WEDNESDAY 05 NOVEMBER 2003:
$400 MILLION ENGINE PLANT POWERS HOLDEN'S GLOBAL DRIVE

General Motors today opened its largest single investment in Australia in more than 20 years - Holden's $400 million global V6 engine plant in Port Melbourne, Victoria.

The plant will generate up to 900 engines a day or 240,000 engines a year, with capacity to expand to 300,000 engines a year, which will ultimately create more than 500 jobs.

The Port Melbourne facility is Holden's first new engine plant in 22 years and will deliver fully locally produced six-cylinder engines for the first time since 1986.

Holden expects to generate up to $450 million a year in V6 engine exports, boosting the company's contribution to balance of trade to more than $1.5 billion a year.

The global V6 engine family will be exported to GM brands around the world and power future Holdens for domestic and overseas markets.

GM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Rick Wagoner, today joined senior representatives of Holden, the Federal and State Governments and industry unions to inaugurate the new plant, situated to the west of Holden's facilities in Port Melbourne.

Mr Wagoner was joined by Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Peter Hanenberger; the Premier of Victoria, the Hon. Steve Bracks; Federal Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, the Hon. Ian Macfarlane; and ACTU President Sharan Burrow,

More than 2000 Holden employees were invited to the event, celebrating the most significant development for Holden since it invested $300 million in a high-volume four-cylinder engine plant and foundry which opened at Fishermans Bend in 1981 and remains an integral part of Holden's operations.

The Port Melbourne facility is the second GM operation to manufacture the global V6 engine.

Holden will share this responsibility with the GM of Canada plant in St Catharines, Ontario, which commenced production in March 2003. St Catharines also produces the Generation III 5.7 litre V8 engine for Holden and Holden Special Vehicles cars.

The first engines from the Port Melbourne plant are destined for GM de Mexico, where they will be installed into the 2004 model Buick Rendezvous crossover vehicle.

These engines will power future Holdens from 2004 and plans are being developed to export to other markets in the United States, Europe and Asia.

The global V6 engine family was developed by GM Powertrain, which has a mission to develop the world's best powertrains. The engine boasts all-aluminium construction and comes in three displacement sizes - 2.8 litre, 3.2 litre and 3.6 litre - with the capacity to be expanded to 3.8 litre.

The all-aluminium construction offers features such as dual overhead camshafts, 24-valve per engine and continuously variable cam phasing. The engines can be used for front, rear or all wheel drive vehicles and are compatible with hybrid electric applications.

WEDNESDAY 19 JANUARY 2005:
HOLDEN SETS ALL TIME VEHICLE EXPORT RECORD

Holden has set a new all time vehicle export record for the company, breaking through the 50,000 vehicle barrier during its 50th anniversary export year in 2004.

The export tally of 52,372 sedans, utes and coupes eclipsed the single year record set in 1973 by Holden’s all conquering HQ range and was 45 per cent higher than 2003.

Holden has now sent more than 650,000 vehicles around the world in five decades managing the country’s largest automotive export program.

The 2004 record was secured by sending Holden cars to all continents except Antarctica, prepared for General Motors brands including Chevrolet, Pontiac and Vauxhall with Buick and Daewoo to commence in 2005.

Holden Export Director, Peter Keley, said it was fitting the long standing record should be broken as Holden celebrated the golden anniversary of the first FJ sedans being sent to New Zealand in 1954.

“Holden vehicles play an important role in the product portfolios of various GM entities and joint ventures around the world,” Mr Keley said.

“Holden has a responsibility to contribute to General Motors brands around the world where possible to offer the best possible range of cars and trucks in each local market.

“We have been able to leverage our manufacturing flexibility to deliver products to Middle East, United Kingdom, United States, South Africa, Brazil, New Zealand and across the Asia Pacific region.”

The 2004 total bettered the 1973 total of 41,181 by 27 per cent and was more than 16,000 vehicles ahead of the 2003 tally of 36,069.

“Within that record performance were many significant individual achievements which highlight the extent of Holden’s expertise and abilities in this area,” Mr Keley said.

In the Middle East, Holden posted record annual wholesale figures of 23,511, including a record number of 12,596 long wheelbase Chevrolet Caprice models. The Chevrolet Caprice Royale won Saudi Auto Car of the Year in Saudi Arabia.

Holden sent more than 16,000 Pontiac GTOs to the United States where second half sales were significantly higher, reaching 9881 sales for a full year sales tally of 13,569. The December result of 2952 was a monthly record and higher than total Monaro sales in Australia during 2004.

The 2004 total for New Zealand of 10,331 was the best result in 20 years, reflecting the popularity and awareness of the Holden brand. Top New Zealand publication Autocar gave the Holden Commodore SV6 its 2004 Large Car of the Year award.

The Vauxhall Monaro launched in the United Kingdom established a cult following, led the release of Vauxhall’s new VXR performance vehicle brand and took out the Top Gear motoring program’s Muscle Car of the Year award.

More than 1000 of the Calais based Chevrolet Omega were exported to Brazil, the best result since 2000, where this model leads the large car segment. Holden continued with export programs to Asia Pacific countries including Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

Holden Special Vehicles, in conjunction with Holden, commenced its first export vehicle program to the United Kingdom, HSV GTO, in 2004 and the full HSV range is exported to New Zealand.