RE: Muscle car maker does well
Thursday 20th January 2005
Muscle car maker does well
Holden makes a success of the Monaro
Australian muscle car maker Holden had a good year in 2004. It said it shipped a record 52,372 cars globally last year, which beats its record, set in 1973, of 41,181 vehicles by 17 per cent. The figures show it to be 45 per cent up on the previous year, and was the first year that Holden shipped more than 50,000 vehicles outside the country.
While the Holden Monaro -- aka the Vauxhall Monaro in the UK and the Pontiac GTO in the USA -- is the company's best-known export, its biggest success was an contract to export cars to China, with over 10,000 Buick Royaums -- which are based on the Holden Statesman Caprice due to ship go to the Chinese market this year.
However, Holden shipped over 16,000 Pontiac GTOs to the US last year and the Vauxhall Monaro won the UK's Top Gear television show's Muscle Car of the Year award.
Discussion
from the land of the Crown Victoria!
The Monaro is a big old dumb no frills beast!! I drive them all the time and they're good honest fun. Sure their no BMW but where else can you get supercar performance for the price of an upmarket medium size Euro!
I much prefer the bosses new Ford FPV Typhoon!! XR6 turbo, much nicer car to drive and cane within a gnats whang of its life!
The Monaro is a big old dumb no frills beast!! I drive them all the time and they're good honest fun. Sure their no BMW but where else can you get supercar performance for the price of an upmarket medium size Euro!
I much prefer the bosses new Ford FPV Typhoon!! XR6 turbo, much nicer car to drive and cane within a gnats whang of its life!
Just wish they'd had the sense to market it as a Holden in the uk (i know they sold some as Holden but it wasn't exactly marketed well), and tried to make it a performance brand a bit like Toyota did with Lexus.
I like the look of the car and I love monster V8's but you'll never see me driving a Vauxhall. (sorry if I've offended all Vauxhall fans out there).
I like the look of the car and I love monster V8's but you'll never see me driving a Vauxhall. (sorry if I've offended all Vauxhall fans out there).
Re the Vauxhall badging. I'm no brand snob but I would much prefer a Holden badge on the Monaro to a Vauxhall one. Didn't stop me buying one though.
If I knew nothing about the car aside from stats, then of the three branding options, the Pontiac name would be least likely to get me in the show room mainly because all the American cars I've ever driven (admitedly all mid range hire cars) have been pretty bad in most departments.
To most people I suspect:
Vauxhall = boring.
Holden = Unknown Australian.
Pontiac = Gas guzzling & poorly built.
If I knew nothing about the car aside from stats, then of the three branding options, the Pontiac name would be least likely to get me in the show room mainly because all the American cars I've ever driven (admitedly all mid range hire cars) have been pretty bad in most departments.
To most people I suspect:
Vauxhall = boring.
Holden = Unknown Australian.
Pontiac = Gas guzzling & poorly built.
As a regular visitor to aus, I've consider many times important and hsv from aus...Especially when the rate was a good 2.8, not what it is now..
I've also been inflicted for a few years with a vauxhall and dealing with their dealers is like pulling teeth....
Holdens are good, strong, built to last (aussies hold onto their cars for an avg of 6 or 7 years, and clock up the "k's" on it due to the distances, unless you're cruising down the broadway in syd all the time that is..) not the best spec but all round a cracking performance car for the money...
That is until........A vauxhall dealer gets hold of it
I've also been inflicted for a few years with a vauxhall and dealing with their dealers is like pulling teeth....
Holdens are good, strong, built to last (aussies hold onto their cars for an avg of 6 or 7 years, and clock up the "k's" on it due to the distances, unless you're cruising down the broadway in syd all the time that is..) not the best spec but all round a cracking performance car for the money...
That is until........A vauxhall dealer gets hold of it
remoh said:
That is until........A vauxhall dealer gets hold of it
Bit of an unfair generalisation, I'd say. It depends which Vauxhall dealer you deal with. I've used two in Southampton over the years; one (Picador) has never been anything less than 100% professional, competent, knowledgeable, helpful, friendly and enthusiastic (hey Graham, free plug for you there mate!). The other one thought a Monaro was a van. Nuff said.
