GM cracks the magic tonne
The eights have it as GM Holden celebrates 100 years of GM, 60 years of Holden, 40 years of Monaro and 30 years of CommodoreThe centennial of the global giant General Motors is being celebrated locally with a display at Holden's Fishermans Bend plant, featuring some of the most famous Australian-built vehicles that form part of the company's history. These include Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, Pontiac -- and Holden.
This month 100 years ago William C. Durant merged two American carmakers, Oldsmobile and Buick, to form General Motors -- the beginning of an automotive empire that would eventually become the world's largest.
Despite facing enormous problems today, GM stills heads the list of global automotive companies and has sold more than 450 millions cars and trucks worldwide since it was formed in September 1908.
Locally, GM has been an entity since 1926, when General Motors Australia was formed -- later to become General Motors-Holdens following a merger with Holden Motor Body Builders in 1931 and, more recently, GM Holden.
"Before Holden Motor Body Builders merged with GM Australia back in 1931, the Holden name was already synonymous with building car bodies for General Motors brands such as Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet," said GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Mark Reuss.
GM's 100th anniversary is just one of the events being celebrated this year in Australia: 2008 is also the 60th anniversary of the original Holden 48-215 and is the 40th anniversary of Holden's plant at Elizabeth in South Australia.
It is also 40 years since the introduction of the Monaro, and 30 years since the first Commodore.
- James Alexander Holden started a saddlery business in Adelaide in 1856
- By now known as Holden and Frost, the company began repairing the upholstery of imported GM cars in 1908
- Holden and Frost made its first complete car body in 1914
- Holden's Woodville plant opened in Woodville, South Australia, in 1924
- The merger with GM that created GMH took place in 1931
- The first coupe utility, the "Sloper", was produced by GMH for Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Chevrolet in 1935
- Holden assembled Chevrolet, Vauxhall and Pontiac models locally until the late 1960s
- Today Holden exports vehicles to the Middle East, South Africa, Brazil, the UK, Korea, the USA and Canada
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