A couple of statements about GM's Holden RWD connection.
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A couple of my PHR article items come to the surface
I dug up this stuff late last winter & it became part of my article for PHR. Now, it seems some of that information is starting to surface.
I don't reveal my sources, but now that GM Asia Pacific head, Fritz Henderson brought it up, I figured I'd post it.
Those of you who read August Popular Hot Rodding's Detroit Report already know this:
http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...256D7A0019D10A
Another part of my August PHR article comes to the surface:
http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...256D7800059F57
I don't reveal my sources, but now that GM Asia Pacific head, Fritz Henderson brought it up, I figured I'd post it.
Those of you who read August Popular Hot Rodding's Detroit Report already know this:
* Mr Henderson confirmed that Holden was the large car, lower-cost, rear-drive centre of expertise for GM rear-drive cars worldwide.
Apart from Cadillac, whose rear-drive products were much higher-cost than Holden, “the Holden product is, can be and will be used in the future as the centre of expertise for GM globally”, he said.
“GM is expanding its portfolio of rear-drive products.”
Apart from Cadillac, whose rear-drive products were much higher-cost than Holden, “the Holden product is, can be and will be used in the future as the centre of expertise for GM globally”, he said.
“GM is expanding its portfolio of rear-drive products.”
Another part of my August PHR article comes to the surface:
...FORD Australia is continuing its campaign to win hearts and minds at its US headquarters with a new generation BA Fairlane V8 on its way to Dearborn.
The Ghia was shipped off last month for sampling by the company’s executives, joining four BA Falcons that have been in the US since February....
...But last year FoMoCo kicked off a “paper study” into the export potential of the BA generation of Australian products including Falcon, Fairlane and the forthcoming Territory.
Componentry and technology supply, as well as complete cars export, were included in the study.
The long wheelbase Fairlane seems an obvious target of interest for the US head office, considering the controversy the ageing Crown Victoria is surrounded in over rear impact collisions...
The Ghia was shipped off last month for sampling by the company’s executives, joining four BA Falcons that have been in the US since February....
...But last year FoMoCo kicked off a “paper study” into the export potential of the BA generation of Australian products including Falcon, Fairlane and the forthcoming Territory.
Componentry and technology supply, as well as complete cars export, were included in the study.
The long wheelbase Fairlane seems an obvious target of interest for the US head office, considering the controversy the ageing Crown Victoria is surrounded in over rear impact collisions...
Last edited by guionM; Aug 7, 2003 at 05:06 AM.
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guionM,
What do you think is behind GM looking into these RWD arcitectures? Is it that they are finally realizing the mistake of making almost everything on the car side of their business FWD? Is it purely the Lutz factor? Or are they merely trying to leverage their global resources to cut more costs?
Thanks
What do you think is behind GM looking into these RWD arcitectures? Is it that they are finally realizing the mistake of making almost everything on the car side of their business FWD? Is it purely the Lutz factor? Or are they merely trying to leverage their global resources to cut more costs?
Thanks
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I'd suggest cost is at the heart of it all - most every business decision these days is cost centred ...
That said, Holden is the only GM division that hung onto RWD cars and continued full time development. It only makes sence to get as much out of that investment as possible.
That said, Holden is the only GM division that hung onto RWD cars and continued full time development. It only makes sence to get as much out of that investment as possible.
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From: AU
I think GM had to stand up and pay $$$ attention to what Holden was achieving Globaly with the RWD GM2800.
i think they are up to 100,000 cars to the middle east, and a majority of them LS1s
lets take you back to 1999 GMME when it happened.
http://www.brw.com.au/stories/19991126/4283.htm
i think they are up to 100,000 cars to the middle east, and a majority of them LS1s
lets take you back to 1999 GMME when it happened.
http://www.brw.com.au/stories/19991126/4283.htm
Holden's business is almost a fluke. GM's biggest sellers in the Middle East were the American-built Caprice (averaging 12,000 a year) and the smaller but front-drive Lumina (about 2500). Then, in 1996, North America stopped building the Caprice and had no replacement. By coincidence, Holden had the technology to build left-hand-drive cars, derived from a secret project to produce left-hand-drive Buicks for export to North America, a project that was torpedoed, partly because of cost and partly because of pressure from American unions. Holden engineers, after two years of tests in the Middle East, found that the tough Australian cars needed mainly higher-capacity batteries and air-conditioning, and tuning for leaded petrol. The suspension, transmission, brakes, dust sealing and other vital components were untouched.
Last edited by Ude-lose; Aug 7, 2003 at 08:04 AM.
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Originally posted by hotrodtodd74
guionM,
What do you think is behind GM looking into these RWD arcitectures? Is it that they are finally realizing the mistake of making almost everything on the car side of their business FWD? Is it purely the Lutz factor? Or are they merely trying to leverage their global resources to cut more costs?
Thanks
guionM,
What do you think is behind GM looking into these RWD arcitectures? Is it that they are finally realizing the mistake of making almost everything on the car side of their business FWD? Is it purely the Lutz factor? Or are they merely trying to leverage their global resources to cut more costs?
Thanks
Holden is part of GM, and they have been making RWD vehicles nonstop, while the North American arm abandoned it. Now you have most of the engineers at GM here having never worked on a RWD project (the only all new RWD chassis that came down the line since 1980 is the C5).
There has been a few times in the past where the subject of using Holden or the V car for North America came up, but for whatever reason (I suspect politics) it was always claimed that it wasn't practical, and our own FWD cars were good enough. I think Bob Lutz has perhaps given a voice to those who were working for bringing Holdens here, or at least using Holden as a cheap way to bring RWD cars back to the US market.
BTW, GM (North America) is doing a bit more than simply "looking into it".
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