicles in 2008.
The increase in sales numbers is partially due to heavy discounting by dealers. We have heard reports buyers around the country getting thousands of dollars off the sticker price. One buyer in Brisbane managed to buy a brand new HSV R8 for under $48,000!
Summing up the year GM Holden sold 130,338 vehicles in Australia commanding a market share of 12.9 per cent. This is in shadow of Toyota’s monumental with 238,983 sales or 23.6 per cent market share. Ford came in third with 104,715 sales or 10.3 per cent.
Another model which boosted sales for Holden was the new Sportwagon which went on sale in July. Holden says 8200 were purchased in just five months. Making the Sportwagon more successful than any SUV in the market during the same period.
The Holden Statesmen, no longer challenged by the Fairlane, led the Upper Large category for vehicles under $100,000 with a 38.8 per cent market share. The VE Ute also beat the Ford Falcon Ute.
GM Holden Executive Director of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, Mr Alan Batey says the figures show that family-sized vehicles continued to be attractive to Australians. Holden believes the Commodore continues to remain as a smart buy.
It just shows that during tough times, people are attracted to products that represent outstanding quality and value for money. Commodore has become a symbol of local design and engineering expertise and Australia’s ability to compete on the world stage. “Holden is committed to a program of ongoing development to ensure Commodore maintains its reputation as a smart buy for Australian motorists.” Mr Batey said.
It’s worth noting that the figures include sales to government and private fleets.
Will the Commodore remain as the best selling car once again in 2009?
Print it: 
Pppssssssttttt………..Wheelnut, could you answer my question at the “What’s your favourite car?” article please?
Wheelnut & Duck, the fact remains that Ford has been manufacturing cars in Australia for longer then GM Holden.
And that “Holden” never really made a complete car. The Holden brand never appeared on a complete locally made car until well after GM had taken ownership.
The fact that an adelaide saddlery “Holdens” was around many years before GM built the first FX doesn’t really make any more Australian in automotive terms than Ford Australia.
If Ford of Canada had called the Australian arm something else, not linked to the Ford name such as “Fred’s automobiles”, then Fred’s would most likely be considered more Australian than Holden.
And one other interesting thing, the FX was only as a result of a government grant… somethings never really change.
brett – According to the book “Holden Heritage” Holden Motor Body Builders started builing Motor Car Bodies in 1917 thats 8 years before Ford arrived in Australia.
They fitted the bodies to various GM chassis that were imported from the USA.
It was as a result of Trade Restrictions imposed by the Australian Federal Government after WW1 which stated that 1 complete car can be imported for every 3 chassis. In an incentive to get the Australian Automotive Industry Started and hopefully build “Australias First Car” which Holden eventually did in 1948
Actually forging pressing and building motor car bodies in Australia is alot more than what ford did for the First couple of years – that being putting cars together that were shipped to Australia in a Crate from Overseas in Completely Knocked Down Kit Form.. or building bodies to go on existing chassis that wee built overseas
James Alexander Holden was actually English.
wheelnut i dont know haw you can go saying that holden is more australian than ford becouse all they did up untill the ve is use opal chassis they just rebodyed everything austraias favorite car has only been australia since the VE lunched.
MT,
But I think you’ll find it was James son Edward who actually registered Holden’s Motor Body Builders in 1919.
If an earlier post ever gets off “awaiting moderation” it has more detail.
And BTW the first company that HMBB built bodies for?
FORD AUSTRALIA!
Escort,
Maybe you’re too young to be making that statement.
There is a whole buch of models FX to WB that have nothing to do with Opel. Holden did have a life before the Dunnydore.
bret to be honest i dont even know why i wrote that or what i was thinking gotta stop having so meany late nights
So every single month for 13 yrs commodore was number 1. I doubt that.
^^^^^^^At the end of every year for 13 years not every month BK!
Duck, get what? Holden’s history?
Holden never made their own car. The first complete car built to wear the Holden badge was by GM-H.
And you’re right about the “end of each of the last 13 years”.
Here’s an intersting, but useless fact: The last 3 Falcons to top the sales xF, eF, bF (month only). What chance the Fg is next?
The same with ford oz. Bret!
Yeah, exactly Bret “Month Only”! Who cares!
The Commodore can retain sales for a longer period of time (every year not always every month!).
^^^^^^^^^^^Isn’t that what counts!? :)
Duck,
Not sure where you are going with the history bit, but I was just clarifying earlier incorrect claims that Holden ever produced anything pre-GM, and they didn’t. Every “Holden” has always been GM.
Oh I agree totally on the annual sales being more important than individual months. The Monthly only winner was the BF, the rest were the last of several year blocks of full year sales tops.
