Change Holden to Chevrolet

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...503-1e69h.html

Would save a fair few Commodore drivers money!!

Change Holden to Chevrolet, says US website
Barry Park
May 3, 2011 - 4:10PM

A controversial proposal by a GM-focused consumer website to replace the lion badge in Australia has been described as “absurd” by Holden.

Holden has labelled calls to replace the iconic Australian car maker’s badge with the Chevrolet bowtie as ‘‘absurd’’.

General Motors-focused consumer website GM Authority today published an editorial column suggesting the Holden badge needs to make way for a global brand such as Chevrolet to give the US car maker the same global leverage as rival Ford, which sells all its cars under the one name worldwide.

According to GM Authority chief executive Alex Luft, the Holden name is hurting GM’s ability to establish Chevrolet as a global brand.
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‘‘So, while Holden may be working in Oceania for now, General Motors will find that keeping Holden around will put Chevrolet at a greater disadvantage compared to global brands such as Ford and Toyota as time goes on,’’ the editorial says.

‘‘As such, I would love to see Chevrolet (along with Buick and GMC) become completely global brands to the tunes of Ford, Toyota, BMW, and Lexus, among others.’’

A number of Chevrolet models are rebadged as Holdens for the Australian market, including the Captiva SUV and Cruze small car.

However, Holden spokeswoman Emily Perry has branded the name-change suggestion as ‘‘absurd’’.

‘‘Holden is, and is recognised by GM, as one of the, if not the, strongest brand in the GM stable,’’ Perry says.

‘‘Mike Simcoe [GM’s director of design] was in my office last week saying the same thing: as a brand it's better bought, better understood, more passionate than any other,’’ she says. ‘‘Holden is not going anywhere.’’

Luft lists several advantages to GM having a unified brand worldwide, including the ability to have global marketing campaigns and a unified brand image — ‘‘luxuries that General Motors currently can’t enjoy due to the brand and name dichotomy present in Chevrolet and Holden,’’ he says.

He even suggests how the change-over from Holden to Chevrolet may trickle into the Australian mindset.

‘‘Now, for those who think I’m absolutely crazy to even suggest the replacement of Holden — a brand that’s been around since 1856 and has been owned by GM since 1931 — let me be extra clear: I’m not recommending that the Holden brand be expunged tomorrow and be immediately replaced by Chevrolet,’’ he says.

‘‘Doing so may prove disastrous for both marquees (sic).’’

A good approach would be something similar to computing giant Cisco’s takeover of the Linksys brand, he says, where components were labelled ‘‘Linksys by Cisco’’ for several years before the Linksys name was dropped from the branding altogether.

He even suggests the Barina name used for Holden’s small car range sold in Australia could adopt the ‘‘Sonic’’ badge after US consumers struggled with the Aveo name used for the car in the North American market.

[apfgxr6]

screw chevrolet! and the chevy badged captiva is a bloody daewoo!

[Road_Warrior]

Stupid idea, penned by a yank who quite clearly has no knowledge or appreciation of the local market or the strength of the Holden brand.

[FPV8U]

Bring it on, can't see it helping them too much at all.

[tapeworm]

Holden are scared it will damage their 'Aussie meat pie' thing they have going with the average Australian

[Dave R]

Typical yank moron. Chevrolet would lose millions in revenue from bogans not needing to buy Chev badges anymore.

[Resurrection]

Originally Posted by FPV8U

Bring it on, can't see it helping them too much at all.

+1

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by tapeworm

Holden are scared it will damage their 'Aussie meat pie' thing they have going with the average Australian

You mean this one??


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_Y-2vlOegI

[MethodX]

Originally Posted by vztrt

You mean this one??


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_Y-2vlOegI

All part of being a multinational.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by MethodX

All part of being a multinational.

As long as you make everyone think that your Aussie only.

[MethodX]

Originally Posted by vztrt

As long as you make everyone think that your Aussie only.

Whatever makes your cars sell, its a tough market out there.

[FPV GTHO]

I think its a stupid idea, clearly they would continue to sell more cars badged as Holdens than they would Chevrolets locally and in NZ. They talk Oceania, but thats a big region and where else but here and NZ do they badge the whole lineup Holden?

[burnz]

i've missed somthing with that clown, to extend the chev brand..
but allso the buick and gmc??

what about the other brands around the world??
oh silly me, america is the world!!

[blackf6]

most holden drivers re badge their holdens as a chev these days anyhow.

[BIGJB]

Originally Posted by tapeworm

Holden are scared it will damage their 'Aussie meat pie' thing they have going with the average Australian

Agree 100% I honestly believe it would hurt their sales. On the plus side it may make Ford sales go up.

