GM Holden Ltd, commonly known as Holden, is an Australian car manufacturer based in Port Melbourne, Australia. It’s one of GM’s fully-integrated bases of operations outside the US. Holden holds full manufacturing operations for GM, including design, building and sales. It has tie-ups with customers in South Korea, Thailand and China.
Holden: Australia’s Answer to Being the Best
Here’s a look at the company’s history and its best line of cars.
History of Holden
Holden started out as a saddler business started out by James Alexander Holden in 1852. They would venture into the world of automobiles in 1908, though they were only able to go into minor car upholstery repairs with German-born Henry Hendrick Frost. Over a decade later, JA Holden founded Holden’s Motor Body Builders Ltd (HMBB), which specialised in building car bodies. In the 1920s, HMBB became the first company in Australia to manufacture car bodies for GM Australia, who later purchased HMBB to form what now exists today as GM Holden Ltd, GM’s lone base of operations in Australia.
Today, Holden’s Vehicle Operations manufactures 42 models of vehicles from four body styles sold both domestically and internationally. They make sedans, luxury cars, SUVs, and utility vehicles that cater to a wide range of customers.
Holden’s Best: Sedans
Holden’s small and medium car fleet consists of 5 models, with the Holden Cruze as the flag bearer for their line of budget-friendly cars. From the outside, Holden cars are very stylish, featuring a sports front fascia, front fog lamps, a rear spoiler, and heated mirrors to make sure wing mirrors aren’t riddled with morning dew and frost. The Cruze’s interior has Holden’s trademarked MyLink technology. MyLink is Holden’s answer to having a modern dashboard. It allows the Cruze to be able to fully integrate with its user through Bluetooth and USB connectivity, as well as Text to Speech, media streaming, hands-free calling, voice recognition (for the SRi-V models) and the all-important GPS navigation. Other features are listed as follows:
- 1.6-L DOHC 16-valve iTi turbo petrol engine (SRi and SRi-V)
- 1.8-L DOHC 16-valve ECOTEC petrol engine (Equipe, CD, and CDX models)
- Option of 6-speed automatic transmission with Active Select or 5-speed manual (for Equipe, CD, and CDX) and 6-speed automatic with both Active Select and Sport mode or 6-speed manual (for both SRi-variants)
- 17” alloy wheels
- 5-star ANCAP rating
- Sensor Key Technology (for CDX and SRi-V variants)
With high-end features, people would expect a high-end price. Consumers will be surprised at the unexpectedly affordable price tag of this car. With prices as low as AUD 25,750, car buyers will definitely be getting a great deal with Holden cars.
Holden’s Best: Luxury Cars
The Holden Commodore SV6 holds the distinction as Australia’s Best Large Car under AUD 60,000. The new VF Commodore International builds on this and makes Australia’s Best even better. Its highlights include the following:
- 248-hp, 3.0-L V6 SIDI engine with 6-speed automatic transmission and Active Select
- 18” Alloy wheels
- Leather interior
- LED daytime running lights and headlamps with dark bezels chrome highlights on the exterior
- 8” touch screen controlled MyLink Infotainment System
- Remote Vehicle Entry and Start
- Automatic Park Assist
- 5-star ANCAP safety rating
- Blind Spot and Reverse Traffic alerts
- Rear View Camera
The VF Commodore International comes in 2 body styles: sedan and sportwagon. The sedan body goes for a price of AUD 36,990 and the sportwagon is priced at AUD 42,998. Final Say
Holden cars are definitely the gold standard in vehicles as far as Australia is concerned. Being a subsidiary of GM, one can expect the highest quality in all its cars, whether he is riding the Cruze or the VF Commodore International. It’s a true testament to the company’s rich history. Holden cars are truly a great addition to any car collector’s showroom, or even as his main car.