Duck, it’s swings and roundaouts.
In fact Falcon has probably been the number one seller for more years than Commodore (being some 18yrs older nameplate).
The Falcon was no 1 from 1980 – 1986 and (I think) 1992-1996. Not sure on the intermediate years, probably 50/50.
Yes the very first Holden the FX which is known as Australias first car did have a bit of help and influence from GM in America.. However; the very first Faclon ha a bit of influence form Ford USA
Before that just as Holden built bodies which resembled cars from the USA which they fitted to the extra chassis which were imported as a result of Trade Restrictions imposed by the Federal Government after WW1. Ford Australia assembled cars most of which were imported in CKD form from Overseas.
my point is that throughout their history both Ford and Holden have hasd some assistance or input from the USA
MistrTwo: you’re right James Alexander Holden was actually English – yet the Holden COmpany was established in Australia.. which is why its considered to be an Australian car manufacturing company
In the Same way that Louis Chevrolet [the founder of Chev] was french but he established the Chevrolet COmpany in America.. which is why Chevy is considered to be an American car manufacturing company
Yes; Holden is now owned by GM. An American Company which in itself doesnt actually manufacture any cars that wear a GM badge but just happens to own a number of car manufacturing companies including Chevrolet and Holden
However; Speedo and Vegemite along with a number of other iconic Austrlaian products are also Foreign Owned but still referred to as Australian as that’s where they started.
Another couple of interesting but useless facts:
The Cadillac Car Company was formed in 1905 from the remnants of the Henry Ford Company when Henry Ford departed [to start Ford]
Whilst the Cadillac automobile was named after the 17th century French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, who founded Detroit in 1701.
Apparently the first Caddie was based on one of Henry Ford’s designs
Wheelnut, I’m not disputing any of the history, it’s just that Holden, as an automotive entity is no more Australian than Ford. Holden was 100% US owned when they produced their “first’ car in 1948.
Up until 1931 they built many different bodies and fitted them to many different makes of chassis (inc. Ford).
Ford likewise, from 1925, built bodies and fitted them to chassis’ (for the same reason Holden did). To suggest that Ford only assemble CKD kits in australia until 1960 is wrong. Ford Aus had a body design department in the 1920’s.
Don’t forget that Ford Aus invented the UTE in 1034.
Both are US owned companies, both have unly ever produced complete vehicles under that US ownership, and both have a history in Australia that all Australians should be proud of, because in the main it has always been Australians doing it all, despite foriegn ownership and, at times, management.
My Thoughts exactly – bret… it doesn’t really matter who stared building cars in Australia first what matters is that they’re building cars in Australia.
I believe we not only as Australians but also car enthusiasts should be proud of that and do whatever we can to support them and try to keep them here.
Because both Ford and Holden build two of the most reliable large RWD family sedans on the road today not to mention the best value for money – if they didn’t they wouldn’t be in business now would they?
Sure they mightn’t be as technologiaclly advanced as some of the cars from overseas However it all relates to the size of the market and the number of countries that Ford and Holden export to.
Compared to Europe and the USA Australia is a much smaller market and therefore it takes longer for Holden and Ford to recover the costs of R&D – that goes into a new car which is why the liffe cycle of a car in Oz is on average 5-8 years whereas in Europe its closer to 2-4 years.
Bret, Ahhhhhhh……..Ford did not exist in 1034. No car companie did!
I’m pretty sure! :)
Of course James Alexander Holden was originally British!
All the first aussies were from england!
Where do you think we come from? The Pommies!
I think there would be a number of native australians who might take exception to that comment Duck…
Duck, sorry for the typo. I thought most would realise that it should have been 1934 not 1034.
And no, many Aussies don’t have pommie ancestors. Many 7th & 8th generation Australians ahve ancestors from different countries.
Bret I could tell it was a typo! ;)
Most but not all of us have a bit of British backround due to because of the convicts shipped here to Australia from England.
Sorta like me! Ive got british, some scotish and some german in me! :)
By the way this is how the ute was invetned! …………..
“The ute was invented back in the early 1930s by a young Ford Australia designer named Lew Bandt in response to a letter from a local farmer requesting Ford build a vehicle he could use during the week to take his livestock to market, yet was weatherproof and comfortable enough for him to take his wife to church on Sunday. Bandt designed a close-coupled, all-steel two-door body with a bed out back on a 1933 Ford chassis. He called it a coupe-utility. Aussies, never ones for long-winded formality, quickly christened it the ute.”
Website: http://www.motortrend.com
Duck, glad you looked it up and found out some facts, wish some others (not on here) would do the same.
For me there’s no convict blood. That’s the difference between a free-settled state like SA and you convicts in the east.