First Ford, then Holden and now Toyota

This was a given, especially with the Australian currency getting so strong.

Its too expensive to make cars there now.
 
Actually it was first Mitsubishi in 2008 - writing has been on the wall for ages.
 
I guess this will mean more exports for us, seeing as we already export a good bit of Renualt, Toyota and GM products to them.
 
So what's going to happen with their V8 sedans & utes from holden & ford? Gonna import US models?
 
Can't remember when was the last time we had Ranchero here, the Chev Lumina and Ute are done for sadly. If you want a 5.7L V8 from General Motors your only option will be a Corvette, not sure it will be an official product imported by GMSA though. We'll end up with a local line up of Fords designed in Germany (a good thing) and Korean Chevrolets (not bad either).
 
HOLDEN SPECIAL EDITIONS BID FAREWELL TO COMMODORE

The Holden Commodore has built quite a legacy as one of Australia’s finest sports saloons, but production will sadly come to an end in October this year.

However, both the saloon and the ute have gained a tune-up to celebrate the badge’s iconic status.

The three special editions on offer will be called the Motorsport, Director and Magnum Ute, and each will make use of the trusty 6,2-litre LS3 V8. Other performance-inspired tweaks, such as magnetic ride control, will also be added.

The Motorsport Edition, which will be based on the SS-V Redline, will be built on a 1 200-unit run and pay homage to the Australian touring car. Visually, it will be kitted with plenty of red trim, 20-inch forged alloy wheels and “Motorsport” decals. With this purchase, owners will also receive a 1:18 scale model car.

The Director, meanwhile, will be a more exclusive version of the Calais V sedan, limited to just 360 units. This model pays tribute to the previous director of the company and the original Commodore designer, Peter Brock.

It comes equipped with special bonnet vents, a black roof, charcoal-coloured Brembo brakes, paddle shifters, sports seats, alloy pedals and a commemorative presentation case.

Of the three limited editions, the Magnum Ute is arguably the most special as it pays homage to the iconic Australian pick-up and will be limited to just 240 units.

Holden says the Magnum is the quickest ute it has ever created. Along with this, it has been provided with an improved ride, thanks to the sedan-tuned FE3 rear suspension, and sports seats and a commemorative presentation case.

http://www.carmag.co.za/news_post/holden-special-editions-bid-farewell-to-commodore/

71a4cd70d9db231e6147e7b2e5a98eb3.jpg


ff55728f84c5ece9d8aa1827413a1763.jpg


4f4b09060cf4a382a98be0653b6e008a.jpg


9214e7b9baae00b5f7c003369bb54190.jpg
 
Can't remember when was the last time we had Ranchero here, the Chev Lumina and Ute are done for sadly. If you want a 5.7L V8 from General Motors your only option will be a Corvette, not sure it will be an official product imported by GMSA though. We'll end up with a local line up of Fords designed in Germany (a good thing) and Korean Chevrolets (not bad either).

Corvette will not be built for right hand drive markets, as well as the new Camaro.
 
Those are some fine machines. I remember how much Top Gear enjoyed them way back when.
[video=youtube;KWcKfwf1aYw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWcKfwf1aYw[/video]
Obviously much better than the Fords they competed with. It's GM after all.
 
Holden Elizabeth plant factory tour | A CarAdvice Feature

[video=youtube;7q258XMQV4w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q258XMQV4w[/video]
 
“The important thing to remember is, while some businesses close, other businesses open, while some jobs end, other jobs start. There will be better days in the future.”

He said that, as prime minister, it was his duty to try to ensure the environment was right for industry and emphasised the need for low taxes and light-touch regulation.

“Because under those circumstances you maximise the conditions for new businesses to start and for existing businesses to expand.”
- Tony Abbott

These are wise words that I wish the South African government would hear
 
- Tony Abbott

These are wise words that I wish the South African government would hear

Yeah, well our crowd remains firmly convinced that you can regulate jobs into existence, despite all evidence to the contrary.
 
Toyota ends production in Australia after 54 years

Toyota will shut down its plant in Melbourne on Tuesday after manufacturing cars in Australia for over 50 years, resulting in the loss of some 2600 jobs.

Victorian Industry Minister Wade Noonan said it was "a terribly sad day" and "an end of an era for manufacturing" in the state.

Trade union leader Dave Smith told reporters outside the Toyota factory at Altona North, where the final Camry was set to roll off the production line on Tuesday, the event was a "very tragic day for Victoria because today marks the end of the car manufacturing industry."

Toyota, which began manufacturing in Australia in 1963, is the second car company to shut down in Australia in two years. Ford ceased production in Victoria's Geelong after 91 years last year.

Matthew Kinson, who worked at the Toyota plant for 19 years, said workers will mark the closure with a private barbecue.

"A lot of us haven't had a job interview here for 20-odd years... So that's going to be a little bit difficult because the reality of that is hard," he told Australian broadcaster ABC.

"But I'm not concerned that people won't find work coming from here."

The worker's union said as many as 2600 workers may not be able to find new jobs, despite Toyota's job skills training program.

Smith said just 35 percent of Ford's workers had found permanent, full-time work.

Noonan said the state government had been preparing for the closure, spending more than 100 million dollars on assistance programs for the workers.

General Motors is is also planning to shut its South Australia plant on October 20, marking the end of all car manufacturing in Australia.

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/indu...oduction-in-australia-after-54-years-11465139
 
Last Australian-made Toyota rolls off production line

The last Australian-made Toyota rolled off the production line Tuesday, ending over five decades of manufacturing by the Japanese firm as the once-booming local car-making industry grinds to a halt.

Toyota announced in 2014 that it would stop making vehicles at its unprofitable Australian plants, joining the country's other two large automakers, Ford and US giant General Motors' Holden offshoot.

Car companies shutting factories in Australia

Ford closed its production line last year and Holden will shutter its only remaining car factory in Adelaide later this month.

All three companies blame the Australian dollar's strength and an increasingly competitive market for the local sector's decline.

"Toyota became the top automobile manufacturer in Australia," Toyota Australia president Dave Buttner told close to 3000 employees at the closure of the Altona plant in Melbourne Tuesday.

"The vehicles produced here became a byword for quality and reliability not only in Australia but also in the world as the vehicles were exported to other regions like the Middle East."

Some 2600 workers have lost their jobs, although the company has retained 1300 for distribution and sales, as well as research and design.

'Sad day'

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said it was a sad day but pointed to new higher-end manufacturing opportunities as a means to help offset the job losses.

"The investment that we're making in defence, in naval shipbuilding in particular, is going to deliver thousands of advanced manufacturing jobs," he told reporters.

Australia has been producing cars for almost a century, with the industry employing tens of thousands of workers until its decline over the past decade.

It has struggled with the effects of the high local dollar, squeezing exports and compounding rising production costs.

http://www.wheels24.co.za/News/Indu...ade-toyota-rolls-off-production-line-20171003
 
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter