GM may be asked to give up Holden name in Australia

Never a people to go down without a fight,
Australia is still lobbying to save local
Holden production
following the announcement from
General Motors that its South Australia-based subsidiary would be closing up shop. Now, the state’s premier (that’s like a governor) is attempting to find another automaker to buy
Holden from
GM. Premier Jay Weatherill has suggested that Holden be sold to another manufacturer, if it will mean that production will continue at the Elizabeth and Fisherman Bend factories.

«It may be that a particular car manufacturer might want to set up here but use the equity that’s in the Holden brand to continue making cars,» Weatherill told reporters. «That’s obviously something that’s the property of
General Motors at the moment and, presumably, they have an interest in keeping it because it has value for them. But that is something that we would want to advance in any discussions with Holden.»

Which manufacturer would be willing to plop down money on the Holden name and factories, particularly after both GM and
Ford have ended local production, remains unclear.
Toyota is currently the only other brand to maintain production in Australia.

Plans for Holden’s future have included
turning it into a branch of Chevrolet, as well as
importing a front-wheel-drive version of the brand’s flagship, the Commodore, from
China.