It's simple really, buy a VXVauxhall Monaro, for a few quid get the correct Oz badges & hey presto it’s an HSV. But then I would say that as 'I just Got One', GTS that is with the correct number of doors (infuriates M community)
Having spent over £40k on mods I am not offended at all if anyone says, " is that a Vauxhall?” there was the LC that had a lot of respect, for me I would prefer to distance myself from the GTO/USA connotations though.
I don’t think of the Australians as innovators in any big way in engineering terms but anything that I have come across from down under is of better quality and as for Holden’s, bullet proof build with built proof engines (thanks to the US there), now that’s a good mix for me, RHD tops it for UK market.
Not trying to start a riot here, just one opinionated HSV nutter has a say
NB The American version of the Monaro will have twin exhausts (left & right exit) but half the boot space disappears in the process, not even sure if a set of golf clubs/trolley would fit!
Having spent over £40k on mods I am not offended at all if anyone says, " is that a Vauxhall?” there was the LC that had a lot of respect, for me I would prefer to distance myself from the GTO/USA connotations though.
I don’t think of the Australians as innovators in any big way in engineering terms but anything that I have come across from down under is of better quality and as for Holden’s, bullet proof build with built proof engines (thanks to the US there), now that’s a good mix for me, RHD tops it for UK market.
Not trying to start a riot here, just one opinionated HSV nutter has a say
NB The American version of the Monaro will have twin exhausts (left & right exit) but half the boot space disappears in the process, not even sure if a set of golf clubs/trolley would fit!
OK, this is my story. I'll let you draw your own conclusions. If only it started 'once upon a time....'
I saw the Monaro and got the wants. The local Vauxhall dealer had a 2nd hand one for sale, so I had a test drive. Then I was told they would want full retail money for it, and I couldn't have it for a couple of months because otherwise they would upset Vauxhall, as they were not an approved Monaro dealer, and they had got it on the quiet. The salesman also said that they had all been sold, and there were no more coming in til 2005.
Then I called an approved dealer, and was told that there were still some unsold. He also had a demonstrator and one in the showroom. I booked a test drive and got the train to London at the weekend. After a poxy train and tube journey, and a long walk (its only 10 minutes sir...) I got to the dealers only to be told that the MD had just taken the car into central London, and wouldnt be back that day! The MD also knew that I was coming, and even though the salesman called him on his mobile, he still wasn't coming back.
The week after I called a couple more approved dealers in the London area, but the 'specialist' was never there, and although they asked for my number they never returned my calls.
So I gave up buying a new one, even though I had the cash, no p/x etc.
About a month later I saw another used one for sale at a Vauxhall garage, also a non approved dealer. Paid for it and drove away, how hard was that ?
Since then I have been into non-Monaro Vauxhall dealers, but all I get told is that they don't even have the parts CD for the Monaro, and that they can't do anything for me. Can they really be so bitter at not being one of the 'chosen few' ?
More recently thanks to this forum I have discovered Picadors. Graham is a top man, very helpful and has supplied me with a gorgeous sounding cat-back. If I'd known about them earlier I would most likely have bought a new car, which is what I really wanted. Unfortunately Southampton is a bit of a trek, but it looks like thats where i'll be going for the servicing.
>> Edited by alfienoakes on Thursday 20th January 19:41
>> Edited by alfienoakes on Thursday 20th January 19:52
I saw the Monaro and got the wants. The local Vauxhall dealer had a 2nd hand one for sale, so I had a test drive. Then I was told they would want full retail money for it, and I couldn't have it for a couple of months because otherwise they would upset Vauxhall, as they were not an approved Monaro dealer, and they had got it on the quiet. The salesman also said that they had all been sold, and there were no more coming in til 2005.
Then I called an approved dealer, and was told that there were still some unsold. He also had a demonstrator and one in the showroom. I booked a test drive and got the train to London at the weekend. After a poxy train and tube journey, and a long walk (its only 10 minutes sir...) I got to the dealers only to be told that the MD had just taken the car into central London, and wouldnt be back that day! The MD also knew that I was coming, and even though the salesman called him on his mobile, he still wasn't coming back.
The week after I called a couple more approved dealers in the London area, but the 'specialist' was never there, and although they asked for my number they never returned my calls.
So I gave up buying a new one, even though I had the cash, no p/x etc.
About a month later I saw another used one for sale at a Vauxhall garage, also a non approved dealer. Paid for it and drove away, how hard was that ?
