A written destiny, but still difficult to accept when it is to disappear a brand with 165 years of history, 108 of which lived in the world of two and four wheels. The Australian car manufacturer Holden, owned by General Motors since 1931, no longer exists since 1 January 2021. The announcement of the stop of production and commercial activities in Australia was made last February. A recurring name in the history of the car disappears from the map of the great world manufacturers. A name that, at times muted, has contributed to writing moments that have become part of Australian and New Zealand automotive culture. And not only.
A Holden, che started with sidecars in 1913, we owe the birth of the first entirely Australian car. It was 1948 and a few years later production would focus on cars derived from Opel and Isuzu models. At the turn of the ’80s and’ 90s, always under the wing of the Detroit giant, in Australia Holden instead assembled Toyota, Nissan and Suzuki vehicles. But the reason why this name has also become public in Italy is to be found in much more recent times. At the dawn of the 2000s, with the alliance between Fiat and General Motors, Holden was entrusted the 3.2 V6 engine design which would have equipped the high-performance versions of the Alfa Romeo 159, Brera and Spider.
Collecting the legacy of the legendary V6 designed by Giuseppe Busso and nicknamed “the Arese violin” for its full and velvety sound was not an easy task, but the Australian manufacturer honored the commitment, helping in some way to keep the Biscione house standing in one of the most opaque and colorless moments in its recent history. Good times, beyond all, given that General Motors, as foreseen by its substantial restructuring plan, has now closed all the activities of the brand, starting with the sale of new cars. And the letter that the American auto giant has sent to customers and collaborators will be of little use to console the most loyal Australian motorists. Considered “The iconic status of the Holden brand and the contribution it has made not only to GM, but to the development of the economies of Australia and New Zealand”, the decision, the Americans assure, was not an easy one. But so much
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