Holden in chevy chase
BY BRUCE NEWTON | 26th Aug 2002
While a US media report indicated last week that Holden already had the business, the local arm of General Motors was less inclined to confirm the deal, saying there was still competition from within GM's North American headquarters to contend with.
Leading US website, thecarconnection.com, reported that GM group vice-president in charge of advanced vehicle development Mark Hogan said GM would launch a line-up of new rear-wheel drive vehicles later this decade.
Mr Hogan said GM's sophisticated Sigma platform would be used to underpin luxury Cadillac models like the CTS and forthcoming STS.
But he said other divisions would get the platform being developed to replace the current V-car architecture, which will underpin the VE Commodore and other Holden model variants due around 2005.
Mr Hogan said the plans were a "work in progress" and that cars should begin rolling out of North American plants in three or four years in both rear and all-wheel drive configurations.
But Holden design chief Mike Simcoe, who was at the GM product seminar in Santa Barbara, California, where Mr Hogan made his comments, would not confirm the deal was done.
"There's a lot of talk about it, but to my knowledge it is not confirmed," Mr Simcoe said.
"The situation is we are being considered as the supplier of low-cost rear-wheel drive expertise to the world.
"My judgment on it is that we are one of a few players and we are newsworthy at the moment." The use of Holden's rear-wheel drive platform expertise makes sense because the company has already developed all-wheel drive capability and has long shown the ability to deliver on a budget North America cannot match.
Of course Holden already has infiltrated the US with its rear-wheel drive technology as the Monaro is slated to go there from late next year as a 2004 model Pontiac GTO. Other new rear-drive models are set to be introduced from late 2004.
Backing up Mr Hogan's rear-wheel drive revelations was the first details last week of the next generation of GM concept cars that will be unveiled at auto shows during 2003.
Among them were a small-block rear-wheel drive V8 sedan called the Chevrolet SS and the Pontiac G6, a supercharged V6 all-wheel drive sedan.
While there would be no opportunity for local manufacture, the component export dollars of such a deal would be enormous for Holden. The US passenger car market is worth 8 million units per annum, despite the inroads SUVs have made in recent years.
Falcon fuel tank increases export hopes
WITH the fuel tank of the BA Falcon moved ahead of the car's new Control Blade rear suspension, does that mean potential export to markets like the US are now more likely? In theory yes, because the repositioned fuel tank means US compliance is now easier, but in reality no because there just does not seem to be a lot of interest in BA exports beyond the accepted export markets of New Zealand and South Africa.That's the somewhat downbeat assessment of Ford Australia director of product and business planning, Don Pearce.
"It (the repositioning of the fuel tank) opens up (export) possibilities - that's about as positive as I could say it," Mr Pearce said. "It increases our chances of feeding it that way.
"What we will be doing is shipping two or three production BAs of different varieties to the US to make sure people understand and can drive the vehicles and all that sort of stuff.
"It's all part of selling what we have got and what our expertise is.
"Whether you hit paydirt or not is another question." According to a GoAuto source in the US, a potential opportunity for the BA platform could be the next generation Mustang.
"The word coming out of Dearborn is that Ford had cancelled the DEW-Lite based Mustang platform, leaving it without a suitable rear-wheel drive platform. The DEW-Lite was a stripped down version of the DEW platform that was planned to be used for a new RWD Ford Fairlane sedan, Mustang, entry Lincoln sedan and coupe/convertible, and a Lincoln SUV.
"It has come under extreme financial pressure from Ford and has all but been cancelled outright. Many still have the Mustang being built on this platform, but it doesn't make sense to me. Why keep this expensive and overweight platform around for only the Mustang, which would be the least profitable vehicle of the bunch? "Recent rumours have the Mustang riding on a version of next generation Focus platform converted to RWD, though this sounds expensive and like a major compromise.
"It is also said that the BA Falcon's rear suspension will be used on the next Mustang and even the Focus. With the Chrysler Group preparing its new large RWD entrants and GM moving closer by the day, maybe Ford North America doesn't want to be left behind."