GMSV celebrates 5000th remanufactured Chevrolet Silverado

General Motors Specialty vehicles (GMSV) is celebrating the completion of its 5000th locally ‘remanufactured’ Chevrolet Silverado pick-up following the launch of its bespoke new production facility in Dandenong.

The Silverado’s new right-hand drive conversion site is only a stone’s throw away from the Walkinshaw Automotive Group’s and HSV’s ancestral home in the outer eastern Melbourne suburb, and its establishment follows the expansion of RAM Trucks Australia (RTA) production at Walkinshaw Park in nearby Clayton.

“The new dedicated remanufacturing facility will enable improved flexibility and capacity, with a significant increase in the number of Silverado’s coming off the line,” said GMSV director Joanne Stogiannis.

“It’s particularly timely to have this new facility up and running as we recently announced Australia and New Zealand will be receiving a new MY23 Silverado 1500 range due mid-2023, including Chevrolet’s new flagship off-road truck, the first-ever Silverado ZR2.

“We are confident that we will be in a position to better cater for the anticipated demand associated with the launch of these new Silverado 1500s and the ever-popular Silverado HD.”

While demand for the updated and additional Silverado models is high, there’s little doubt about the popularity of the existing GM pick-up line-up given it’s only taken a couple of years to reach the 5000 milestone.

“It goes to show there is considerable desire amongst enthusiasts for the latest in a V8-powered full-size pick-up truck with impressive towing ability and passenger comfort,” Stoginannis said.

Chevrolet Silverado sales are tipped to accelerate in the coming months as the remanufacturing operation ramps up and the new line-up arrives, but sales of the big Chevy pick-up still lag behind those of the RAMs, which also happens to be remanufactured by Walkinshaw.

To October this year, GMSV has sold 1347 Silverados and 431 Silverado HDs (total: 1778), while Ateco Automotive’s RTA network has sold 4232 RAM 1500s, 530 RAM 2500s and 48 RAM 3500s (total: 4810).

While it has only been remanufacturing the Silverado 2500 since 2018 and the 1500 since 2020, Walkinshaw has converted more than 18,000 RAMs for the Australian and New Zealand markets since 2013, making Australia the largest RAM market outside the US.

The doubling of annual RAM production capacity at Walkinshaw Park from 10,000 to 20,000 vehicles, and the increase in staff to 641 workers, is claimed to make the RAM operation Australia’s biggest automotive manufacturer.

The demand for both RAM and Silverado vehicles has clearly resonated with other brands, given the Ford F-150 will join the list of factory-backed, locally-converted full-size American pick-ups in mid-2023, and Walkinshaw is working with Toyota on a right-hand drive version of the new Toyota Tundra for potential release in 2024.

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