End of the line for Holden

[750hp]

Why focus on Asian brands that have already saturated the market Ash? If changes to the local production landscape will allow limited production European brands/models in to the Australian market, is that the worst thing in the world?

[sideshow]

I would always buy a Toyota before a gm or ford
quality is just not there

in the end people have no money
they want to buy cheap cars that they throw away after afew years

it is just to expensive to live here so most companies are pissing of to the land of the one dollar an hour wages

[saturnkk]

Originally Posted by sideshow

I would always buy a Toyota before a gm or ford
quality is just not there

I guess it depends on what you are buying...

[Towmaster]

My little 'dig' seems to have gotten the desired responses..

As an Australian manufacturer that exports to Europe the USA and Sth Africa etc it concerns me that our kids will have no future...

What happens when we make nothing here? The farmers are getting squeezed and many walking off their properties. Big manufacturing can't afford to pay wages, coal will be banned.... We have already lost all our call centres... All the big banks forms processing gets emailed every night to a 'cheaper' country, it is processed and then emailed back by start of business next day. Our NAB bank manager told me that 4 years ago. Surely the trend just can't continue?

My little dig was simply to the effect of why do we always seem to slag off the bigger companies that have been here employing people for over a hundred years in favour of a Johnny come laty that could leave in an instant (Opel for instance)

Don have you driven a VF Commodore? If you read the motoring journals.... They seem to be not so far behind, if at all.
My Father in laws 2012 330d coupe is a really nice car and goes very well for a diesel, but it should for a $120,000 car.... But it can't park itself!
My wife's 2009 120d is a great car that has so many gadgets here and there that you read up in the book and use them once..... Then never again... Trust me it's just like any other car, you just get in and drive, set the cruise & AC....

Kindling... Spark.....

[750hp]

Originally Posted by Towmaster

My Father in laws 2012 330d coupe....

My wife's 2009 120d...

Ash, you need to talk to your family about supporting local car manufacturers rather than those European companies.

[Towmaster]

Originally Posted by 750hp

Ash, you need to talk to your family about supporting local car manufacturers rather than those European companies.

Have you ever tried to tell a Greek ANYTHING?

[Wazza]

Originally Posted by Towmaster

Have you ever tried to tell a Greek ANYTHING?

Touch your toes ????

[Towmaster]

Not to mention the batteries they throw away in those Hybrids every 5 years...

[BMK]

Oooops sorry guilty also..

[Towmaster]

On a lighter side I personally have a 2007 Rodeo that was re engined (6 litre V8) and engineered by me, a Cobra I built myself from locally sourced products (mostly) and a V8 Supercar that was built in Melbourne...... and is currently being re engined by me.... Oh and a car trailer that was also built in Melbourne...

I am so proud of my green ness.......

[Aussie Mike]

Originally Posted by Towmaster

On a lighter side I personally have a 2007 Rodeo that was re engined (6 litre V8) and engineered by me, a Cobra I built myself from locally sourced products (mostly) and a V8 Supercar that was built in Melbourne...... and is currently being re engined by me.... Oh and a car trailer that was also built in Melbourne...

I am so proud of my green ness.......

Glad to see you are making the effort to recycle

[sideshow]

yes its very hard to tell those greeks anything, especially to get them pay their taxes
hehehe
hey Ash I got a nice l98 loom here to suit an 8 stack tunnel ram manifold
have u got close to starting your engine

I prefer to rip out other peoples mistakes and start fresh

[LoBelly]

NYTimes article on Harley Davidson, productivity and labour

worth a look when considering (if that's what you call it) the role of unions

LoBelly

[tomcat racing]

Originally Posted by LoBelly

NYTimes article on Harley Davidson, productivity and labour

worth a look when considering (if that's what you call it) the role of unions

LoBelly

Sensible company,

Unlike GM.

[400TT]

I certainly understand to some extent the struggle of manufacturing locally vs manufacturing or sourcing components from low cost overseas centres.

Our business will be affected by Holden ceasing manufacture of the Commodore here.

I'm not sure when we will feel the effect. But it could be as early as a few months time or we might not feel the affect for a year or so.

At the moment we quantity source quite a few GM components from Holden. We don't use any Australian specific parts, but global GM parts sourced locally and used in Commodore product line. Holden provides us with competitive pricing and much shorter lead times compared to overseas. And I am sure they are making a good buck in the process and also employing people to supply these parts to us.

When we are forced to source these parts from the USA it looks like our purchase pricing at that time will increase substantially.

I am also concerned about other Australian based component manufacturers we use. With the changes we are seeing to local production from Ford and Holden, will local Toyota manufacturing plant be enough to keep them viable. As I am sure low volume customers like myself won't be enough . Even if just the pricing increases as a result of Holden/Ford ceasing production, I and many others will need to purchase the parts directly from the USA, UK etc to stay competitive.

[guye]

Originally Posted by LoBelly

NYTimes article on Harley Davidson, productivity and labour

worth a look when considering (if that's what you call it) the role of unions

LoBelly

Yes, interesting article. And great outcome. I'm promoted to ask, though, what remaining a union-workforce had to do with the outcome? Harley might have achieved that result regardless of their workers' union affiliations. Is the suggestion that the union actively participated in the restructuring and process changes, designing the new factory, etc?

I suppose the (valid) point the article is making is that unions need not be 'broken' to achieve a corporate turnaround.

[Jethrow]

from Grace Collier (The Australian):

TOYOTA is leaving Australia because it knows there is no hope of changing its terrible enterprise bargaining agreement. If you want to blame someone, blame the company and the union. Don’t blame Tony Abbott, the workers or the law…

Toyota locked itself into a substandard, expensive and restrictive agreement many years ago. It was a pay-off to the unions for getting it taxpayers’ money. In recent times, Toyota had to ask staff to downwards bargain and reduce conditions. The company was not asking for much and, in exchange for the concessions, jobs would be saved. However, the EBA says, “The parties agree they will not take any steps to terminate or replace this agreement without the consent of the other parties.”

Consent denied. Company closed.

[Towmaster]

England suffered this same fate back in the seventies. I only know this because of Top Gear...... Lost all their local manufacturing because of long term strikes from unions / employees over better wages etc or whatever.
They are back now..... I am guessing they waited till all the union members retired then started afresh...... Not a bad ides, like it has been said before, they will never back down once they have what they want. Until of course there is no jobs for them to protect.

[sambo]

Looks like Toyota is gone too.

Toyota to stop making cars in Australia, follows Ford and Holden

[Gav]

The writing was on the wall with that one Sambo.