Holden, a (sort-of) Australian icon, succumbs to globalisation
The cars, said to be as Aussie as meat pies and kangaroos, were actually made by GM
“SHE’S A BEAUTY!” grinned the prime minister of the day, Ben Chifley, as the first car built entirely in Australia rolled off the assembly line in 1948. The Holden FX, as it was known, was greeted as a totem of a young nation joining the ranks of industrialised economies. Better yet, it had an Australian pedigree, even if General Motors owned the factory. Holden had been a saddle-making firm in Adelaide that began to manufacture car bodies to go with imported engines and chassis in 1919. GM bought it in 1931, but retained the brand. For a long time its advertising slogan was “People Trust Holden”. So when GM announced this week that it was eliminating the brand, indignation and nostalgia abounded.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Holden folds”
Asia February 22nd 2020
From the February 22nd 2020 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Asia
Taiwan’s political drama is paralysing its government
Domestic dysfunction plays right into China’s hands
An angry culture war surrounds Australia Day
Conservatives claim that wokeness is destroying the national holiday
The fate of a ranting driver raises doubts about the “new” Uzbekistan
It seems free speech is not so guaranteed after all
Indian politicians are becoming obsessed with doling out cash
Handouts are transforming the role of the state—perhaps for the worse
How to end the nightmare of Asia’s choked roads
The middle classes love cars but hate traffic
Can Donald Trump maintain Joe Biden’s network of Asian alliances?
Discipline and creativity will help, but so will China’s actions