[theboxmike]

Good i hope it happens. So sick of Holden Bogans thinking their car is awesome when it's a piece of ****. ( not all Holdens, but you know the type. VX-VT Commodores with Clear tail lights doing burnouts outside Mcdonalds.)

[chevypower]

It should just happen. The people who care have already put a Chevy badge on their Commodore anyway, and the people who haven't put one on probably don't care. Probably Holden trying to gauge reaction through its own rumor. GM made the mistake years ago, of using different brand names and products around the world, we know they are trying to consolidate, it's probably going to happen eventually.

[FalconForce]

Originally Posted by chevypower

It should just happen. The people who care have already put a Chevy badge on their Commodore anyway, and the people who haven't put one on probably don't care. Probably Holden trying to gauge reaction through its own rumor. GM made the mistake years ago, of using different brand names and products around the world, we know they are trying to consolidate, it's probably going to happen eventually.

Agreed, i don't think there are that many people that actually care anymore. but if they change the falcon to taurus i'm gonna be ****ed!

[samsy351]

I can see it now...If they Holden officially become Chev, then I bet the bogans would go out and rebadge their "new Chevs" as Holdens !!!!

[2011G6E]

They're already sold overseas as Chevrolets. It'd be sad to see it go, but have a quick look at how many car makers...some tiny, some quite successful...that have vanished over the decades since cars were invented.

Nothing to guarantee that "Holden" won't vanish...as a brand...as well.

[aualright]

I think Chevrolet has some resonance with Australians, and not just the young who replace their Holden badges.

My wife's father bought a 55' Chev Belair brand new back in the day and kept it until his death some 50 yrs later. From speaking with him, I understood many of his vintage looked fondly at the Chev badge. The local Holden product just didn't cut it for those that liked a full sized car until the HQ, perhaps.

I truly hope that us Aussies aren't naive enough to think that Holden are actually Australian. Perhaps school children (had alot of fun deriding the VL Nissan in high school) still do, but surely not adults.

A change to Chevrolet may actually take away the cringe factor I personally get at the mere mention of 'Holden'.

****

[2011G6E]

Yep, got to remember "Holden" is only a small subsidiary of a massive overseas parent company. They will also know damn well that people like a Commodore for what it is...whether it has a lion on the front or a bow tie. Hell, it was only the early seventies when Monaros had a bow tie on the front guard as part of the badge for the 327 and 350 models. I think more people than most suspect know that Holden is part of the American-based General Motors...

There would be outrage...but it would probably be short lived, as if it meant a decision between calling it all Chevrolet and possibly closing the whole lot down, people would go with the badge change.

[Raptor]

I voted YES do it.

About time the broader population realised that just because its got a Holden badge that doesn't mean it's all home grown.

[au2000]

hasen't gm already killed off OPEL? their european version & replaced them as chev's?.... maybe it's really a case of it's going to happen no matter what...

[Poetic Justice]

Opel hasn't died, in fact Opel is headed to Australia in the next 12 months.

[mcnamg]

GM killed off Daewoo globally and rebranded all Daewoos GM so in Europe they have Vaxuhall, Opel and Chevy in the US they have GMC, Chevy, Buick and Caddy

[Revolver]

What a fantastic idea! They do it anyway!

The guys who put the bowtie badge on their commodores already recognize that:

1. It's a chev engine powering it since the 308 went out.
2. They are owned by GM anyway.

Plus it makes them look "tough" & "unique". translated:

Makes them look "Try-hard" & "bogan"

Imaging their faces when they start to see a whole heap of chev badges as standard grille & boot badges! YThat their "personalisation" is niw run of the mill, & the "old" holden badging is now how you make the car "unique"! Oh just beautiful.

*sniff*

"Your Purple VL still looks tough!"

[Revolver]

What a fantastic idea! They do it anyway!

The guys who put the bowtie badge on their commodores already recognize that:

1. It's a chev engine powering it since the 308 went out.
2. They are owned by GM anyway.

Plus it makes them look "tough" & "unique". translated:

Makes them look "Try-hard" & "bogan"

Imaging their faces when they start to see a whole heap of chev badges as standard grille & boot badges! That their "personalisation" is niw run of the mill, & the "old" holden badging is now how you make the car "unique"! Oh just beautiful.

*sniff*

"Your Purple VL still looks tough!"

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by mcnamg

GM killed off Daewoo globally and rebranded all Daewoos GM so in Europe they have Vaxuhall, Opel and Chevy in the US they have GMC, Chevy, Buick and Caddy

Chevrolet is now GM's global 'cheap car' brand, the rebadged Daewoos are available in Europe and the UK as Chevys...

[EgoFG]

No Chevy any more
only Chevorlet

Chinese Chery were too smart