Holden closure

This is what today's Holden Commodore would have looked like – if the model and the Holden brand hadn't been axed. Opel/Vauxhall, now part of the Peugeot-Citroen group, has introduced in Europe the updated version of the car we knew as a Holden Commodore. We can’t know for certain if Holden would have imported rebadged Insignias if its future was looking a little brighter. But it’s interesting to consider what a 2021 Holden Commodore might have looked like.

Holden fans hoping to drive a bargain have less than three weeks to cash in on discounts of up to $17,000, as General Motors prepares to close the books – and end the bonus money – on 31 December 2020. Official sales figures published by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) show just 203 new Holden cars were reported as sold last month.

Holden has asked dealers to report all remaining new cars as sold by the end of this month, so it can clear the books before the brand is retired at the end of 2020. The car maker had asked dealers to report most of their stock as sold by the end of last month, but some late deliveries prompted an extension. It is unclear exactly how many cars are left in Holden’s skeleton showroom network, however numerous dealer sources estimate approximately 500 or fewer new vehicles remain for sale.

EXCLUSIVE US car giant General Motors has issued a deadline to reach an agreement with Holden dealers over compensation for ending their franchise agreements almost three years early – following a high level meeting of lawyers and executives representing both parties last week. A confidential email – issued after the meeting – from Holden to its network of 185 dealers who operate 203 showrooms, also warned the settlements will come in three separate payments rather than a lump sum.

EXCLUSIVE US car giant General Motors has flown in a man who has closed more dealerships globally than anyone else in the company, as Holden showroom owners prepare to negotiate the terms of their compensation packages in the wake of the iconic brand's shock shutdown announcement.