Since then I have been into non-Monaro Vauxhall dealers, but all I get told is that they don't even have the parts CD for the Monaro, and that they can't do anything for me. Can they really be so bitter at not being one of the 'chosen few' ?
More recently thanks to this forum I have discovered Picadors. Graham is a top man, very helpful and has supplied me with a gorgeous sounding cat-back. If I'd known about them earlier I would most likely have bought a new car, which is what I really wanted. Unfortunately Southampton is a bit of a trek, but it looks like thats where i'll be going for the servicing.
>> Edited by alfienoakes on Thursday 20th January 19:41
>> Edited by alfienoakes on Thursday 20th January 19:52
Noticed the conversation about badging. Noted however that no one has mentioned that the "Monaro"is also badged as a Chevy. Thats right Chevrolet have it as the Chevy SS - 400 , or Lumina SS Coupe and also do the Holden 4 door sports version as a Lumina ss.
Is GM really thinking straight here?
What's the feeling about the Chevy Badging if Vauxhall = boring.
Holden = Unknown Australian.
Pontiac = Gas guzzling & poorly built ???
Is GM really thinking straight here?
What's the feeling about the Chevy Badging if Vauxhall = boring.
Holden = Unknown Australian.
Pontiac = Gas guzzling & poorly built ???
One of my local Vauxhall dealers is a VX approved outlet.
They just about coped when I had a 24V Senator a few years ago, though for reasons of convenience due to work commitments I had much of the servicing done miles away.
They struggled frequently with with my V6 Omega.
The thought of what they might do to a Monaro was worrying and I was quite pleased that when I saw the car just after launch I was not quite as smitten as I thought I would be.
I spent many hours sitting in the service reception. People nice. Got to know them quite well over the years. Must have been well over 50% of all the people collecting after service who were goinf to have to return for the work to be finished.
Almost every model where poor running or stalling seemed to have been reported - about 70% of all the vehicles I ever observed being handed back perhaps - the diagnosis was "throttle body - we will have to order one".
I just had to break the habit.
They just about coped when I had a 24V Senator a few years ago, though for reasons of convenience due to work commitments I had much of the servicing done miles away.
They struggled frequently with with my V6 Omega.
The thought of what they might do to a Monaro was worrying and I was quite pleased that when I saw the car just after launch I was not quite as smitten as I thought I would be.
I spent many hours sitting in the service reception. People nice. Got to know them quite well over the years. Must have been well over 50% of all the people collecting after service who were goinf to have to return for the work to be finished.
Almost every model where poor running or stalling seemed to have been reported - about 70% of all the vehicles I ever observed being handed back perhaps - the diagnosis was "throttle body - we will have to order one".
I just had to break the habit.
All this badging toff; I live in Australia and will tell you all that holden is not a performance brand. They make the commodore, which is the bestselling car over here, they make a v8 commodore, because we have cheap fuel and like fast cars, and they make a two-door version of this v8 family sedan, and people buy them not because they are a performance car, but because they look rather nice, are relatively cheap and are Australian. What's the performance calls about? Fair enough, Vauxhall put a wide-boy kit on a van and called it a VXR, and 1.3l hatchbacks seem to pass for GT's over your way (I visit england every two years to see family) so I suppose there is that notion of holden being a more respectable badge then vauxhall, but in truth, Holden is Vauxhall. Everything else they sell you can buy - Barina (corsa), Astra, Vectra etc. And the monaro runs a Chevrolet Engine, though to my knowledge they are only badged as Chevies in South Africa and the Middle East. We call the Vectra a Holden, you can call the Monaro a Vauxhall. Nuff said.
Funny thing is over in Australia all the people with Vectras, Calibras and Barinas are badge snobs against Holdens, I see quite a few badges that are changed to Vauxhaul and especially Opel since its perceived as being German so must be like a BMW/Merc etc LOL.
Funny old world we live in...
Funny old world we live in...
sjc said:
I like the look of the car and I love monster V8's but you'll never see me driving a Vauxhall. (sorry if I've offended all Vauxhall fans out there).
And you drive a .......BMW, no hint of badge snobbery there eh?
I can see how you'd interpret that as badge snobbery. Why does everyone think that people buy Bmw's just for the badge? Simple fact is that I drive them because they're a good drivers car, well built and reliable. As far as I'm concerned Vauxhall's don't meet any of that criteria, which is why they'd have been better selling it under a different brand.
Gassing Station | HSV & Monaro | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff