New Chev muscle car a Holden underneath
Plenty of grunt ... the Chevrolet Camaro concept car. Photo: Reuters
By Joshua Dowling Herald Motoring Editor, in Detroit January 11, 2006
AUSTRALIAN know-how may revive yet another American icon.
At the Detroit motor show yesterday, Chevrolet revealed a new Camaro but beneath the muscle-car body were the underpinnings for the next generation of Australia's biggest selling car, the Holden Commodore.
Like a giant jigsaw puzzle, car makers are increasingly sharing underbody components in order to save money - and get more models.
They fit different bodies so the cars look different but share parts customers can't see.
Since Holden began exporting the Monaro to the US three years ago (where it is sold as a Pontiac GTO), the Australian outpost has increasingly come to the attention of its parent company, General Motors.
Holden is one of only three GM brands around the world that makes large rear-wheel drive cars, such as the Commodore and Statesman.
Demand from American baby boomers for modern muscle cars sent American executives to Australia looking for help. The Camaro was yesterday labelled a "concept car" but the Herald understands it is close to being confirmed for production.
"We have Australian engineers working on this project right now," Denny Mooney, the American boss of Holden, told the Herald.
With his connections in the US, it is likely the Chevrolet Camaro could be built in North America on the same production line as the next generation Pontiac GTO, which is due in 2008. Given that they share major underbody components, the same US factory could also produce a version of the new Holden Statesman, to be sold as a Buick.
But Mr Mooney stressed that production of the Commodore, Statesman and other models would continue in Australia and, in addition to its local manufacturing commitments, Holden would become the main supplier of technical expertise for GM's large rear-drive cars around the world.
"Holden is responsible for General Motors' global rear-drive architecture," Mr Mooney said. "We own the expertise to assemble and develop it."
Given this new development it is possible Holden could revive the Chevrolet brand in Australia.
Holden is already planning to establish a network of Australian dealers for Cadillacs brand and is also considering the potential of a Chevrolet revival.
Since it is based on the Commodore's underpinnings, the Camaro could easily be built in right-hand drive, according to Holden sources.
The last time Chevrolet was officially sold in Australia was in the 1960s, before GM withdrew the brand to focus on Holden.
The all-new models of the Commodore and Statesman are due on sale in August and September this year.
New Chev muscle car a Holden underneath (The Sydney Morning Herald)
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