Horse 593 - Holden's BIG Mistake

Holden motor company of Australia may have just accidentally taken the first step to comitting automotive suicide. With petrol prices rising every 23 minutes, you'd think that it would make logical sense to produce a smaller and more effcient car. Holden with their latest variant of the Commodore have done precisely the opposite; made an even bigger one.

Mitsubishi were going nowhere and then decided to produce a car which would save the company. 6 months later the 380 is anonymous on the road and flagging sales have meant that they've had to reduce the sticker price in the showroom. The Commodore actually managed to gain another 125 kilos into a market which they already knew was shrinking but they headed full on into the development program throwing good money after bad.

The highest selling car in Australia for the first time back in March was the Toyota Corolla, No 2 was the Astra followed by the Camry at number three. The old VZ Commodore came crashing in at 4th spot (the Falcon suffered even further coming in at 6). Now that they've effectively shot themselves in the foot, when they already knew that they shift more Astras than Commodores, then why didn't Holden develop the Vectra for Australian conditions? The Vectra at 3.2L is 340kg less than the VZ Commodore, and on top of that they already built a prototype based on it - the TT36 Torana (or XP54). Who really would notice the loss of 12 kW when you're stuck in traffic? Or better yet build the Astra? Toyota who are the world's biggest car company have shifted more Corollas by nameplate than any other car in history. Get off your big fat noisy horses Holden and out-Corolla Corolla with the Astra!

Holden execs are keen to point out that the VE will form the basis for the next generation of the Omega series to be sold by Opel, Vauxhall and Chevrolet. What they don't tell you is that the volume sellers for both Vauxhall and Opel are the Astra, not the Omega which will be billed as the top-of-the-line fleet car.

I think it all look fairly ominous for the General. I also pity the poor saps stuck with a Commodore, for when the price of petrol soars towards figures of $1.50 and $1.60 which it will, I'll stil be driving my little Ka and laughing at you as you put a fourth mortgage on your cardboard box houses trying to pay for petrol.

The 10th Commandment is "Do not Covet". Let me tell you, I shan't be doing any coveting at all or your big tanky cars, because I already own the cutest car on the road.